All in Politics
Representative Chris Humphrey (R-Lenoir, Pitt) writes, “I’m proud of the work being done in North Carolina to prepare for disaster mitigation and flooding. The Emma Webb Park Project displays the best of Kinston - with many concerned citizens and young people volunteering their time to improve the community around them. As we approach the height of hurricane season, I hope all of us take time to prepare for inclement weather before storm clouds arrive.”
In Lenoir, Jones, and Greene county there are multiple seats open in the 2021 election. The dates to file for candidacy are July 2, 2021, at 12:00 pm through July 16, 2021, at 12:00 pm.
The North Carolina General Assembly completed the first step of a multi step budget process when the NC Senate prepared the first draft of a budget for the 2021 - 2022 biennium. In the next step, the House of Representatives will make changes and send the document back to the Senate.
In Lenoir, Jones, and Greene county there are multiple seats open in the 2021 election. The dates to file for candidacy are July 2, 2021, at 12:00 pm through July 16, 2021, at 12:00 pm.
Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed July Adolescent Immunization Awareness Month to highlight the importance of immunizations for North Carolina’s preteens and teens. As teachers, parents and students are preparing for the start of the 2021-22 school year, public health officials remind parents and guardians to ensure their teens and preteens are current on all their vaccinations and encourage health care providers to take steps to ensure their young patients are up to date.
I am more concerned about the next four years for Kinston today than I was four years ago.
The impasses we face with the City of Kinston pose significant challenges for our community’s future, and we need leaders to step up at a time such as this. The mayor’s seat and two councilmembers’ seats are up for grabs, and the $10 filing fee period ends on Friday, July 16th at 12:00 pm.
Now is not the time to complain. Now is not the time to critique. Instead, if you feel led to run or compelled to serve your community greater than your role today, here is your opportunity to influence or shape the change you desire.
In Lenoir, Jones, and Greene county there are multiple seats open in the 2021 election. The dates to file for candidacy are July 2, 2021, at 12:00 pm through July 16, 2021, at 12:00 pm.
The gigantic effort in the U.S. Senate to end the Filibuster has failed. Republican Senators were unanimous in their pro-Filibuster stance, and they were joined by two Democrat Senators, Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema(Ariz). Also. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has said he will stand behind keeping the Filibuster.
NC Treasurer Dale Folwell in an exclusive interview with Neuse News announced the North Carolina State Pension Plan has hit a record $121 billion. It’s one of the largest pools of public money in the world and covers more than 950,000 members.
A $120,000 grant will support demolition and repair work related to the renovation of a vacant, 255,000-square-foot building in Kinston, where Crown Equipment is expanding its operations. The company manufactures a line of high-quality lift trucks, including electric and internal-combustion models. The overall project is expected to create more than 130 jobs and represents an investment of $13.2 million by the company, while 16 of those jobs are tied to this grant.
Governor Roy Cooper visited the Davidson County Health Department vaccine clinic in Lexington to see more people get their COVID-19 vaccine and talk about the Your Shot at a Million Summer Cash and College Tuition drawings for vaccinated North Carolinians. The health department has administered a majority of the vaccinations across Davidson County, administering nearly 60,400 doses.
On June 15, 2021, Kinston’s City Council voted to approve the proposed 2021-2022 budget, which included a four-cent property tax increase. The budget did not include the proposed salary increase for the city council members or the mayor. During the meeting, Councilmember Robert Swinson made a motion to remove the salary increases from the proposed budget, which was seconded by Solomon. The motion passed with Solomon, Swinson, and Councilmember Kristal Suggs voting for the budget without the salary increases, and Councilmembers Antonio Hardy and Sammy Aiken voting against it.
“I will sleep well tonight knowing that we made the right decision to not approve the salary increase for the Council,” said Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon.
Sadly for the second year in a row, the Kinston City Council has sought these personal increases, yet this year's discussion is distracting from the fact that they are also raising property taxes. The cost to the taxpayers if approved would be $670,000. Despite the fact the Kinston City Council has already voted on their increases, they could amend the budget tonight, by stripping the salaries and allowances back to the FY20 funding and passing a revised budget.
The Kinston City Council met for a Budget Worksession on May 24, 2021, wherein a four-to-one vote they approved their own salary increase of $18,000 total per year and the mayor’s $3,600 per year raise ahead of the June 15th City Council meeting. The City of Kinston is expected to increase property taxes by $0.04 per $100 valuation at that meeting.
As this was a budget work session, there is no video of the off-site meeting, but an audio recording is attached. This vote was the only one taken during the four-hour budget meeting. During the same session, the previously reported dry-cleaning allowance line item was removed by the consensus of the mayor and board.
RALEIGH: As part of North Carolina’s effort to encourage more North Carolinians to receive COVID-19 vaccines, Governor Roy Cooper announced $4 Million Summer Cash and College Tuition drawings to motivate those who have not yet been vaccinated — and thank those who have. Four vaccinated North Carolinians 18 and older will win $1 million each and four North Carolinians ages 12 to 17 will win tuition for post-secondary education. Executive Order 219, which has concurrence from the North Carolina Council of State, authorizes the drawings.
Kinston City manager Tony Sears released his budget recommendations to Council at the meeting on June 1, 2021. A proposed increase in Property Tax from $0.73 to $0.77 per $100 valuation is included in the 2021-2022 City Budget. The budget also includes a $3,600 increase to the Mayor’s salary and the total line item increase in City Council members’ salaries is $18,000 total per year, also $3,600 each for the year. This is more than a 40% increase over previous years. In addition to the salary increases, the Board Member Allowance increased 44.98% to $19,422.
“The City Council and myself worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Hardy. “When you start talking about advocating resources for vaccinations and food drives, COVID-19 testing, and organizing boots on the ground trying to get people vaccinated.”
Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed June as Pride Month in North Carolina to honor the state’s LGBTQ+ community, their fight for equality and the goal of creating a welcoming community for all North Carolinians.
The guest speaker Tuesday at the Lenoir County Republican Party meeting was Pastor Brian E. Hawkins, a San Jacinto City Council member who is running for California’s District 36 Congressional seat held by Democrat Raul Ruiz since 2013. Born in California, Hawkins spent his childhood in Kinston and attended Rochelle Middle School in Kinston, and his father graduated from Grainger High School.
North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell led a letter with sixty of his Republican colleagues in calling on Governor Roy Cooper to reinstate unemployment work search requirements.
Following yesterday’s guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that fully vaccinated individuals can safely do most activities without wearing a mask or the need to social distance from others, the state will remove its indoor mask mandate for most settings. Additionally, the state will lift all mass gathering limits and social distancing requirements. These changes are now in effect as of 1:30 PM today.
