Tag: Rocky Mount City Government

The Steadfast Face of Main Street’s Historic Core-#3

109 S.E. Main Street (c. 1907) A two-story brick commercial building on S.E. Main, immediately south of the 1918 Rocky Mount National Bank. Historic forms describe a pilastered upper façade with round-arched second-story openings over a storefront, a look typical of Main Street construction just after 1900. Over time, alterations (a replacement storefront, bricked-in arches, … Continue reading The Steadfast Face of Main Street’s Historic Core-#3 →

Stepheny Reflection on Ward 3’s Voter Turnout October 7, ’25

“We do not have government by the majority, we have government by the majority who participate.” — Thomas Jefferson In the last Ward 3 election, there were 2,556 registered voters. Yet only 778 actually voted, about 30%. That means fewer than one third of the ward determined its future. We can realistically expect between 600 … Continue reading Stepheny Reflection on Ward 3’s Voter Turnout October 7, ’25 →

Voter Turnout: One Month From Today – Ward 3’s October 7 Election

A Low Turnout We Cannot Repeat I remember the last city election all too well. What should have been a moment of civic pride felt like a letdown. Too few people showed up. Ballots went uncast, voices went unheard, and the decisions that shape Rocky Mount neighborhoods were left to the hands of a small … Continue reading Voter Turnout: One Month From Today – Ward 3’s October 7 Election →

The Prosecutors Summation: OIC and the Question of Public Trust

The Prosecutors Summation to the Jury. It is not easy to hold two truths at once. That OIC has brought real good to this community: yes. That the tutoring programs, the workforce training, the wraparound services have helped people climb out of hardship: yes again. But it is also true that when council members sit … Continue reading The Prosecutors Summation: OIC and the Question of Public Trust →

OIC on the Stand: Exhibit B and C

The courtroom doors swing shut. The prosecutor rises once more. A Financial Auditor takes the stand, sworn to testify. What follows is not rumor, not speculation, but evidence entered into the record. Today the case turns to OIC, its leadership, its ledgers, and the uneasy lines that bind public office to private control. Exhibit B: … Continue reading OIC on the Stand: Exhibit B and C →