Speaking Out: A Year of Perspective

Over the last year, my time as president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities has really brought home to me how municipalities collectively deal with the challenges that affect people’s everyday lives. 

Obviously, being Mayor Pro Tem of Durham and a member of the Durham City Council, that is something I have seen as it relates to my city and its work with residents. But through my role on the League’s Board of Directors and now as president, I’ve had the opportunity to see that same dynamic in play in cities and towns of all sizes across the state. As one of my predecessors once said, the primary difference between the issues that big cities, smaller cities and small towns deal with are the zeros involved—with that meaning the size of our populations and the size of our budgets. 

Whether addressing public safety, working on economic development projects, maintaining city roads, providing parks and other amenities or all of the infrastructure and public health measures that involve cities—water, sewer, garbage collection— municipalities touch our residents’ lives every day. 

In a world where much of politics is increasingly polarized and partisan, I feel blessed to have been in this position as president of this organization, to enjoy the unique perch of seeing how this occurs in communities throughout North Carolina, and to converse my fellow municipal officials on these topics. 

In fact, one of my key goals as president has been to assist all of my fellow board members in becoming ambassadors for the League, and in doing so, share how this organization helps to further what municipal government does for its residents. We developed a little “elevator speech” card so that each of us can be an on-the-spot ambassador, and I have encouraged more publicity around the board appointments, with the aim of making all of our respective cities and towns understand how the work that the League does translates into better, more effective services for residents. 

I hope that we can continue to expand on this effort so that people can see beyond the tap water that comes out of their faucet or the park down the street where their children play. That they can see how city workers individually make those things happen, but then also how the League advocates for the resources, provides the liability insurance or creates forums for idea-sharing so that they happen in the best, most economical way possible. 

Obviously, this past year has been incredibly difficult for many of our cities and towns in the western part of North Carolina damaged by Hurricane Helene. I am proud of the role that the League has taken on to both advocate for those communities and also provide the avenues to connect them to needed resources. 

Those efforts happened, in no small part, due to the active role that this organization had been playing before Helene in assisting towns in improving their financial operations, helping make them safer and reducing potential liabilities as an insurer and staff being connected in a variety of ways to municipal officials. 

As I prepare to finish my term as president, I know those efforts will continue and that the League of Municipalities will keep making North Carolina a better place. This is a well-run machine, in all aspects of its operation, with a highly knowledgeable and professional staff that knows how to get things done. 

Finally, I want to say to all of my fellow members of the Board of Directors, and those previous officers and board members with whom I have served, it has been a privilege to work with you in this capacity. Your dedication to your own cities and towns, and to all cities and towns, is remarkable. That dedication is not always appreciated, but having seen it up close, I know that it is selfless and because you care. Bless every one of you, and good luck in this continuing effort to help uphold the League motto, “Working as One. Advancing All.”