Local News

"Doug in the District" puts community conversations at center of city government

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Tuesday, 07 July 2026

Written by Jamie Bishop

Good government doesn’t always begin in a council chamber. Sometimes it starts over a cup of coffee.

That simple idea is at the heart of the City of Fayetteville’s “Doug in the District” initiative, an outreach program that takes City Manager Dr. Doug Hewett out of City Hall and into the neighborhoods he serves. Rather than asking residents to attend formal meetings or navigate city departments, the program creates an opportunity for face-to-face conversations in familiar community spaces where questions can be asked, concerns can be shared and relationships can be built.

The concept is straightforward. Several times throughout the year, Hewett visits one of Fayetteville’s council districts to meet with residents in an informal setting. Whether the gathering is held at a neighborhood coffee shop, church or community center, the atmosphere encourages dialogue instead of presentations. Residents are invited to stop by, enjoy a cup of coffee and talk directly with the city’s chief administrative officer about the issues affecting their daily lives.

In an era when many people feel disconnected from government, the initiative reflects a growing recognition among municipal leaders that listening may be one of the most valuable public services they can provide.

Fayetteville has experienced significant growth in recent years. New housing developments, transportation improvements, downtown investment and expanding economic opportunities have brought positive momentum to the city. At the same time, growth has created new questions about infrastructure, public safety, neighborhood preservation, parks, traffic, stormwater management and future development.

Programs like Doug in the District provide residents with a direct line of communication to the individual responsible for overseeing the city’s day-to-day operations.

Unlike elected officials who establish policy, the city manager is responsible for implementing those policies while managing municipal departments and ensuring services are delivered effectively. That unique role gives Hewett a broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing Fayetteville, making neighborhood conversations especially valuable.

City leaders have consistently emphasized that community engagement is most effective when it becomes an ongoing conversation rather than a once-a-year public hearing. Doug in the District appears to embrace that philosophy by creating an environment where residents can speak candidly about both frustrations and successes within their communities.

The discussions often cover topics that matter most to everyday residents. Road conditions, neighborhood revitalization, code enforcement, recreation opportunities, public safety and economic development frequently find their way into the conversation. Equally important are the ideas residents bring forward, suggestions that may not surface through surveys or formal presentations but can influence how city leaders understand the needs of individual neighborhoods.

The program also reflects a larger trend in local government toward accessibility and transparency. Across North Carolina, municipalities are increasingly seeking creative ways to engage citizens beyond traditional council meetings. Fayetteville’s approach recognizes that meaningful participation often happens when government removes barriers instead of expecting residents to come to City Hall.

For many attendees, the opportunity to speak directly with the city manager can demystify how local government works. Municipal services are complex, involving numerous departments, regulations and long-term planning efforts that are often invisible to the public. Conversations in an informal setting allow residents to ask questions, gain a better understanding of city processes and learn where projects stand.

Those exchanges work both ways.

Just as residents receive information, city leadership gains valuable insight into the lived experiences of the people they serve. Hearing firsthand about neighborhood concerns provides context that cannot always be found in reports, spreadsheets or presentations.

The initiative also reinforces an important principle of public service: trust is built through relationships. While no single meeting can solve every issue facing a growing city, consistent engagement demonstrates a willingness to listen, explain and remain accountable to the community.

As Fayetteville continues to evolve, maintaining those relationships will become increasingly important. Population growth, new investment and changing community needs require city leaders to remain connected to the people behind the statistics.

Doug in the District offers a reminder that effective leadership is not measured solely by projects completed or budgets balanced. It is also measured by the willingness to sit down with residents, hear their concerns and invite them into the conversation about their city’s future.

Sometimes the most productive meeting isn’t held around a conference table. Sometimes it begins with a handshake, a cup of coffee and a simple question: “How is your neighborhood doing?”

To find out where City Manager Doug Hewitt will be next, visit https://www.fayettevillenc.gov/Events/Doug-in-the-District

Government Watch: County, City talk 911 consolidation; State proposes ferry tax

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Tuesday, 07 July 2026

Written by Jami McLaughlin

City and county leaders have been locked in a tense, state-mediated negotiation over consolidating emergency 911 communications. While both municipalities firmly agree that a consolidated emergency system is necessary, they remain divided on the underlying administrative details 

The Fayetteville City Council initially approved a framework favoring a state-funded, third-party consultant to decide the administrative lead.  

On June 26, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a response resolution reaffirming its commitment to creating a unified 911 communications center (PSAP) with plans to designate the County as the lead administrative agency under a shared governance structure. The proposal includes hiring a third-party consultant for a 36-month implementation, establishing employee protections via a memorandum of understanding and inviting Fort Bragg to participate while requesting the General Assembly pause legislative action. 

Following a June 29 special meeting of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, Chairman Kirk deViere announced that state Senator Tom McInnis had extended the deadline for the City and County to reach a joint resolution to July 8 at 11:59 p.m.

City of Fayetteville

On June 22, the council adopted a $327.3 million operating budget and a $117 million Capital Improvement Plan. Notably, this was achieved without any property tax increase, holding the rate at $0.4495 per $100 of assessed valuation.

The council has been aggressively advancing tighter regulations for data centers. Following public pushback and debate, council members have actively toured data center facilities and continued pushing for stricter ordinances to protect utility and resource demands. 

Cumberland County

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the $666.45 million budget (with a $408.26 million general fund). The budget maintains the current property tax rate of $0.499 per $100 of assessed valuation. 

On June 24, the Board approved $105.8 million in current expense funding for Cumberland County Schools. 

North Carolina House and Senate

The North Carolina House and Senate have given tentative approval to a $34 billion state budget, with final votes scheduled to move the package forward. While the spending plan drew bipartisan backing, a few Democrats crossed party lines to vote with the Republican majority. Conversely, two Republican senators voted against the bill due to opposition over a proposed ferry toll in Eastern North Carolina. The bill now heads to Democratic Governor Josh Stein, who has 10 days to sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature. If vetoed, Republicans have the numbers to override him in the Senate but remain one vote short in the House, meaning they would need to secure at least one opposition vote to pass the law.

The massive financial package directs money toward heavy infrastructure, relief and healthcare initiatives. Medicaid receives $1 billion to cover non-federal costs while hurricane recovery programs get more than $700 million to support local projects, private road repairs and volunteer fire departments. 

Lawmakers also allocated the following special appropriations, state capital improvements and general fund expenses for local projects:

• Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity, $100,000 for a directed grant

• Greater Fayetteville Chamber, $90,000 for capital improvements, technology and equipment needs

• Cumberland County Schools, $50,000 for the Gray’s Creek High School FFA chapter

• Fayetteville Veterans’ Home, $10 million for a contribution to a new facility

• Fayetteville State University, $5.5 million for renovation to the H.L. Cook Building

• FTCC, $3.75 million to establish a community college seamless skills initiative 

Public safety and education workforce raises make up another significant portion of the budget. Law enforcement officers will see salary increases ranging from 13% to 20%, depending on the specific agency, alongside a one-time bonus for local officers. Educators will receive an average 8% raise backed by an additional $30 million for advanced teaching roles, while standard state employees get a 3% salary increase and a corresponding bonus.

Higher education and state services also see targeted funding, including $57 million for the community college workforce initiative Propel NC and millions split among state universities for athletic programs, research, and campus reconstruction. The Division of Motor Vehicles receives $20.2 million to hire compliance staff and boost examiner pay, while programs like SNAP and the summer food initiative SUN Bucks get multi-million dollar matches. Notably, leadership kept individual member projects to a minimum and omitted a $1.7 billion Raleigh Major League Baseball stadium framework, though House Speaker Destin Hall indicated the stadium plan could be revived in future sessions.

In other news, the North Carolina House passed the NC Farmland and Military Protection Act (HB 133) in a 111-2 vote, sending the legislation to Governor Josh Stein. The bill prohibits foreign governments designated as adversaries by the U.S. Department of State from acquiring agricultural land or property within a 50-mile radius of military installations. Proponents argue this compromise legislation ensures food security and protects military installations. 

About the Greater Fayetteville Chamber

Advocacy is a cornerstone of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. Every week, the Chamber dedicates staff to attend City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County meetings as well as monitoring updates on the state and federal levels. We monitor legislation locally, statewide and federally to protect our community’s business interests. With 91% of U.S. adults recognizing a Chamber of Commerce's impact on growth, membership ensures a strong voice shaping policies, driving economic success and building a thriving business community—together. To learn more, visit www.faybiz.com or email jmclaughlin@faybiz.com. 

City, County get extension to sort out merging 911 systems

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Tuesday, 07 July 2026

Written by Paul Woolverton, CityView Today

State Sen. Tom McInnis granted Fayetteville and Cumberland County nine more days to reach an agreement on how they will combine their two 911 call centers into a single operation.

McInnis, a Republican who represents Moore and Cumberland counties, extended his deadline to 11:59 p.m. on July 8, the county said. His previous deadline was 5 p.m. on June 29.

If McInnis’ deadline isn’t met, he plans to renew his attempt to pass a law to force the merger, he told CityView.

Mayor Mitch Colvin said the additional time allows for the agreement to be “done right, not rushed.”

“This extension gives everyone the time to get it right,” Colvin told CityView. “We remain ready to work with the County and finish this the way it should have started—together.”

Since 2007, the city and county have tried to merge their 911 call centers to save money and improve services. But they have always been at loggerheads on who would run the joint 911 center. Each wants the day-to-day, administrative control.

McInnis got involved after county commissioners in May approved a resolution that said the county should run the 911 center and asked the county’s six state lawmakers to pass a law to make the merger happen.

Kirk deViere, chair of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, said he talked with McInnis and Colvin about the 911 merger dispute on Monday. Later Monday, deViere and Colvin sent a letter asking McInnis to extend his deadline.

“We briefed him on the progress that we’ve made between the city’s resolution and the county’s resolution, walked him through all the points that we have agreed to, and he was happy to see the progress that we have made,” deViere told the Board of Commissioners.

DeViere and Colvin’s letter to McInnis said that the two bodies passed resolutions last week about the merger.

“Each resolution reflects substantial common ground and a shared determination to complete this consolidation for the benefit of the residents we serve,” they said. “A limited number of final points remain to be reconciled into one executed document.”

The council’s resolution said the city and county should hire a consultant to make a binding recommendation about which government should run the merged service; the county’s resolution said the county should run it.

County commissioners planned to discuss the merger on July 2.

Even if McInnis pushes 911 merger legislation through the state Senate, it will then have to pass the state House. Two of the county’s four state House members live in Fayetteville, and one of them is Democratic Rep. Mike Colvin, who is the mayor’s brother.

If the city’s House members disagree with McInnis’ legislation, they could try to stop it.

McInnis, meanwhile, could go around them by attaching the 911 merger legislation to another bill that is likely to pass into law despite any opposition from the county’s other lawmakers.

Best books I have read this summer ... so far

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Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Written by Aly Hansen

 The last few years, I have been in a bit of reading rut. I have had quite a lot on my plate admittedly. My son turned three on June 29, and he has taken up quite a bit of time. I also took over as editor of Up & Coming Weekly not long after he was born. 

So between the two, I keep quite busy. 

I promised myself, though, that I would pick up some books and start reading again, and this summer I have been able to achieve that goal. Here are the books I have read this summer that have been my favorite ... so far. Some are old and some are new, all have been great reads. 

1. Yesteryear

This is the one that kickstarted my summer reading. Caro Claire Brooke's debut novel centers around a tradwife influencer named Natalie Heller Mills. The book follows Mills as she goes to college and meets her husband, buys a ranch and starts using social media to make money for her growing family. 

The book is a piece of satire, and Burke has talked about being influenced by social media family influencers such as Ballerina Farm. Mills' perfect life online is only a front for the darkness within, and this book has quite a few twists and turns. I sped read through it. Yesteryear for me was a real page turner. 

What I liked: I really get into books where the main character is a bit of a villain, and Natalie Heller Mills is definitely a hard character to like. I didn't find myself rooting for her, exactly, but I did hope somewhere she would redeem herself. 

2. Just For the Summer

I'm not usually one for romances, but this one hooked me pretty quick. The opening is a Reddit post from the subReddit "Am I The A**hole," where posters tell a story from their lives and ask if they were in the right or the wrong. The Reddit post from "Justin" ends up in a meet cute with Emma, a traveling nurse. 

Abby Jimenez, the author, draws a lot of experience from her life in Minneapolis to tell the story, and it added a nice real touch to the book. I read the book in one sitting on my porch. It has ended up being the perfect summer read. 

What I liked: The story had a nice easy flow to it, making it easy to engage with. It had some spicy scenes but was not overly graphic. 

3. Captain's Dinner: A Shipwreck, An Act of Cannabilism, and a Murder Trial That Changed Legal History

Captain's Dinner is a non fiction book by Adam Cohen, and its about the May 19, 1884 sinking of the luxury yacht the Mignonette, the survivors and a court case surrounding them. 

Thomas Dudley, the captain of the crew, had taken the job of sailing the yacht from England to Australia, and he had hired three others to help with the task. The journey was going well.... until it wasn't. 

The crew managed to escape in the lifeboat, where they sat for weeks waiting for rescue. Eventually the conversation began to veer into cannabilism. As a means of survival, cannabilism had been the law of the sea in the past, even celebrated in a macabre sense. So the discussion wasn't out of the norm for how things had operated. 

But times change.

The captain and one of the other crew, Edwin Stephens made the decision to kill the youngest of the group, the 17 year old cabin boy named Richard Parker. 

The second half of the book focuses on the legal case surrounding the survivors when they made it back to England. 

Dudley and Stephens were charged with murder. The third crew member, Edmund Brooks, wasn't charged, as he had been against the eating of Parker. 

The legal case spawned from this shipwreck was the first of its kind. Survival was always thought of as a positive, survival by any means was celebrated. Dudley and Stephens were found guilty, but asked for mercy and it was granted. Instead of being put to death or life imprisonment, the men were freed and allowed to live their lives. 

What I liked: This nonfiction book read like a fiction. It was unbelievable. The entire story of the crew's month at sea is absolutely horrifying and incredible. The lengths these men went to to stay alive will remain with me for awhile. It's just one of those books that I'll be thinking about for months, if not years. 

4. Ghosts of the British Museum

This book is part paranormal part history book, and all fascinating. Noah Angell spent years collecting stories of those who have worked at the British Museum. His goal had been to explore the idea of artifacts stuck in a place they didn't belong. 

The question is an interesting one. Is it ethical to keep another country's artifacts? And do these artifacts exude an energy from being kept from their homeland? Noell tells the stories of several people who have worked or still work in the British Museum in London and their experiences, most of which venture into the paranormal. 

What I liked: This book is another thinker. As a student of history, I love going to museums. But I've never really personally explored how I feel about seeing these objects in such a sterile setting. It has made me consider how I view museums, and the British Museum in particular. 

Here's to more fabulous books this summer!