Charlotte City Council's mayoral vacancy and candidate forum.

It's June the fifteenth and it's at two o'clock, and I think we have almost everyone.

I know we haven't, I believe we're going to go around and introduce our staff as well as our council members.

All right, Miss Billy.

Billy Tanz, Deputy City Clerk.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, I'm Victoria Watlington.

I have the pleasure of serving you as a member at large.

Good afternoon, Joy Mayo representing District Three.

I'm Renee Johnson and I have the honor of representing District 4.

Welcome and congratulations to all the candidates.

So I want to say thank you, and um, it is a pleasure to have you here this afternoon.

So many of you who are beginning to participate in what I think is one of the most important things that we do, which is to have a city that we can work with all of things that we can do for all of the communities that we have and to make sure it works.

So I'm just going to say I'm gonna call, we have called the meeting to order, and we understand that we have all of our appointments, all of the people that are um joining us.

So let's go down into what we are going to try to do for our candidate forum.

The candidates will appear in alphabetical order by last name.

Each candidate has been assigned a number.

Candidates will be called by their name and number to the lecture, which is right up here with our uh city attorney here, and when it is their turn, each one will be given two minutes to provide a statement to council.

There will be no questions during the forum.

However, Ms.

Mayfield has asked to be recognized, and I want to do that with her.

Miss Mayfield.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So, colleagues, as today we are just hearing from the candidates.

According to this most updated list, we have about 49 individuals.

I had mentioned previously that we have an opportunity when we look at what we identified through the MPTA process of trying to narrow down potential the strongest candidates that potentially may have five or more.

I believe we have the opportunity to create the survey again.

So today is basically we have the opportunity.

And then we have the opportunity to invite those individuals back and actually ask the questions that we can come together and decide on some questions.

I definitely want to also acknowledge Mayor Laues for agreeing to stick around a little bit longer.

Thank you, and not leaving at the initial June date to give us time to make sure that to the best of our ability, based on the applications that we identify the appropriate candidate to fill out these 17 months, but I do think council should have the opportunity to have discussions around the candidates in order for and the opportunity for us to be able to ask questions of the candidates after we get through today.

Mayor, my question is do I need to put that in the form of a motion to see if we can get support to so if that is the case, I would like to make a motion that part two of this intro or mayoral appointment process, we will have the ability for council to then work with staff to identify a survey and from that survey narrow it down in order to actually have the opportunity for us to ask questions of the candidates.

Y'all are gonna get a second or not because we don't have a process after listening to 49 people today.

So this is the recommended process that I am suggesting.

All right.

That's the motion.

So if we don't get this back in.

Alright, we have a motion and a second.

Any further conversation?

All right.

Sir Madam Mayor, I appreciate the opportunity, and I um I will speak on behalf of the motion.

I am inclined towards that, but I would ask for a friendly amendment to add in the ability for individual council members to assess folks who do not show up today in person.

I did vote and we were unanimous in that, but I think the manner in which we disclose the date that it would be and the lack of flexibility has led to some folks who are quite honestly part of this community who do have supporters and detractors both, but folks who are not here and it delegitimizes our process to not be able to have an option.

So what I would like is for those of us who do not see somebody here today to still be allowed in our process to consider them, even though they did not show up here today.

So as the motion maker, I do not accept that friendly amendment because at this point we have 49 individuals here.

To my understanding, there was one individual who could not be in attendance for today.

We do not have a virtual option.

You can't phone in being the mayor.

I don't think that for me, we have 49 individuals.

I am not interested in changing the process for one individual, whoever that individual is, if they were not able to be in person.

All right.

So can I offer a substitute motion?

You you can certainly procedurally, you can offer a substitute motion.

However, if before before this moves forward, this presentation that I was getting ready to share provides some context for the process that might be helpful to this discussion.

So Madam Mayor and Councilmember Mayfield, if you would be so inclined to give me about five minutes to run through this, this may inform this discussion, and then you can pick back up.

It may inform where you are.

Madam Mayor, I am fine with a pause so that our city attorney can present.

Ms.

Kimberly, Council.

I am I am as well.

Okay, Miss Watlington.

Okay.

So let's um, you know, it's always better to know what we're talking about with the attorney standing in the.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, good good afternoon, council, mayor and counsel.

This um presentation will walk you briefly through the appointment process as we stand here today and how we could possibly move forward.

As a reminder for council and as well for the public, um any vacancy, including the mayor's vacancy shall be appointed, be filled by appointment of the city council.

In cities like Charlotte at home partisan elections, uh, the interim mayor must belong to the same political party as the individual being replaced and must be of 21 years of age and uh reside within the city of Charlotte city limits.

The municipal elections, the primary will occur on September the 14th, 2027, and the general election will occur on November the 2nd.

So when we talk about the selection phase options, there are two options that I outlined for you in memo form back on May 7th that includes a motion, second, and vote as an option, also a nomination and ballot process with the nomination and ballot process, which is what council has historically used as a means of selecting for a vacancy.

You would have two options.

Everyone who has filled out an application and adhere to the requirements of the application could be considered a nominee, or each council member could receive, could be offered the opportunity to provide one nomination and then close nominations thereafter.

Now I'll pause here and say this discussion that you're having now couldn't could increase that number, but the option that I've given is that council members would have options for providing nominations versus everyone who's submitted an application having the opportunity to be considered.

In that process, each council member would go around the dais and have the opportunity to provide a nomination for candidate A, B, or or C even.

The clerk would record the nomination and ballots would be created, and voting would occur later in the meeting.

So this would happen all in person.

All of the nominations would occur in person, and all of the voting would occur in person.

With the balloting process, each council member would cast one vote.

Votes, as I said, would be publicly announced and recorded.

The appointment would require six votes.

If no candidate receives six votes, you would proceed to subs subsequent ballots.

The recommendation the city attorney's office would make at this point would be in order for a candidate to move forward, they must have at least three votes.

This outlines the elimination and tie procedures, or it's a recommendation for that.

After each ballot, the lowest vote getter would be eliminated.

The remaining candidates would continue.

If there is a tie, uh the advancement threshold would be still three, and if you have two candidates who receive at least three votes in this example, then A, B, and C would advance.

Again, A receiving four, B receiving two, and C receiving two, both B and C would advance.

So for today, I have three buckets of decision points.

Number one, motion motion or nomination and ballot method.

Number two, the number of nominations allotted to each council member, and number three, the number of votes required to proceed to subsequent ballots.

And obviously, now at this point, at this juncture, would there be an additional line of questioning and or elimination that would narrow narrow the field?

And so uh those are the points that you all would need to decide today as you move forward through the process to streamline the 22nd vote.

Thank you very much.

I know that all of us can see this and I know that we had two people that wanted to speak to on this right away so I'm gonna start again Miss Kimberly um council member Kimberly and followed by council member Wattlington.

If I could defer to council member Watlington I've already spoken on the issue and want to defer to my colleague who's not yet down opportunity but thank you.

Thank you for that council member a couple of quick things firstly as it relates to the question of um whether or not council members can reach out so I don't think my assumption is that any council member can speak to anyone at any time I just want to make sure that that was clear even if that doesn't go forward in a motion I don't want folks to feel as though that they cannot have a conversation with any of the candidates as they so please and then the second thing in regards to um narrowing it down I do support the three rather than five because we would essentially have voted by that time.

For those reasons I'm wondering if there's a need to have an additional step to whittle down to ask questions given that that can happen offline at any time I also wanted to and we talked about this earlier but I just wanted to be clear about the fact that no one is being eliminated because they're not here today.

Now they may be that may be a factor for an individual council member which is certainly their prerogative but for those watching if if you are not here today you are not automatically eliminated from this process so that being said I think there's plenty of opportunities still to have conversations going forward.

With that I don't want to jump over council member mayfield's motion but I do wonder if it is well I would imagine it's in order because of what's been presented to us but I would like to go ahead and move to use the ballot method to address the first decision point here.

Very very well before may I answer the other questions Dr.

Wattlington that you posted up opposed excuse me.

First legally certainly council members can reach out to individual candidates and have offline conversations what we would want to avoid certainly is a quorum of this body absolutely conferring with a particular candidate but barring barring that certainly conversations could occur um as it relates to your your comment about the nominees or the candidates that have been brought forward all of the candidates who met the legal threshold for requirements were provided in your binders in the eligible candidates category the those who did not obviously were in the non-eligible and so they would be that is the threshold question for the application process that you adopted on May 26th and so that checks that off and then lastly the nominations piece of it certainly you could you could address the number that you feel is appropriate but again recognizing that the threshold needs to be set in advance of the meeting so that the rules aren't changed in the middle of voting so then with that madam mayor if I may if I may just to get a motion on the floor for discussion I will amend there's there's a motion and oh I'm sorry I thought you were withdrawing for forgive me go ahead no I did not I'm next thank you.

No I think no I don't think I had raised my name after it was next okay yes so I appreciate Miss Mayfield's I guess recognition that we the way we were going we were going to have two minutes here and then and we have this and without any further engagement we were going to move to our selection.

So I absolutely agree that I think there's a step missing here where we get a closer look at the contenders I'd like to understand better besides the fight city attorney yes I'm making can you back up a little bit I'd like to know a timeline for the steps and understand better how these steps occur.

Are we talking about an online ballot or um are we talking about going to the next meeting and all of these events occur at the next meeting?

So all of these events would happen at the next meeting in an open session.

And so the nominations process would happen at the very top of the meeting.

And again, go around the dais.

The clerk's office staff will be standing by to create a ballot based upon the nominations that are made on the floor.

Again, this keeps everything in the open and allows for the public to hear when those nominations are made.

But it still means that at one meeting we move from here to the selection.

That's correct, sir.

And and I don't know what others think.

That for me is a challenge.

There are some people here that I don't know that well, and I don't feel that in two minutes, and based on this submission, I'd be able to give them a fair shake.

And that's why on one basis or another, I like what you're suggesting, which is we have an elimination round where it takes support from some council members for us to identify finalists, and then we spend a little more time with the finalists, which I think is what I understood you to suggest.

Thank you.

And I think that's included in your motion.

I mean, Ms.

Mira.

Yes.

Thank you.

So I agree with Councilmember Owens.

Um previously we did not eliminate someone just because they could not attend a meeting, and this we adopted an express timeline where people had prior commitments.

So I agree with Council Member Owens.

I don't think we need to eliminate someone.

Obviously, individual council members can eliminate someone, but from the process perspective, uh for me, I would consider everyone, regardless of whether they attend the public forum or not.

Um just from the consistency perspective, I um can you go back to the slide where you have the three options?

Yes, I'd be glad to.

Yes, so we in the past we had used ballot matter, so I think from consistency perspective, we can continue with that.

Uh in terms of number of nominations that will be allotted to each council members.

Um, how many are we looking at?

Do you have any recommendations?

Attorney.

I don't, uh I don't, and it could be as low as one, obviously, or as many as council sees fit, however, obviously, the more nominations each council member has the longer the process will take, and the more involved it may be.

So you recommended a candidate getting at least three to get to the subscrip subsequent round.

I agree with that, so that um we can meet our expedited timeline of June 22nd.

Um, but this also gives council members an opportunity to have one-on-one with candidates.

Um, so I would like us to continue with the adopted timeline that uh the council had adopted a few weeks ago, which is June 22nd being the final decision.

So uh after the discussion is over, I would I can make a motion if needed in terms of the number of nominations and number of votes required to proceed to the second round.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

All right, Mr.

Graham.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um one of the things I I wish we had done that we decided that we did not want to do was send it to a committee to flesh out the process.

And so we're debating and creating the process on the fly once again.

Um given that um I think Ms.

Mayfield um motion um makes sense for me.

Uh I I am not married to a June 22nd timeline.

I think we ought to make a thoughtful decision as long as it takes.

Um, because this is really a term that we're selecting someone for uh and the interim thing is just quote unquote is the mayor, right?

And so I think we ought to make a thoughtful decision, um, based on all the information that we have in front of us through a process that we all understand and can interpret versus getting one today.

Um I'm I'm just a I think in process steps, and um there are a number of questions that I have, notwithstanding that I think it's pretty simplistic.

Um, but I would have wanted more time to really have some dialogue uh with folks around the dies uh in reference to those process steps to see if they make sense for us based on the recommendation of the attorney.

Um so I I just hope that we would be very thoughtful uh about how we process the work, uh and the 22nd is next week, right?

Right.

So I again I I think we um I just hope that we can um thoughtfully consider what we're doing.

Um the process matters, uh the being very transparent matters uh and certainly the final decision matters even more.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Graham, thank you very much.

I I really recall that we turned this over as a process to the city attorney, and that may have been more legal than what it would be personal or the opportunities that we want to have as a community or a city, and I think that that is warranted.

I think that we do need some time.

Now that's not to say no, I'm not on a clock, so you know nobody has to send me a dollar.

So I want to say that if that is what we need to do, then I think the council as a whole needs to make a decision of how they how you want and choose what you want to do.

I think that's the most important thing about doing this is to get everyone to actually think about what you want to do and what you want to achieve.

And so with that, I'm gonna turn it over, Kimberly again.

Sorry.

Thank you, madam, and more.

Yes, I'm sorry, Mr.

Mr.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh thank you, Council Member Owens, and thank you, Councilmember Mayfield.

Um, city attorney, may I ask you what the original motion was made?

What what in terms of that in-person requirement and whether because to my understanding, and I might be remembering this wrong, the in-person requirement was mandatory to be considered for an attendance here, the candidates forum, the in-person requirement was mandatory to be considered moving forward.

Is that right?

That's correct.

So does that mean?

And I want to defer to Madam Clark because I don't have that motion in front of me.

I don't think they can pull it up.

I can pull it up while we're talking from the 26th.

Let's make sure we read the motion correctly.

Well, that is looked there because I I know Dr.

Wallington brought up the point whether somebody's eliminated or not, but I believe that the motion that was voted on and that we all unanimously approved was that if they're not here in person, they're eliminated from further consideration.

That's yeah.

They are in the eligible candidates, that's correct.

And now I will say that the application, and that's why we need to look at the motion.

The application um specifically stated that people needed to attend in person.

Okay.

Um but we'll look at the motion.

Let's let's follow the motion.

Okay.

So while that is being looked up, uh, thank you Madam Clerk for looking that up.

Um, I I do want to say that I I agree with council member Mayfield and the majority of my colleagues around uh the dais when it comes to that additional step.

Um, I do feel uncomfortable not having that additional step collectively with quorum, um, and and and comparison leave it rather to leaving it to individual conversation with council members.

That is not to say that there are special interests at play, right?

But there are folks on this list that I have personal relationships with that a lot of folks have personal relationships with, and I don't think it would be fair to any candidate that we held that those conversations offline, not to say that we can't have those conversations offline, but that we should level set by adding that additional step of, you know, finalizing the finalists to what uh Mr.

Drake's uh pointed to earlier, and us collectively asking those questions to those candidates that we have you know individually, but as a collective come to agree to interview with uh rather than having a step in the process that is not open to the public.

I mean it could be open to the public, they can FOIO request phone calls and text messages and emails, but that it's very proactive transparency rather than reactive transparency, um and then I had another point.

We um can you go to the decision points, Madam Turney, please?

Yes, sir.

Um, and and I'll make this quick because I do want to be respectful of the candidates' times.

Um so could you again um explain to me the difference between the motion or nominate motion and then the nomination ballot method?

Yes, sir.

So the motion method would be one motion on the floor at a time.

So it would be motion for candidate A, second vote.

It could be a substitute motion and on and so forth.

You'd have to, you would really have to know pretty precisely where you were leaning, where the body was leaning.

Otherwise, it would be a series of substitute motions and or uh process.

The nomination method is where you would open the floor up and you would have one nomination, but at least one nomination, potentially per council member, and you would close the nominations at the conclusion of that, and the ballot would be created therefrom and voting recur thereafter.

Thank you.

Goodness, God knows I already got confused with all the motions on the floor.

So I I do defer uh to the ballot method.

Um, and then I also agree with council member Graham that um we need to get the process right and needs to be fair and needs to be transparent.

Uh we also need to honor the office of the mayor uh to ensure that we are selecting the best candidate forward.

And that being said, um I also agree with council member Mayfield's motion of an additional step where we as a council interview the finalist uh rather than having um offline conversations, which again, not to say that we can't have offline conversations, but that there is another open transparent part to the process.

Thank you.

All right, Councilman Kimberly.

Um thank you, madam mayor and colleagues.

I just I will say one of the reasons that I wanted to um supplement the motion that I do support um by council member Mayfield is because the way that this process has played out and the certainty with which we went to the um community with our date and the lack of ability for folks to rejigger their lives and the good intentions and goodwill that has been evidenced by the work that has gone into these, I would like to be removed from a constraint of not considering somebody solely because they were not here.

If individual council members feel strongly, I think that's still within their within their remit to not consider someone because of their failure to be here today.

I personally am uncomfortable with that because of the way that we communicated it.

Another aspect of this that I would like to put into the room, and then I'm going to suggest that perhaps this be removed to BGIR committee.

That's where I originally had hoped that we would be able to sort some processes around this.

But this other element that I'd like to add is I have heard from the community a lot of consternation around the conflict of interest of mayor pro tem being a part of the early rounds of this process, and I'd like us to explore the precedent for that and how we all feel about that, and perhaps if there is a motion method, we would go out with an early motion on him.

If we did not have the requisite votes for him, then we would then he would be reinjected into the process.

But there's a lot of folks who are speaking in our communities now about a perception of unfairness, and I don't think that we should sit up any interim mayor for failure by having this process look like it's less than transparent and less than fair.

So I just would like for us to respect the time of the folks in the room, have them go ahead and get started, and perhaps we defer this to BGIR so that we can develop a process along the lines of what you suggested, in line with the motion brought by council member Mayfield, and in line with my own suggestion that individual members still be allowed to select someone and advance them even if they are not here today.

Thank you.

We've already had a substitute motion, but I don't know how we want to go forward.

I think we have to decide those two motions before we put another motion into the room.

So I'm not doing a motion.

So what I'm sorry, what is the substitute motion then?

It's on the floor right now.

Mine was to supplement and she rejected it.

Correct.

So there's not a substitute motion.

No.

So are you making a substitute motion?

So could I make a substitute motion?

You can make a substitute motion if you offered a friendly amendment.

And that was rejected.

You can offer a substitute motion.

So then I would offer a substitute motion that builds on the motion that was raised by council member um Mayfield, adds the ability for council members to not discount someone solely for their failure to attend today, and then defers this entire matter to BGIR, and we go ahead and start the forum right now in deference to the people who are in the room who thought they were going to be speaking at two.

So I guess the motion is to put it at BGIR.

All right.

So I think Miss Watlington was so we can discuss it.

With this discussion, Miss Wattlington, go ahead if you have a motion.

Well, I don't have a motion, but I got a couple of questions.

I'm hoping the clerk or someone can tell us what the original motion was because then we'll know whether or not it's necessary to add special permission.

So I can tell you what my notes have, but these minutes have not been transcribed.

So I would have to go back and um look at this a little bit further.

But the original motion from it you had an amendment to it, if I could just read what I had from the 20 um 20 seconds from 22nd.

So the original motion was um ajmeera in Watlington seconded, and it was a motion to adopt option B, invite both external and internal candidates, have a public candidate forum, do not send back to committee.

Um application question will include mandatory in-person interview question if intention of running and strike through on June 1st.

However, it was amended shortly after that.

Miss Mayfield, second by Johnson, that the application process be um in person, and then there was another motion.

So I would have to go through more notes to see what the final motion was, but that's how it it started.

So at no point did someone say you would be eliminated if you did not attend.

So it sounds like there's not clarity there, is what it sounds like.

Um so I understand it's on application, but that's to me very different than that that eliminates you from.

So I I say that to say that I do think it makes sense to go um and spend more time on this process.

Um I'm not sure that that's exactly what's reflected in this motion, and it sounded like there was a compound piece of the motion.

So council member owens.

I just want to make sure I understand.

There's this component of sitting to BGR.

Yes, ma'am.

There's a component of sending this to BGIR.

There is a component of um adding an additional round.

You said building off a council member Mayfield, and then there's a component of um in some way dealing with a potential conflict of interest.

Yep, okay.

I think I think for me, what it results in, we need to get the forum started today, and we need to have a meeting, and I believe it should be BGIR, but I am open to other possibilities of who should be making that decision.

But I think there's enough queries at this dais today that we need to address so that we can have an intentional process that follows up after today.

Okay, so the only other thing that I will say um in regards to that is who is on the BGIR committee, raise your hand if you are three.

And one, two, three, four, and then genes.

Exactly.

So, take it.

But I so I say that to say um uh hope that there's some thought and care taken to that, given that this motion doesn't provide a one side or the other a position.

Um, but just be mindful that if it goes to BGIR, that's now already addressed, like implicating up another component of what your motion was.

So, point taken.

I am open to any amendment to a motion that it be another committee.

I think it's it's another committee or another person in the committee.

Which one?

I either think uh I chair the committee, and so either to the chair, either the member recuses themselves from the meeting, and we still have four, or we get another council member to sit in and instead.

Right.

Uh I think the four of us with the city attorney and staff could really um flesh out all the process issues, uh, and which is almost 90% done, uh, and can and give us something that the council can react to relatively quickly, even meeting this week, right?

Um for the urgency of what we need to do, so but I'm open and um just to finish up then and I promise I'm done.

Whether or not this council member chooses to recuse himself is gonna impact my vote and support it for this motion.

Okay, so I mean, I think Miss I mean, she I'm sorry, Miss Sanders.

I just have a question because I'm unclear as to I heard your motion, um, council member Owens, but I'm still unclear as to what would the committee actually be discussing and bringing forth.

I just need clarity on what the outputs are of this motion.

So what would what would the committee be doing?

I would hope at least may I respond there?

Yes, please.

So my understanding and the reason I put this into the room, I believe that a lot of the questions that have been raised here, in addition the motion by council member Mayfield around how we would engage more publicly and more collectively with candidates.

I personally have been reaching out to candidates individually.

I'm assuming my colleagues have as well, but I am moved by the comment that it should perhaps be a little bit more um deliberate a process, and so I think that the committee would be discussing these issues that we're raising around the dais today.

And as as the chair has indicated, I think that that meeting can happen very quickly this week, so we can give some clarity, but I don't think we're gonna get there right now, and again, I'm sensitive to the time of the candidates in the room.

Okay, if I can just uh finish up here, I also want to share um that I have heard from several um community members around this potential conflict of interest of having a a council member participate in this process and effectively have a vote up against everyone else.

Um and I know that I've shared it with the city attorney, I've asked her, others have shared it with me as well, but I'm I'm hearing that from uh community members many many times.

So I think we need to address it in some shape or form.

If I can if I can answer or speak to the question about a conflict of interest, so 168-75 contemplates a responsibility for council members to vote unless there is a statutory purpose or reason I should say for why they should not be participating in a vote, for instance, if there's a financial interest under 14-234, or um a conflict of interest under 160 D.

And so based upon that, there is not a legal reason why a council member, a sitting council member could not vote for him or herself if they are part of the candidate poll in terms of precedence.

Um this has occurred previously, um mayor uh Patsy Kenzie did vote for herself uh prior well in in contemplation of her appointment, and so this is not unprecedented, nor is it a legal prohibition for a council member to to vote for him or herself.

So, city attorney, just a follow-up to that.

Um the interim mayor will be uh receiving the salary of the mayor, and transitioning from a council member to interim mayor is an increase in salary, is it not?

It is so would that in turn um give a different layer here.

Someone I have the ability to vote for myself for a salary increase.

Is that is that not against that line of conflict of interest?

So one sixty D, excuse me, one sixty A 75A does contemplate a salary component, um, council members voting for salaries as as well as other pieces of of an analysis, and that is permissible.

Um it is a distinction, you're correct.

Um, council member Anderson that it is an increase, but that would be that would be in line I would argue with council voting to increase its salary more more broadly, like you you would in a budget similar in fashion.

Ms.

Before I want to say Mr.

Arius.

Thank you, madam Mayor.

Uh, right, as we were going to I guess you just forgot.

I'm here.

Well, I'm I just heard I'm really trying hard.

Now it would be very helpful if you actually took a number and tell me when, but right now I'm trying to get it around the table because we're going this way.

So if that's against the law, the I mean, I didn't want can't council member okay.

Thank you very much.

Let's go ahead, please.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I I do want to be clear.

I think we voted on a timeline, right?

We didn't vote on a pay raise or uh appointing uh colleague of ours to be enter mayor immediately.

We voted on a timeline and a process that opened up the candidates' forum.

So I I want that to be very clear that there is no gray area there.

By the way, we did just vote on a budget that gave all council members and the mayor a pay increase, right?

So that itself, I mean, if we're going to go through those definitions to be uh uh you know standard, but that being said, I think it is 2 42 p.m.

We are wasting these people's times by having a conversation about a process we should have had weeks ago.

I think mayor, um, we all as a council need to defer this to the budget committee, and because we're just gonna keep having questions and questions and questions, and we're about to go up an hour, having cut into the candidates' forum that we all voted to have today to dedicate time for people to tell us their vision and seeking the intra mayor position.

All right, okay, Ms.

Johnson, thank you.

I'll support it going to the budget committee, but I will say that on May 7th, when you submitted your resignation, I suggest that we talk about this.

Also, I called a meeting last week for council members to talk about this.

So I apologize on behalf of council that this is the process that we're at today.

Thank you.

I agree with you.

We should have had a process, but obviously that did not work in the right way, and I think it's just another opportunity for us to understand that there are things that we need to do more on.

All right, with that, we have a motion on this.

Uh Mayor, I did not get an opportunity to speak or comment.

Um, I agree with Councilmember Johnson's.

Had this been referred by you, mayor uh several weeks ago, we wouldn't be here where we are today.

So I think all the candidates, I agree with Councilmember Masura Arias.

We are wasting their time.

We should proceed in and then we can continue this conversation after the public hearing has ended to value their time.

So I would like us, I would like to make a very simple motion is to continue with the public hearing.

We have a motion on the we already have a motion on the floor.

Because I think there's a lot of lot of questions around your motion, and I think that we are not gonna I will withdraw the motion.

If I may, I'm gonna withdraw the motion for clarity in the room and allow council member whoever to go forward with a better motion.

Councilman, just for clarification, you have making an amendment or a substitution to my motion, because that's the motion that's on the floor now.

Okay, my substitute motion is to just proceed with a public forum and we will come back to all the questions and address it at the end.

Second, second, second, second.

Is that a motion to table?

Is that a motion?

Motion to table, all right.

So we have a motion on the floor.

Any further discussion hearing none all in favor?

Let's continue this, all right.

So that's unanimous.

I don't think we have it.

So um, so I think one of the questions that we're talking about is how are we going to get this motion and begin with this?

So I've been at the city clerk's office.

If you, Billy, will um to make sure everybody has the information that we all have the same list of people, and then we can go ahead and begin the forum, all right.

Council members, any subjection, any objection to starting right now.

All right, let's go.

All right, thank you, Billy.

Let's go for this.

Madam Mayor, would you like me to read the name?

No, go ahead.

Okay, so the first person to speak is John Abashu.

I'm sorry if I'm saying your last name.

Say it one more time.

Absolutely.

If you would just come, it's it's still the process of two minutes.

I know we may have taken a lot more for our own, but if you would just stand in that middle case, I don't know, you're be on TV tonight.

If all of the people in the newsroom are here today, so thank you.

Well, that is fantastic.

Thank you very much.

So happy to be here, so happy to be going first.

Um, yeah, so thank you very much.

And um, my name's John Abishaus.

Uh I'm here as a mayoral candidate.

Um, I moved here 13 years ago.

City adopted me.

I love it here.

I think it's the greatest, it's one of the greatest cities in the country.

Um, and this is just an amazing opportunity to help the city grow.

City's growing fast, furious, and um I'd like to be able to help usher it in to uh a new um age.

Um, some things that I believe in.

Um tax the rich feed and house the poor.

I think that's pretty basic, and I think that um I think that's that's I think taxing the rich to feed and house the poor is just basic human um compassion.

Um, justice and equality for all.

The our systems are flawed.

They've been that way since the inception, and um needs to be fixed.

Um, more parks, less parking lots.

Um, our society is way too car centric, in my opinion.

Uh, the city has pockets of areas in which you don't need a car to survive.

There should be more of those.

Um, cameras on traffic lights.

I've lived in a lot of cities.

Uh I've been in a lot of places.

Nowhere else that I've been do people hit the gas pedal on a yellow light as much as they do in Charlotte.

It's dangerous.

Um in DC, when I lived there, they had cars on traffic or cameras on traffic lights.

It grew raised a lot of money for the city.

And I think that's a pretty passive way to do that.

Um, keep this brief.

Um, very, very low on the list of priorities is I don't really see any other way in my life that I can meet Mayor Mom Donnie, and I would really like to do that.

That's Tom.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Our next, our next speaker.

Uh, the next sorry, the next speaker is Al uh Yara Al Bayari.

Apologies.

Good to see you again.

Nice to see you too, Mayor Lyles.

Is my time started?

My name is Yara Albayari.

I currently serve as a senior district liaison for Congresswoman Adams, where I have the privilege of helping our most vulnerable constituents through their most challenging times.

Prior to that, I worked for the International Organization for Migration, highlighting the stories of our vulnerable communities worldwide.

As a proud 49er, I've seen Charlotte grow into one of the fastest growing cities in America, but with growth comes tremendous responsibility.

We must ensure our city remains affordable, accessible, safe, and full of opportunity for all of our residents.

I've worked for constituents directly for years.

I've helped them navigate issues from housing instability to immigration issues to delayed benefits.

What I've learned from those experiences is that leadership is not about having all the answers, it's about listening, showing up for your communities, and honestly just doing your best to lend an ear when it's needed.

As a daughter of immigrants and a Muslim woman of color, I know better than ever that many of our residents experienced the city differently.

And in times of uncertainty, a lot of our residents felt immense fear when ice filled our communities.

And honestly, I felt it alongside them.

That experience reinforced my belief that Charlotte must remain a city that is welcoming and accessible and full of support for all of its residents.

Everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, and safe where they call home.

An intram mayor is not being asked to serve Charlotte for the next decade.

They're being asked to serve as a steward during a transitional period, and much like you would trust someone to watch your home while you're away, you would expect the city of Charlotte to be in responsible hands.

Now, local government is one of the most influential and impactful forms of government.

Thank you.

All right.

Next, we have Ryan Arioli.

Afternoon, Council.

I am Ryan McKenzie Arioli.

I'm seeking the opportunity to serve as the next mayor of Charlotte.

A little bit about me, I come from a working class family.

I'm proud to be a first generation college grad.

And what those experiences have instilled in me and has taught me throughout my career is that when you work hard, you have accountability, and you use service, these principles can really help you through your career and help you in leadership.

Because it's all about that.

And today I serve as the vice president of marketing and development for a American manufacturing company.

Here I lead innovation strategy, I work with cross-functional teams.

And before that, I worked as a scientist where you know I developed deep appreciations for facts, critical thinking, and the ability to solve complex problems.

I've also had the privilege of coaching middle school and high school soccer, which has taught me a lot about leadership is more than an X's and O's.

It's about helping these people be the best people they can be on and off the field.

It's about developing a team around a common goal and focusing on developing individual people.

And my belief is that good leaders create more leaders, they don't create followers.

So it's always been something of my personal belief is that if I'm doing a good job, more people are gonna step up and be leaders and less people are gonna be followers.

And as an author, I've had the opportunity to explore ideas around leadership and community and our shared responsibility to one another.

Writing has taught me the most important thing is listening and communicating and being clear in your communications, and it's also about bringing people together around a common idea and common values that we share.

And also, I saw public office back in 2020, and I gained an even deeper appreciation of the importance of civic engagement and public service.

Campaigning taught me that leadership begins with listening.

It also taught me how to engage with people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and that's time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Noyle.

Alright, last name is N-O-Y-A-L.

Where are you?

Last name is A S.

And the last name I was still in the first name.

Thank you.

This is a $10,000 bill.

This is exactly how much of a uh salary decrease I will take if I'm elected mayor.

But it's not about the money.

For me, it's about integrity.

It's about electing a mayoral official who knows exactly what he's doing and doesn't bullshit.

I'm born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I've seen it grow, I've seen it develop.

When I was 2015, I was an honor scholars program.

And I had to attend a city planning class where they showed Charlotte's growth rate in comparison to all the other cities, major cities in the South.

Charlotte's growth rate is unprecedented in comparison to any other city in America.

It's exponentially growing.

And the problems it's having are not being solved.

For instance, if you use the equation P equals 810,000 times 1.022 to the power of T, where T is any every year past 2015 when I first attended that class, it went from 2015, population 800,000 to over 1 million almost.

It's going way too high, way too fast.

And the infrastructure that Charlotte was originally built for was only built for 500,000 people.

So we are way past massive capacity, and we need to make sure we absorb the surrounding communities and uh increased wages for everybody so it's livable and sustainable.

Right now, I know I don't have too much experience in politics.

I do have a long service career with the post office, working for the federal government, so I do have a lot of seniority in that way.

And I appreciate you so much and grateful for the opportunity to be your mayor.

Thank you.

God bless.

Thank you.

Next is Barrett Barry.

I wrote remarks to keep me to two minutes.

I've been a pastor, so I have that much time.

Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for the position of interim mayor of the city of Charlotte.

My name is Barrett Barry.

I'm a former White House staff member, small business owner, educator, nonprofit executive, pastor, and community leader.

For nearly a decade, I've called Charlotte home and dedicated my professional civic and faith-based leadership to serving the people and neighborhoods of this great city.

I came to Charlotte in 2016 with only one family here in the city of Charlotte.

Through service, relationship building and community engagement, I have had the privilege of working alongside residents, business leaders, educators, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations, faith leaders, and public officials throughout Mecklenburg County.

I've been appointed to serve to serving leadership positions by the Clinton White House to multiple senior roles by the governor of Massachusetts, his Deval Patrick and senior roles.

I've been appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to serve on a statewide board.

I've been appointed by the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to serve as a board, and now I'm ready to be appointed by Charlotte City Council.

It's the only place I haven't served in some capacity in leadership in government, the city level.

I'm graduate of Morris Brown College with two degrees in political science and African studies.

I'm graduate at Harvard University, and as a center and also in a fellow in the Harvard Center for Public Leadership, where the current, where the former mayor Anthony Fox, now the director, and so I'm very familiar with been prepared to be a leader here in the city of Charlotte.

I systematically approached being a mayor of a city, City of South Bend, where I ran against Pete Butterjudge.

He became president, I became pastor.

But I did that strategically.

My education, my leadership roles, and the like.

I've been a speech writer at the highest levels of government.

I've been a senior advisor to small business administration, so I've advised small businesses throughout the country.

I've been in government and politics over 30 years.

I've been a presidential surrogate speaker across the country for two presidential candidates, and I've served.

I'm ready to serve here in the city of Charlotte.

Thank you.

Next is Janie Caldwell.

Janie Caldwell.

All right.

I'll continue through the list.

And if she comes, we'll can go back.

Um the next person is Jar.

Jaree.

Clarita.

Clarita.

Greetings.

City Council and Charlotte residents.

I'm gonna open up with my quote by a quote of my favorite author, Tony Morrison.

Somebody has to take responsibility for being a leader.

I am Jari Clarida, a licensed social work practitioner and PhD candidate and a native of North Carolina born in the Pete Montreal area and raised between the Pete Montraya area and Charlotte, North Carolina, specifically on the west side, West Boulevard, as an alumnus of Harding University High School, a first generation college graduate of North Carolina AT State University with a bachelor's degree in social work, a master's degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a specialization and organization and community practice and a current PhD candidate in the School of Social Work at Mergan State University.

I'm interested in interested in serving as interim mayor due to my commitment to service, leadership, and prioritizing the needs of our Charlotte constituents who I continue in a seamless transition, focused on the city's core priorities, and the governing body's focus areas for the city of Charlotte, including affordable housing, transportation, mobility, community safety, and more.

With my experiences in diverse settings and nonprofit community-based agencies, health care and higher education, working with individuals, families, organizations, and communities throughout the Charlotte community and large urban cities.

Essential to my personal professional goal as serving as interim mayor.

The message is clear to serve, lead, and provide special attention to the concerns of the community.

Thank you all for your time and support and consideration.

Nathan Clark.

Another beautiful day in the best city in America.

I was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

I grew up in NOTA from 98 until about 2006.

Then I live in West Charlotte after that.

Then I graduated from Lincoln Charter, and I'm the first man in my college or my in my family to graduate from college.

I graduated from UNCC with a double major in poly science history.

During that, I interned for Congressman Patrick McEnry.

So I got my first foot in the door with politics then.

And it was pretty eye-opening to say the least, because when you work for somebody you don't agree with, you see all the ways that they don't work for the people that they, you know, voted them in.

So in the meantime, I have been uh driving Uber.

So I've spoken with a lot of people that live in Charlotte across all um I would say spectrums of the socioeconomic platform, and we got a lot of problems here that aren't getting met specifically at the lower end of the spectrum.

We've had thousands and thousands of people kicked out of their houses, grandparents, because they couldn't afford to pay the taxes because of the property valuations.

So my goal, if I were to lead, would be to rewrite tax code for the locals and see how we can get equity across the board for our lower um, you know, people on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum, and um definitely do something about traffic because it's bananas out there, it's like a grand theft auto server, seriously.

Like I don't I don't know what people are doing when they're driving anymore.

But we um we got a lot of work to do, especially as far as the infrastructure goes, and I'm a big believer in changing the infrastructure and putting more money into education because the kids are gonna be the next, you know, they come after us.

So more money for education, more money for infrastructure, and that's my time.

Zach Claywall, Claywell, apologies.

That's a great thing.

Please stand at the microphone.

Sure.

Great.

Honorable city council members, distinguished guests, and uh Madam Mayor, thank you for your time.

Hi, I'm Zach.

Nice to meet you.

I'm running for interim mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina because I love the Queen City and I want to make a brighter future for all Charlotteans, and also I really need a job.

I have, like many in our community been affected by corporate layoffs recently, and uh according to LinkedIn, this is the only available job in the city.

So I'm here.

I know you're thinking, you know, yeah, this guy looks like the Riddler if he was into urban planning.

Okay, I get that.

I know that I was just on the internet saying I would drink 964,000 beers, one for every Charlottean.

I those could disqualify me, but I know that I could rise to this occasion.

Yes, I know that the mayor of Charlotte, as the 13th or 14th most powerful person in the city, has immense pressure on them.

And I can be there for that.

I know that I'm hilarious, handsome, and heroic.

Who wrote this, but I don't have the government experience of the esteemed panel before me.

But what I do have are big ideas.

I'm here for one big idea and one big idea only.

We need to make 277 a river.

That's right.

We need to cap the freeway and turn it into a linear park, and we need to have beautiful waterways encircling the Queen City.

I mean, imagine it.

We could be the Venice of the South.

We could be having a lazy river by Panther Stadium instead of dodging Altamus or Mellow Ball on the highway.

How am I doing on time?

Um now you're saying, well, what about traffic?

I answer that question the way I answer every question that's ever been asked of me.

Trains.

We need more trains.

I want to see trains to the airport.

I want to see trains to Atlanta, trains to Gastonia and Rock Hill.

I want trains to John G's barbecue, so I don't have a DUI if I drink a beer at John G's barbecue, okay?

I want trains everywhere, except Matthews.

Those people hate trains.

I don't know why.

Thank you for your time and thank you for your service, ma'am.

Thank you for the opportunity to keep the laugh.

Move to a point.

That's not funny in the moment.

Carol Cogdale.

It's okay to make a point.

I just gotta say that's a hard act to follow.

Madam Mayor, members of council, um, other applicants for the appointment position and other stakeholders in the community city staff.

Thank you for this opportunity to be here today.

Um, I my name is Harold Cockdale, and I'm humbled to be entrusted with the privilege to once again serve the people of this incredible crown jewel of a community, if this board so chooses to give me that opportunity.

I would like to take the time today to speak to this board about three very important considerations that I hope this board would uh consider or take into uh consideration, and my apologies.

Those three things are experience, motivation, and governing philosophy.

One experience.

I have served at the dias that you sit.

I have served as a council member and commissioner.

I've served as chairman and vice chairman of Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, Chairman of the Charlotte Housing Authority, and in my capacity as chairman of the Mecklenburg County Commission, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Commission.

I have had the I've been humbled to have the opportunity to serve this community in many fashions.

I've been both on the Board of Advisors for the Charlotte Chamber as well as a lifetime member of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus.

Uh I've had many, many discussions, policy discussions, budgetary meetings, and impromptu discussions about policy on both the 11th and 15th floor in this building.

It is something that I believe that that experience will give me the opportunity to begin day one to serve this board uh and serve this community.

But experience is one thing, motivation is another.

I have no future political aspirations.

I've been enormously blessed to quote Shirley Chisholm, service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.

I fully recognize and I'm ever mindful that we have experienced great prosperity in this community, but so many in this community have also been left behind.

Wow, that was really fast.

Thank you for the very Daniel Connor.

Good afternoon, and thank you for having me today.

My name is Daniel Connor.

I am a native of the Charlotte area.

Was originally born in Salisbury, but moved here in 1984.

Uh my dad has always worked in this area.

Well, actually, in this city, uh he was an architect with JNP's and associates when they were on Independence Boulevard.

And um he loves this city.

And uh he's always been in uh very invested in Charlotte's growth and development, and he's passed that passion on to me, and it's something that I am very interested in being a part of as well.

Before I get into that, though, I'd like to talk about the role of interim mayor.

You know, the mayoral position has been one of uh bit of volatility uh ever since uh Anthony Fox left to be the uh secretary of transportation, and I don't blame him.

It's a great job, it's an amazing opportunity.

Uh but as interim mayor, uh I want to establish myself as someone who provides a steady, stable, and consistent presence in the office of mayor while dedicating myself to working to reduce and even eliminate the political polarity we've experienced for the last 10 years or so in Charlotte and of course nationwide.

If I'm chosen to be the interim mayor, I want to work towards something I call the Charlotte Vision for 2040, which is a bold, aggressive, and consistent concept for growth in Charlotte.

Um that addresses uh jobs, it addresses affordable housing, it addresses infrastructure, and it would actually culminate uh with Charlotte being able to host the 2040 summer olympics while diversifying our strengths as a city.

Uh the immediate impact for implementing this plan calls for significant expansion and upgrades in our public transportation, uh, particularly light rail and possibly high speed rail.

And that's my time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Carrie Cook.

Good afternoon, mayor and members of council.

I'm Carrie Cook, and I'm proud to stand before you today to request your support for the interim Charlotte mayor role.

I was raised in Charlotte, attended CMS schools, and I'm still firmly rooted here with my children and family.

Long before I served in executive leadership roles, I served the people of Charlotte without a title.

Charlotte is in a unique moment.

We have incredible momentum to continue building a world-class city.

And with that, there remains opportunity.

We have families who cannot afford to stay in the neighborhoods they built.

We have residents who need to feel safer in their communities, and we have growth that meant that demands intentional planning with community.

I have spent my career working inside these very issues, listening, building coalitions, and advancing solutions.

I did I did much of that work together with you all, and I thank you for your leadership.

At the Federal Reserve, I helped drive capital investment towards under-resourced communities.

Before that, I built Greenlight Fund Charlotte from the ground up because our city deserves a model that supports economic mobility for residents with real results.

We did just that with collaborative investments in safety, neighborhoods, and workforce development.

And we did it together with you.

So thank you for your work.

At the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, I galvanized advocacy campaigns for streets, housing, schools, because quality of life should not depend on your zip code.

And I sat at the table where business, government, community, and other partners had to find yes together, even when they did not initially agree.

That's an important role for the mayor to play, to bring together different perspectives, empower council to hear resident voices and make decisions to advance its priorities.

The development of your priorities made it clear that trust, transparency, and execution are critical in this moment.

And in this moment, you must have the right experience.

So this is what I'm offering to you.

The moment we're in right now demands someone who is working to address these issues today.

Thank you so much for your support.

Jeremy De Carlos.

Thank you so much for having me today.

My name is Jeremy De Carlos.

I will not take up too much of your time as far as experience goes.

I have not run for any public office, nor have I been in a community leader's position of this sort.

What I am is a performer, and I am a Carolina boy.

And what I could bring to this job is communication, an ear to listen, and the opportunity to work with city leaders to make a difference for the people that live in this city.

At the position that I am in on the ground floor, I hear lots of discussion.

I hear lots of uh special feelings about what it is like to live in this city and in a position of leadership.

What I would hope to do is to uh level the playing field for those who are lower income and uh to make a better equitable and uh better running city in the interim.

Thank you very much.

Michael Evans.

Madam Mayor, members of council, ladies and gentlemen.

I am Mike Evans.

I appreciate the opportunity to address you this afternoon.

There are several applicants among the applicant pool who could serve in this role.

Your challenge, in my opinion, is to decide who has the combination of skills, experience, and personal qualities to work collaboratively with you over the next 18 months to make Charlotte a better place for all Charlatans.

I'm confident that we can work together effectively to achieve this goal.

I arrived in Charlotte in 1980.

Charlotte opened up its arms and provided me with opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

I've had the opportunity to lead in politics, education, and business.

I owned a financial planning firm for 27 years.

I also served as a professor of finance at Winthrop and chair of the Department of Business Administration at Johnson C.

Smith University.

I've remained engaged by serving on a host of boards, including serving as Treasurer of the United Way, Chair of WTVI, President of Leadership Charlotte, serving on the CPCC and ABC boards.

Most recently, I served on the board of the CRVA, serving two years as chair.

It has been my ongoing mission to give back to the city that I love.

It is the limited term of this opportunity that's so appealing to me.

I will be fully committed to being the best mayor that I can be without the challenge of simultaneously managing a career.

If selected, it is my pledge to give this city everything I've got for the next 18 months.

There is absolutely no scenario in which I will seek this or any other seat in 2027.

Thank you.

Gregory Fagan.

Thank you for the opportunity for me to talk with you today.

My name is Greg Fagan, and a brief summary of my background.

I have a BA in political science from Chapel Hill, a master's degree with a concentration in finance from the University of Alabama, a jurisdictorate degree, a law degree, if you will, from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

After law school, I practiced law in Alabama for a couple of years, and then in the mid-80s, returned to Charlotte, where I worked for New York Stock Exchange Companies for 20 years, and then started my own law firm.

The mayor of Charlotte has the unique opportunity to make the lives better for every citizen in Charlotte.

How does the mayor do that?

Simply make Charlotte the best place in the country for people to live.

Well, how does the mayor do that?

Let me touch on a couple of things that come to mind.

Focus on affordability, not just the cost of goods in Charlotte, but the actual cost of living in Charlotte.

Economic development opportunities for sole proprietors, small business, up to four to five hundred companies, environmental concerns.

In order to be the best city, you have to have the best drinking water, you have to have the best air to breathe.

What about infrastructure?

It's been mentioned before.

Can we simply get traffic moving in Charlotte?

And can we provide public transportation to make it easier for the citizens of Charlotte to get around?

And what about safety?

You cannot be the best city to live in if you're not one of the safest cities to live in.

And furthermore, education.

I have the background, education, and experience to address these issues.

Thank you very much.

Jacob Falk.

Ann Fallon.

Sebastian Fecklick.

Fetcherick.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Sebastian Fetzlack.

I'm a representative of the Iron Workers Union.

I am also one of the vice presidents of the Charlotte Metrolina Central Labor Council.

We represent over 30,000 different uh workers in the city in different industries, both public and private sector.

Folks from uh bus drivers, uh communication workers, construction workers, and basically our job is to understand their issue, uh, discuss it with uh elected officials and fight for the different problems that they may have in the city.

I'm also one of the vice presidents of the North Carolina AFL CIO, the Labor Federation of North Carolina, alongside one of our uh former council members.

Um, and one of additional backgrounds, I have lived here uh for about 20 years now, on and off a little bit, but mostly in the city of Charlotte.

I do have a degree in economics from UNC Charlotte as well as uh political science.

I wanted to place my name for the uh consideration because I do believe that the position of the interim mayor uh can do so much more to continue uh our support for the many workers who live in the city but continue to struggle.

That's one of the biggest problems we continue to hear about.

You know, it's not fair that so many of our workers uh, you know, they do what they're supposed to do.

They work the 40 hours or overtime, and they still struggle to afford uh a standard of living here in the city of Charlotte.

I want to find continue to find solutions uh to support them, whether it's for affordable housing, which is the number one issue that we continue to hear about.

Um, I feel like we do bring in some band aids and support, but there's so much more that we can do.

Uh things like uh we we do appreciate things like the transportation referendum.

It did actually uh create so many more jobs, good union jobs for uh Charlotte workers.

We have construction workers building out parts of their light rail now, and hope hopefully uh the future expansions.

Uh, we have uh more access for more bus drivers, uh, and we're looking forward to the continued uh investments in infrastructure such as that.

It'd be nice to see maybe some sort of uh public plan for the gateway uh project.

I think a lot of folks are looking forward to that.

But thank you so much for the consideration.

Hopefully, uh you can consider me for supporting workers in Charlotte.

Derek Forsman.

Kobe Foster.

Good afternoon.

My name is Colby Foster, and I live in Councilmember Owen's district.

I want to begin with a simple point.

I'm not here to replace your vision of Charlotte.

I'm helped to hear, I'm here to help you execute it.

In a campaign, candidates run on their own vision, and in a campaign, it would be appropriate to cast that vision.

Casting a vision is a privilege, and is a privilege that neither I nor any other candidate today have earned.

You have, though.

Voters chose you.

And what I offer is not a competing agenda, but what I offer is the ability to help turn your agenda into action.

I'm a businessman through and through, and over the last 20 years, I've worked in a number of industries and just passed my seven year mark in aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

In my world, big ideas do not leave the ground because someone gave a good speech.

They leave the ground because a team defines a mission, builds a plan, manages risk, assigns responsibility, tracks progress, and communicates clearly when things change.

You would think that building airplanes is hard, but I've heard politics might be even harder.

But the same principles apply, be clear about a goal, respect the people doing the work, keep meetings organized, measure progress, and do not let ego get in the way of execution.

The role that I that I believe an interim mayor should play, not the star of the show, not the twelfth member, not the 12th council member, not a future opponent, a facilitator, a steady hand, and a bridge between council and its goals to its constituents.

The prior priorities are already in front of us.

Great neighborhoods, safe communities, transportation and planning, well-managed government, and a workforce and business development.

If selected, I would meet with each of you, understand your priorities, help organize work, communicate clearly, and support the goals, voters and trusted you to lead.

I am not asking council to follow me.

I'm asking for the opportunity to help Charlotte follow through on its promises.

Thank you.

Sarah Freeman.

Good afternoon.

Madam Mayor and members of the council.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

My name is Ebony Givens.

I am a small business owner, a community advocate, a mother, and a proud resident who believes deeply in the power of service.

Through owning and operating London D's Cafe and London D's Catering, I've had the privilege of creating jobs, supporting local families, and working alongside organizations that are making a difference in our community.

I am seeking the opportunity to serve as interim mayor because I believe local government should be focused on people.

Our city is the strongest when families feel supported.

Businesses can grow and residents have access to resources they need to succeed.

One of my greatest passions is supporting our youth.

I believe we must do more to address mental health as it is challenging to our community.

Every young person deserves to feel seen, supported, and empowered.

It means bringing people together, finding solutions, and serving with integrity, compassion, and accountability.

I am not seeking this position for recognition.

I am seeking it because I care deeply about our community and its future.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward for the opportunity to serve and help guide Charlotte Mecklenburg County and make this community healthier and stronger.

Thank you.

Hi, Gordon.

Hello, my name is Ike Gordon.

I live in Charlotte here with my wife, but I grew up just north of here in Huntersville since I was five.

So I've been here 25 years and seeing the city grow and continue to grow.

And so it was a great place to buy a house and uh settle down here with my wife.

Um I have no political experience, um, as you can tell from my background.

I own a small business.

I'm a freelance video production and photo uh photographer.

Um, but in that job, I've gotten to meet a ton of people through the city of Charlotte and all different backgrounds to get to tell their stories, and um that is what is what makes Charlotte Charlotte is just the people and the community that we have here.

Um I think as the intern mayor, um, like we said earlier, it's not my job to come in here and have a bunch of different ideas, but I think it's to be approachable, um, be a mayor that people can come up to at Skylar Amphitheater or um Charlotte FC games and you can tell me about uh what's going on and why you think we should have more trains or better uh walkable cities or whatever is on your mind.

Um yeah, I just like all of us here.

I think Charlotte's a great city.

Um, it should be one of the best places to live, work, start a small business, be a part of a big business, and grow your family.

Um I think one last point.

I guess I do have one thing to put on my agenda is that um to Rob Manfred, the MLB commissioner, Charlotte is the best place to bring a new expansion MLB team.

Thank you for your time.

So being greer, good afternoon, everyone.

Good afternoon.

My name is Sabine Guerrier, and I am honored to be in front of you today as a candidate for entering um mayor for the city.

I proudly like I love Charlotte.

Twenty-three-three years ago, I moved to Charlotte from New York in search for opportunity and better life, better future for my family.

What I got was a community, a home, a place where I can ship my future rooted in purpose and service.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to serve others through my professional career and nonprofit leadership.

For the past nearly three decades in the financial industry, I've led global teams, manage complex the challenges, and also help organizations navigate change.

And for the past 16 years, I have led a nonprofit dedicated to improving lives and strengthening communities through service, passion, and compassion, as well as partnership.

These experiences have reinforced a lesson that I carry every day.

Leadership is not about authority, it is about responsibility, listening, and bringing people together.

It's about solving problems and ensuring that you put others people's needs first.

As an interim mayor, I will bring steady leadership always and passion for the job.

Thank you.

Tavion Gilford.

Delta Delta Delta Guan.

Good afternoon, I'm Delta Gwen.

Um, good afternoon, mayor, council members, and fellow residents.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak here today.

You'll see me reading from my phone simply because I've only been given two minutes.

I want to make sure I don't miss anything.

You'll also see I'm wearing a hat that says Delta for the people.

And that's because that's my main message.

I'm for the people.

As many of you know, I previously ran for mayor in 2025 because I believe in the city, and I believe in the people who call it home.

I was born, baptized, and raised right here in Charlotte.

This is the city that helps shape me who I am today.

Charlotte is not just where I live, it's a part of my family stories across generations that have worked, worshipped, and served in the armed forces here.

Working my entire adulthood life and the this banking town and some of the largest financial institutions, such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo, has taught me how to conduct meetings and boardrooms, close business deals, and manage billion dollar budgets.

One of the strengths I bring to this position is that I am not a career politician.

I do not come with years of alliances or owe any political debts.

I have no pre-existing relationships with any of city council, which would influence my decisions or cloud my judgment.

My relationships would start with a clean slate based on respect, transparency, and a shared commitment to serving the public.

Today is also an opportunity to send a powerful message to the status quo while selecting the interim mayor that leadership and appointments are not reserved only for those already in elected office or in political circles, but it's open to all citizens.

As I believe ordinary citizens can make extraordinary differences when they step forward to serve their community, I respectfully ask for your support as we move forward together to build a stronger Charlotte.

May God bless you, this beautiful city, and this great nation.

Thank you.

Jalen Hall.

My name is Samir Hamid.

I'm a Charlotte native, local businessman, a community builder, a husband, and a father of three.

Quite the opposite, actually.

I get butterflies when I drive through uptown.

I believe Charlotte is already the best city in America, and I believe each of you are already doing the difficult work of leading it.

My role as mayor would not be to reinvent Charlotte.

My role will be to align what already exists, accelerate what already works, and I'm not coming to you with any answers.

I'm coming to you as a partner, a collaborator.

My commitment is to help this council fulfill its intentions with greater velocity, alignment, and accountability.

Charlotte already has world-class leadership.

We already have incredible neighborhoods, businesses, institutions, and community organizations.

My job as mayor will be to look for what's wanted, what's needed, and what's missing, and help find and fill the gaps.

To ask questions that matter, what future are we creating?

What are we standing for?

How do we ensure every resident feels valued, welcomed, and included in Charlotte's success?

There's one there's one issue that will have my unwavering attention, and that's opportunity.

And I stand that in the next 18 months, we will have moved Charlotte from 38th to 25th in upward mobility.

I will work alongside each of you to expand opportunity, strengthen economic growth, and create pathways for residents to rise no matter their zip code.

I believe that leadership can bring people together to do extraordinary things, and I'm not here to change who Charlotte is.

I'm here to amplify what's already working, to close the gaps where they exist, and to help move our city forward.

My request today is that all 11 of you align on me as the next interim mayor of Charlotte.

Let's discover together what it would look like to close the gap and go from 38th to 25th.

Thank you.

Robert Harrington.

Good afternoon, Mayor Lyles, members of the city council.

I'm Rob Harrington.

I came to Charlotte nearly 30 years ago.

My wife Sharon and I raised our son here in public schools.

I owe this city a lot, and I'm determined to pay that forward.

I've not I've committed not to run for public office.

I won't run for public office, I haven't done in the past, and I will not run for mayor, of course, in the next election cycle.

So the question is, why now and why me?

We're in a transition over the next 18 months.

We have a committed council.

We have a community looking to make sure their voices are heard.

We have serious issues to work with, work on with and through the legislature in Raleigh.

I've chaired the Mecklenburg Library System Board.

I've worked with Trees Charlotte, and I have a devoted member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.

And for the last year, I've traveled the state as president of the North Carolina Bar Association.

I've worked with people from across this state to find consensus on difficult issues.

And what have I learned?

What is the vital issue?

What are the vital issues here now?

Consistent involvement over many years matters.

Listening to people matters.

Engaging across the city and across the state matter.

Preparation and hunger to learn matter.

And equity and equality of opportunity are required for the success of this community.

If we follow these principles of collaboration, preparation, organization, respect, and maybe even a little grace for each other.

We will thrive as a city for all of our residents.

Making sure that we have and use the organizations within the organization and structure within our reach to make reasoned decisions.

For all these reasons, I ask that you appoint me as the Interim Mayor.

Thank you.

Michael Henderson.

Robert Hillman.

Thank you for having me, Madam Mayor of City Council and guests.

My name is Robert Hillman, and I'm seeking the appointment as the interim mayor of the City of Charlotte.

Like everybody in this room, first and foremost, I must say I love the City of Charlotte, has provided me the great opportunity to come here, live here, play here, and make a decent amount of money here, and give a decent amount of time.

I've been able to work and have been able to uh engage and enjoy as in my life as an engineer, as a finance executive, as an investment advisor, as a not-for-profit leader, and as a public servant.

Along the way, I've served on the public transit advisory committee, the business advisory committee, the Central Line of Economic Development Committee, the North Carolina Supplemental Retirement Board, and currently I'm the president and CEO of Queen City Robotics Alliance, an organization that's responsible for getting kids engaged and involved in building robots as a competitive sport.

Think of it as AAU for robotics.

And it's really basically it's a workforce development tool for preparing the future.

Those experiences have given me the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life, and most importantly, to listen.

Through those conversations, I've come to believe that Charlotte's future can be guided by three principles: growing together, moving together and safer together.

What growing together means is really about workforce development, economic development, and making sure that as you develop the economy, you don't leave people behind.

If we don't, it won't be.

Moving together is about transportation systems and putting together transit systems that work for people to get people to opportunity.

So it's not about rails, not about buses, it's about getting them the opportunity.

Safer together is about, you know, keeping people safe in the city.

A thriving city is a safe city.

Public safety requires strong partnerships between law enforcement.

I'm honored to get each of your votes as error manager and room mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hayden Key.

Christopher Love.

James Mitchell.

All right.

Good evening, colleagues.

Six months ago, you blessed me with the opportunity to serve you as Mayor Pro Temp.

Together, we embraced a simple but a powerful slogan.

Team.

Together, everyone accomplished more.

Since then, we have demonstrated what teamwork can accomplish.

We have held a very successful annual retreat session in March and recently approved our budget.

As I asked for your support as interim mayor, I believe three things matters most.

Leadership, relationships, and results.

Leadership's about bringing people together to move our city forward.

Throughout my career, I've been blessed to help lead transformative projects and initiatives, including North Lake Mall, Eastland Yard, CIAA tournament for 14 years, and a new CBI program.

Relationships, the best solutions come when we work together.

We're seeing through partnerships between the city and county, we can preserve historic Excelsior Club.

Through the collaboration with the city and CMS, we can create a teacher village.

Council members, if I'm honored to earn your vote on June 22nd, I'll be ready to lead on day one with a clear vision and an action plan built around four C's.

The first C, collaboration.

I will meet with each and every one of you to receive your input.

Secondly, committees, I want to empower our five standing committees to do the more the more important policy work before us.

Third, communication.

We must be proactive, engaged, and share our results.

And the fourth C, the most important C, is our citizens.

Every decision we make should focus on improving the quality of lives of our residents.

With competence after 18 months, we will make Charlotte a better city.

Thank you all.

Ava or Aviva Moody.

Thank you, Council, for having me today.

Thank you, madam, for having me today.

Madam Mayor, excuse me.

Um, I had a speech plan for today, but I guess I will let that one go because I'm gonna be open and honest and um transparent.

So I came here to Charlotte because my mom said no.

So I said I must go.

I came here when I was 15 years old.

I found employment.

I gained employment by the age of 18.

I was attending UNCC.

I did not get my degree, but however, I joined many, many jobs and many, many businesses around the area.

I worked, I was able to purchase my first home through people that I met here in Charlotte.

They gave me the education and show me the direction on what to do to get there, and I got there.

Now I am a single mom in Charlotte with two adult children and a grandchild that I too want to see be able to buy their own houses, be able to raise their own children safely in Charlotte.

And I do believe Charlotte is safe.

I always feel safe in Charlotte.

Um I just want to make sure that I am able to serve this community and be able to make my ancestors happy that I follow what I believe that they gave birth to me for.

So I thank you.

Sebastian Nicewicks.

Hi everyone, my name is Sebastian Nicewitz.

I appreciate your time today.

I especially appreciate everyone who is in the candidate pool.

I feel like a lot of us can agree on what the issues are, but maybe not necessarily on how to get them done.

And I'm here to speak about efficiency.

I got here at about 2 15.

I had a meeting at 1 p.m.

at my job where I was leading about 30 people.

It went to full time to 2 o'clock, ran over here literally, and then was worried that I was going to be late, but was not.

The council was still deliberating on the procedure, which was great.

However, that went a little bit long, so I had to go back to my job at 3 o'clock for another meeting where I presented.

And then uh fired up YouTube, found out I wasn't too late to come back, which is great.

Uh so ran back over here.

Now I'm here, but I care deeply about this city.

I've worked in my past to help first-generation college students get to college, the first ones in their family, helped teachers uh save for retirement.

My mom's a teacher, just help them in their lives.

I work in project management.

I'm great with timelines and deadlines.

Uh, and I want to be someone who represents all people, not just some people within Charlotte.

Um, so we need someone who can represent this city in the best way possible, not just for the next 18 months, but for the next 18 years, and I'd be honored for your consideration.

Thank you.

James Reese.

Matt Billy, can you see us a moment?

Um, I just asked the mayor for a point of personal privilege.

I do not have an application for the gentleman who just spoke.

Can someone clarify that?

Sebastian.

You don't have an application for James.

None of us have an application for the gentleman who just spoke.

If we could follow up after the forum, thank you.

Yeah, we'll pass get it past her.

Apologies, we'll we'll get that to you.

All right, thank you.

This is James Reese.

Yeah, uh, good afternoon, uh, council members, uh, Mayor Lyles.

I appreciate the time.

Uh I moved to Charlotte, time flies, uh, back in 2014.

Um, and as a die-hard Durham native, um, it took me a while to get used to Charlotte.

The driving, um, people will rather run you off the road and let you merge over, but this is home now.

Um, I have a wife, uh, two small children.

Uh my son actually asked me, you know, dad, are you gonna be the mayor?

Kind of like Mayor Goodway.

They think everything is paw patrol related, but if you have kids, you get it.

Um, but I say that to say Charlotte is home for me now, and I plan on being here for a long time.

So this cause is important to me.

Um, right now, I think the biggest thing that we're dealing with is cost of living.

Um, we're fortunate enough to have the means to to make things work, but at the same time, I know people who aren't as fortunate.

On the way in here.

You know, you see the homeless encampment, right?

And I think it's as nice and as beautiful as the city Charlotte is, I feel like there's something that we could be done about that to make sure that that's not the first thing someone sees when they're getting up 77, going to a Panthers game.

And I think as interim mayor, that's one of the things that I would like to approach.

Maryor Lyles, you've done a great job, and my goal as interim mayor is not not to mess things up.

You know, you have, you know, a 21-point lead in football, you come in, your quarterbacks went out, he got hurt.

Just don't mess it up, don't lose the lead.

So, as interim mayor, that's what I want to focus on, and I appreciate your vote and thank you.

Clayton Seeley.

Alan Smith.

All right.

Uh good afternoon, Mayor Lyles, Council members, fellow Charlotteans.

Uh, my name's Alan Smith.

I'm a father of two daughters, a long-time Charlotte resident, and somebody who spent much of my life participating in and serving communities.

Over the years, I've addressed city councils, county commissions, state agencies, run for public office, I've volunteered in schools.

In my professional career, I've led nonprofit initiatives, I've supported uh public sector organizations, and I've helped lead communities through moments of uncertainty by bringing together people with different backgrounds, different perspectives, and different priorities.

Now, while those experiences may sound different on the surface, they all taught me one thing.

Communities are strongest when people feel heard, included, and connected to the decisions that affect their lives.

Charlotte is a city with tremendous opportunity.

We're growing, we're innovating, we're attracting new people every single day.

But that kind of growth creates new challenges and it magnifies the challenges that we've been wrestling with for years around things like transportation and housing and basic affordability and maintaining that sense of community that makes people want to build their lives here in the first place.

I'm seeking appointment as interim mayor because I believe good leadership is ultimately about stewardship.

It's about listening carefully, communicating honestly, and helping people work together toward shared goals.

So I don't come before you as somebody who believes I have all the answers.

I come before you as somebody who has spent a career bringing people together in the midst of complexity and change to solve problems and build trust and move forward together.

If appointed, I would work collaboratively with city council, city staff, community organizations, businesses, and residents alike to ensure that Charlotte continues to move forward together.

Thank you for your time.

Jacob Swinton.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

I love Charlotte, but every politician says that they love Charlotte.

Serving as mayor requires more than affection for the city.

It requires judgment, steadiness, the ability to bring people together, and to stop pretending that every problem is small.

That's why I applied uh to become the interim mayor.

I'm not applying to come in with a sweeping new agenda or to use an interim role to reinvent the city in 18 months.

This is a unique responsibility.

The next mayor should respect the work already underway, support the procedures of the councils, and help the city move through this period with focus and stability.

Each member of the body brings different priorities, a different community, different perspectives to the table.

The role of an interim mayor is not to flatten those differences and to pretend that one person has all the answers.

I also understand the work of the city depends on staff, relationships, and knowing how the institution actually moves.

Whether it's serving as chair of the Charlotte Equitable Development Commission, uh working with Cherry and Cherie and uh knowing Sarah when she was a uh fellow and now chief of staff, or folks like Pat Wideman and folks that have oftentimes left uh the city.

Those experiences taught me how to navigate city government, respect the professionals doing the work, and help move things without unnecessary confusion.

I can be especially useful with Charlotte's relationship with Raleigh.

The next 18 months will serve with serious conversations, whether it's the airport, the PAVACT, MPTA, infrastructure, data centers.

Those conversations should not happen in silos.

I love serving in the North Carolina Senate, but Charlotte is home.

Right now, our city needs someone who can connect to the city, who can connect to Raleigh, the General Assembly, our neighborhoods, to city staff, and the residents who feel decisions should be made with them being invited.

I'm applying because I believe that through strong relationships, the council can steady and move the city forward, move with urgency, and keep the well-being of all residents here.

Thank you.

Blake Van Learn.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for the council and uh Madam Mayor for being here, giving us space and wow.

We've got a lot of talent here.

So I think that just shows you how much Charlotte's grown and what we have to offer.

I'll get into a little bit of my background.

Uh, entrepreneur, ran for county commissioner at large, and um, proud resident of Charlotte, of course, and a proud dad.

Uh spent most of my career doing turnarounds, and uh, usually on like a three to six month sprint.

So I'll work with a company for about three years, and we'll grow it from three million in Rev to a billion.

Uh so it's a quick turnaround, and I just wanted to lead with that.

I work with the board, I work with the city council uh at the company.

It's very similar path, just making sure we all align together and we get what we need to get done.

Um I'm gonna pause for a second.

I'm also gonna throw this out here.

Uh what I would like to do is forego the salary, and we put that to work within your districts.

Uh, however, you guys think that could be most impactful to people.

Um, I'm not claiming to have all the answers.

You know, I'm here to serve and listen.

I find that every company I work with or community or organization, it's about listening to people, and then you know, getting results done.

Um Charlotte's given me just a tremendous opportunity, and I'm just happy to be here uh and be of service.

Thank you.

Christopher Walters.

Douglas Welton.

Hi everyone.

My name is Douglas A.

Wellton, and I currently serve as the chairman of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission.

I have been the chairman for three years, and I last week I was elected for an unprecedented fourth term.

Since I joined the commission in 2018, I've reviewed and recommended one thousand rezonings, the Charlotte 2040 plan, the Unified Development Ordinance.

My experience in land use is a complement to my strong background in software and technology, community relations, broadcast media, arts and entertainment, and nonprofit organizations.

A wide variety of experience and knowledge gives me the advantage of being able to quickly create insightful and innovative solutions when problems come up I've led a lot of professional and volunteer teams and I understand the value of aligning individual motivation with the organizational purpose a team is not just a group of people it's a group of people that trust one another the unique value of having me as mayor is that I bring principled leadership innovative problem solving a future focus excellent communication skills and a sense of fun thank you very much.

John Paul Zaliquit afternoon good afternoon I know we're all excited uh for me to be the last person to go today so I thank you for staying sticking with us um my name is John Paul Zalquette I am a proud Charlotte native I was born down the street at CMC Maine a few decades ago um and I am also a proud K 12 product of CMS schools graduated from Providence high school um I am I I went to the University of North Carolina um at Chapel Hill and I got a degree in music and then uh studied accounting after that so I currently hold an a license as an active um certified public accountant here in North Carolina I work for EY Ernst and Young LLP and I work as a third party risk management consultant so my team and I we help um the largest public and private companies in the world manage risk that's introduced to their businesses through their third-party relationships so vendors suppliers business associates and I think that's some great background and experience that I can bring forward to the city of Charlotte I am really excited about the next 18 months I think that like some of the other candidates have said focusing on executing um per the vision that's already been set forward I think our key five focus areas are the right focus areas I think you know we have our FY27 budget set already as of a couple weeks ago so I think that you know making sure that we can show for our use resources being used well and make progress using our strategic progress tracker tool I think that'll be a great way to show that we have served um the constituents of the city of Charlotte well over the next 18 months so I thank you so much for your consideration and yeah appreciate all that you do for the city so um I want to say thanks to all of you this is really an important um opportunity for all of us and I think that you've done it so very very well that we're very proud to have each of you and um hope that one of you will become the person that's going to be possible to take us into the next generation I want to say um thank you to Billy our clerk who has to do all of this like well you we all have two a sheet of paper I've got a like a notebook full of everything else and with that um I want to just ask the council if there were any comments that they would like to make before we close out we need to resume the conversation I'm sorry we need to resume the conversation that we suspended or isn't that so we have to come back to our do we have what's the necessary for us to have our price to be legal I don't think we said any motions our next step.

Okay.

Regarding my motion.

I know we have the motion and those things that we're talking about now that's her motion.

What is the right here we automatically as I was approaching the lectern, I overheard a motion.

Is there a motion on the floor that we need to address?

Yes, we did have Miss Mayfield had a motion that we did not vote or completely vote on.

I think that there was some discussion, but not any action.

So Ms.

Mayfield is am I saying that correctly?

If I may quickly, um I was speaking of another motion.

I thought I heard as I was approaching the elector.

Is there something else on the floor?

We just need to address procedurally, or was there just being answered?

I think what happened is that there was a motion for process to table.

And that was so and so council member Mayfield had an original motion that we did not vote on because there was a substitute which was withdrawn.

Thank you, Dr.

Another point of order if I can.

So there was a joke, a motion was made, and then there was a second.

Which I said, so that's the one I think that needs to be resolved.

It's withdrawn.

I read through it.

Okay.

It's grown.

Okay, good.

And we just need to make sure Billy knows right.

All right.

All right.

I said it pretty loud.

All right.

Are we squared away on this?

So Madam Mayor.

Miss Mayfield.

Madam Mayor, I just wanted someone to repeat the motion.

So we can okay.

Thank you.

Um, Billy, do you want to repeat my initial motion so that we have it for the record for council member Anderson?

Yes.

So the original motion was motion by uh Miss Mayfield, second by Mr.

Driggs.

It was part two of the mayoral process will include um council will work with staff based on the survey results and then ask questions to those candidates that selected.

And madam mayor, if I may council member Anderson prior prior to that motion that I made, I said we had what 49 names on here.

Council has not had a chance to actually have a discussion regarding this process.

What my motion is in reference to was a part two to today where we actually come together and have conversation.

Because as of today, we heard two minutes, but we didn't have a chance to actually ask any questions.

That would give us similar to the MPTA conversation.

Give us the ability to actually possibly have a survey, identify which of these candidates have enough support to basically have a part two to this discussion since our mayor did announce that she will stay around until we identify council member Graham had mentioned earlier.

Also, given us the opportunity not to rush this.

I'm with you.

I follow.

Just the question, uh Miss Mayfield.

When you say give us the opportunity to have the conversation, you mean the full council, right?

The full council together, not in a committee.

But it was mentioned by some members that we individually have the opportunity to reach out out to candidates.

Personally, I have not because we have a process, so I was waiting for us to get through today's process.

I think as a collective and not one-off conversations, we have the opportunity to actually come together and have a discussion as well as identify if there's some individuals in here that we would like to have further conversation with.

I'm not doing with your motion.

Right.

But Mr.

Graham um supported the idea of getting the BGR committee together and working through that.

And I guess what I want to make sure is that once we do that, we know that everyone has understood why and what and the what uh so I don't know if you need some time, Mr.

Graham, to do that, but I think that we want to make sure that it's done in a way that everybody has the opportunity to understand what's the next step from the BGR committee.

Well, again, I would do with the pleasure of the council, right?

Uh I think from an efficiency perspective, that might work, right?

It kind of coalesced the conversation to answer the three questions that's up there to talk with some other uh questions that were thrown out about the uh the ability of the Mayor Pro Tem to participate or not participate to answer those questions, but again, I will I will do whatever the council wants to do.

All right.

So I see that Miss Watlington has a request.

Yep.

Um I would offer that we do a couple of things today.

I think we settle the question of recusal today, and then we'll know how to move forward.

I think the second thing that we can do, if I'm looking at this, when we talk about narrowing um down as a body, not within a committee, that's the ballot process, right?

Each council member submits a nomination.

Whoever gets the threshold gets moved to the subsequent subsequent round.

If we were to follow the ballot method, and if you're trying to introduce an extra step, the top three to five candidates, we can decide that, then get specific questions asked of them to get additional information.

We could do that between now and next week, or we could do that on next Monday.

We can talk about that.

But I think the ballot method addresses the the narrowing down uh concern.

I don't think it needs to go to committee.

I don't think it needs to be a separate process.

I think we adopt the ballot method and we determine um how many of the nominees will get through to interview, and we either handle that via special meeting later on in the week or we handle that next Monday.

So I think we do two things.

We address the conversation of whether or not we want to we want to um excuse the council member from this process today, and then I think we adopt the ballot method and determine how many folks will be interviewed, and we either conduct that interview session later on this week or we do it as a part of next Monday.

That enables us to stay on the 22nd.

Oh, sorry.

Sure.

And I I think it would probably be um if we had everybody to have the understanding of what it is, so it's just a little bit slower.

Sure, sure.

I think the clerk can keep up with us on this one.

Sure.

Okay, so the first I'll do I'll do one motion and we'll address the second piece.

So make an amendment to the motion, yeah.

However, you'd like it to show up.

All right, well, let me ask a question, uh madam attorney, because one of them is about the process to me, and one of them is about the the path forward here.

Um I think is germane or related to council member Mayfield's motion, in which case it could show up as a substitute, but then the other the matter of excusal, I think is separate and apart.

So I don't think either one of them should show up as I don't think that one should show up as a substitute to her motion.

Do you follow what I'm saying?

I would agree.

I would agree.

Yeah, but before you move forward, and I I really do want to respond to your earlier question with respect to eligibility because that that's germane to this conversation about who's being considered.

So we looked back at our notes, and I and just for council's reference, this is in regards to the email that I sent on May 29th outlining what your requirements were based on the discussion from your May 26th meeting.

So you required anyone participating in the candidate forum to do so in person.

That was the requirement.

Now, when it with respect to eligibility, you have you have an eligibility section in your note, but then with respect to age 21, all of the criteria that I missed mentioned before, irrespective of participating in the forum, right?

What I would liken participation in person today, just as attaching a resume or failing to answer a question in your packet, like all of that is part of what could be considered by this council as you decide to lodger or um vote upon your nominations or submit them, but it did not render a person ineligible from being considered now.

That's how your motion was structured.

That's how it that's how it appeared.

That's and again, that's how it's in the notebook.

But um if there's something to substitute your process going forward, you would need to work through that.

Thank you, madam attorney.

So that tells me, Council Member Owens, your concern sounds like it was addressed.

Um so then back to the two things.

How should what's the best way to proceed addressing the recusal question and addressing how we move forward in terms of the ballot?

Should that show up as a substitute or do we need to how do we address council member Mayfield's motion if we need to do that before we address a path forward?

So the recusal that would that would have to be a request first and foremost for for a recusal and uh and again I'm I'm hearkening back to 168-72 and the concept that there's a duty to vote unless there's a conflict that a statutory conflict that we can point out.

Um okay, so what I'd like to do then is let's take care of this.

I will submit a substitute to council member Mayfield's motion unless you want to accept a friendly amendment.

What is the amendment?

Yeah, so the amendment is adopt the ballot method rather than the um one by one motion method.

That's number one.

Uh I would I would offer one nomination per council member that's consistent with our vacancies and board uh work, and then thirdly, I would say the top three top five candidates.

That I'm I'm open to what that looks like, but I'll say for the purposes of getting it on the table, top five candidates uh to move forward to an interview that will take place either later this week or next Monday.

That's that's the package I'm offering up.

So that's basically what I said, but with detail out the um because the attorney had not actually had the chance since I made my motion at the beginning to actually give us what those numbers were, but that's the motion that I made is for us to have an additional step where we actually have discussion and have an opportunity.

So are you accepting a friendly amendment?

Because she basically just restated my motion with your actual timeline.

So is that an amendment or is that still just the original motion?

I I think it's in the same vein, so I would I would characterize it as a friendly amendment, not a substitute for a student.

All right.

So you accepted the friendly amendment.

Great.

I mean, well, it was an accepted for the friendly amendment.

There was another piece of clarification on my motion with the friendly amendment.

So, so that I'm clear the way we have the normal nomination process, the challenge with that.

This is not the normal process.

We are getting ready to identify an interim mayor.

I'm clear to step in.

Yes.

So for this interim mayor role, the concern that I have with trying to utilize that process is out of the 50 people that we just heard from to say we're only going to do one vote per candidate.

One nomination, right?

One nomination, because then you'll be able to vote on the closed nomination.

One nomination out of these 50 something, if they're very well may have that's eleven, that we're giving each other the opportunity to have due diligence in this process to say out of those who have presented to us as well as submitted information that we have the opportunity to bring in those to have that next step of conversation where we do get to address questions.

So when I say and well, let me just be clear in the process, right?

Here are so are you asking this question to determine if you want to accept a friendly amendment?

That's what I'm trying to do.

Yes, I'm trying to determine if that one, but I think also Councilmember Graham was you were asking a question for clarification.

Well, I just need to know if you accept the friendly amendment, otherwise I'll make a substitute motion.

And if your question is around exactly what I mean by that, what I'm saying is if each council member nominates one, that's up to 11 candidates that could be in the in the queue, if you will.

So I'll accept the friendly friendly amendment.

The friendly amendment, is there a second for that?

Oh, I'm second to Miss Um.

Ms.

Billy, you had a second.

Okay, thank you.

All right, Miss Mayo.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, is it possible for us to be able to nominate three so that the clerk can kind of put them in order?

I mean, I understand that at most it would be 11, but I think that quite a few people in here probably like some of the same people.

So I just oh, yeah, okay, okay.

I personally would would be more of a fan of us doing three, and maybe we just do in the top five or are asked to have like a another interview.

So for clarification, what we're talking about is the process.

Okay, so for clarification of this, we hadn't gotten down to that number yet, but this process will help us get to the number.

Are you identifying a number right now, Dr.

Wallace?

So this is what I this is what I'm here.

This is what I think if there are if each person has one nomination, 10 people might choose the same person.

They could every single person might pick somebody else.

So two other people might choose the other three people you were looking at.

They're still in the pool.

Yeah, so whether it's three by each council member or if it's one by each council member, I think that the the balance of the group will float to the top.

You know what I'm saying?

So that's in a clarification.

Yeah, I think you're talking about two different things.

One nomination, top five folks is what you're talking about, or three, I said nominate three people, the top five people.

Oh, I mean, I'm with your is your motion.

Yeah, that's I think um we should try to follow out what each person is trying to indicate that they would like to have as a motion.

And I think I understand I caught up with you after the fact.

Apologies, madam mayor.

So I'm I'm understanding you now, Joy.

You want to give each council member up to three.

So that would be since I accepted the friendly amendment, that would be an amendment to the amendment.

That was a discussion.

No, and that would be if you now if Dr.

Wallington, if you're comfortable, I would just in your friendly amendment.

I would accept that.

I'm totally fine.

I think that would be a great opportunity for all of us.

Yep, I think that's fine.

So up to three, yes.

All right, so um, is that a friendly amendment?

So we need a second on that.

Clarity for the madam clerk.

Let's clarify.

I just want to make sure there's a lot of discussion.

And as well, I want to make sure the chair of this is a conversation.

I know you, but track.

So okay, so council member mayo has asked for three nominations rather than one, and council member Mayfield has accepted that friendly amendment.

So the motion on the floor is for three nominations by each council member.

Up to, I'm sorry, excuse me.

Up to three nominations from each council member, and we have a second.

Okay, council member's letter audio second.

So we're good, we're ready for the vote matter.

Well, just I just want to be clear.

I'm sorry, um this third bucket, the number of votes required.

Well, I don't even want to phrase it as number of votes required.

I'd rather phrase it as top, top nominations, top five, top three, whatever the will of the group is, top five.

You said top five.

Yes.

Okay.

Top five.

So point of clarity, if I may, item three really is when you get to vote, right?

You all are in this quasi-interim space between two and three when you go into your interviews and all of that.

So we're not quite till third two number three, which is the number of votes required for subsequent ballots.

That makes sense to me.

That's more day of.

Yes, absolutely.

Just the time.

So Madam Mayor, can I just a point of of information?

I'm sorry.

We so we have 49 folks listed here, right?

And out of the 49, 17 individuals were a no-show.

So that then reduces the field down to 32 folks who can be nominated.

Is that correct?

No.

No, no, there's some people that can come in because there is not an elimination based.

You can you can yourself individually decide not to nominate that person, but they're not ineligible, but due to not participating in person today.

That's why this second part, so that we have that chance, and we can pick up to three, and we have a chance collectively to have a conversation.

Okay, my apologies, Madam Mayor.

I know council member Johnson had a hand.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So if we're choosing three, are we ranking them when you talk about top five?

Are we ranking them or just so you're just saying that?

That comes after.

Okay, thank you.

All right.

So everybody's got to have the vote.

Just the timeline.

What's the timeline?

The motion maker.

What's it?

So okay.

Let's figure out if we can get the first motion.

We're clarifying with the attorney.

The initial information that we sent out to the community had that June 22nd date.

Correct.

Yet.

The reality is, as council member Graham had mentioned, we do not need to rush this process because this is a very important process for us.

I did not state a specific timeline.

For me, the first question is how soon can we get that meeting on the books for us to actually come together and be able to have this conversation.

We also know according to our rules and state legislation, we need to give at least five days' notice to community for that to give them the opportunity for the ones that get through to the next process so that we can actually have the time chance to have the conversation with them.

We can't go into July realistically because that's when council is on break.

I'm not I'm pulling up the calendar right now just to try to be as specific as possible.

Today's the 15th.

We do not have a meeting on the 29th.

That is our Monday off, because that's the fifth Monday of the month.

The question will be is if there seems to be an opportunity and an appetite if people don't already have travel plans for us to be able to schedule the meeting on that wet day, that way we don't have anything else on that day, and that will give us a week to not only give staff time to create the survey, give us the time to go through and identify and do our voting and give the community the time to have the conversation.

I'm saying the 29th for decision instead of the 22nd, and we try to figure out a date to come in and have this conversation based on council's calendar.

Can I just just that's a question of clarity?

I just want to make sure I understand.

I in my mind, I thought what we were doing was we were doing we were going and selecting our ballots, and those were the folks that were gonna get interviews.

We were trying to schedule the interview.

That's it, that's what I'm saying.

Oh, when you say conversation, that sounds like a different.

Well, the interview is the conversation because they're not gonna come in and just speak to us for two minutes.

We're gonna actually just like with the um MTA process where we actually having a conversation that's happening via the ballot, and that's part right, and but it's the piece where instead of the individual council collectively sits in the room together and hear from and ask questions of the candidate, just as a just as a reminder, the statutory requirement for special meeting notices is 48 hours.

So it's not right.

Just so you know, in terms of your planning, you don't need the so we can actually have if it's at the pleasure of the council, we can have the above have the ability to have that discussion earlier.

I just want to be respectful of the fact that staff has to actually create the survey, and yeah, they got their names, they can style chat box next to me and Google Key.

We can say that, but we need to make sure, yeah, that staff ain't doing just this.

They come around with something that doesn't spell correctly or whatever.

Madam Mayor's like, yes, ma'am, the um you had another question.

All right, yes, please.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Uh, colleagues, I think that we, you know, I agree with my colleague, uh, council member Graham and Councilmember Mayfield that we shouldn't rush the process, but we did vote on a timeline and we adopted it, and now we are doing this amendment, which council member may feel accepted the friendly amendment from uh uh council member Wallington.

So I think our due diligence, right, as council members uh serving our constituents is to follow through with the timeline um and to add that extra step, um, and to that point, find a which I think is can be a conversation um perhaps offline that that middle spot of when we would schedule that special meeting.

Um that midpoint that allows us the flexibility to still follow through with the timeline, but as well as make the necessary adjustments that we're talking about today.

Yes, ma'am, thank you so much.

Um, is it possible to make a motion to have a special meeting on the 18th for council?

No, there's a motion on the floor.

Oh, we haven't voted for this at the room, we haven't unless unless well, unless council member mayfield the motion maker.

If you want to accept as part of your friendly amendment, I'm not accepting the interview.

We need to close this out as well.

The only issue is that this one.

We're beginning to get offline.

And well, thank you.

I appreciate that, Miss Mira.

We've got to stop a little bit, and we've been doing a lot of like this is this and this is that, but we are not getting enough information for us to all understand.

I mean, I look around and I don't see I see especially I'm worried about the BGR committee because we haven't seen anything.

I'm sorry, that's just what I said.

You don't have to say it.

I just said it.

Okay.

So this is what I said, and I think what we're trying to do is to get some sense of what everyone agrees to do, and that just takes a little bit more time.

And if we skip people over, you know, it's just it's taken us too much time to do this without working through it.

So what I would like to suggest is that we actually ask each council member what their what you have what you think is happening, and then let's see if we're all in accord.

If that's okay, I would say you've got a motion, madam mayor.

No, but with this mo, okay.

The motion for what?

If I just may your motion as I understand it, is it's to receive nominations from each council member up to three.

You don't have to give three, but up to three.

Close the nominations.

Madam Clerk will be tallying those those nominations to deter Billy, you got that to determine the top five, I believe.

Yes, the top five.

Right, and those candidates will proceed to a set of interviews to be conducted based on a special meeting later, scheduled later.

That's right.

That's it.

So now we we what about the time?

I I hear you.

All right, Miss Johnson.

Ms.

Johnson did not hear you, so let's have her hear us now.

So we have a screen.

Is there anybody that can type the motion so that it's clear as these changes are made?

That's a PowerPoint presence.

This is a PowerPoint, but I can just type it out and then everyone can read it because it there is a lot of chatter.

So if I mean I think we understand, but just so our just so everyone's on the same page and we can see what the motion is and clarify there.

Thank you.

Would that be helpful to do by tomorrow?

Because I don't think everybody can do it today.

Okay, we do not have everyone in this room.

Yeah, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, two.

Okay.

And yes, he's chosen to sit there because of what he's doing today.

We're we're good.

Yeah, we are good to go.

We can vote.

Yeah, we can vote.

Everybody's got that.

Everybody's comfortable with that.

All right.

Let's just give it.

Wait a minute, Ms.

Adam.

I'm just since Councilmember Johnson wanted to actually see it in writing.

I'm just asking if we could just take less than a minute.

Yeah, we're waiting.

But we I think we all are on the same page as far as what it is, and I appreciate you all for supporting the motion and us figuring out again so that we can be intentional about this process because we got elections next year.

Yeah.

People that want it, run for it.

Go in front of the community and get the community support.

But if we're going to make an appointment, we haven't had a chance to have a conversation about what are the opportunities that we see in this role of 17 months, knowing that we've passed our priority areas.

We've had our budget retreat.

We just passed the budget.

We already know that we're gonna have the housing bond on the ballot in November, and what that looks like.

What are the skill sets that we're looking for?

That's what I was hoping that we by adding this additional step, it gives us not one off conversations with individuals.

Because again, I've tried not to engage anybody unless the call slip through, but I've made no commitments to anyone because I don't make commitments to anyone, so regardless of the media thinking we got our top five, to my understanding, we have not figured that out.

This gives us the opportunity to have the discussion we need to have.

I was doing all that just to do time.

You gotta read that.

And I'm sure I have to clean it up.

I was trying to help you out.

I appreciate it.

I did it all.

I honestly if we we enjoy all of this, but I think um, council member.

Um have you spoken, Ed?

And then Kimberly wanted to speak as well.

Kimberly, a question.

I agree with this.

I want to know at what point in time each thing occurs.

That's why we're asking.

That would be next.

I'm sorry, can I speak?

Uh I don't feel it's a particular hardship if we don't get it all done by the 22nd.

Nobody suffers if we don't.

We have the absolute uh obligation, possibility of say on the 22nd, conducting this meeting uh with an with an eye towards uh processing the interviews and other discussions that we have on the 22nd for a vote on the 29th.

Um so I just want to know if if we do this and we try to vote on the 22nd, when will the ballots be due?

When will we get back?

Because that's a tight timeline.

I just want to know what happens when.

And I think that we're trying to do that.

I mean, the city attorney in terms of preparing.

I thought it was going to be the committee, but now I think it's going to move into the office.

Is that what you're thinking?

What is the council?

Do they move to call a question?

Oh, she has a question.

Council member.

So just for clarity's sake, I want to make sure that I've appreciated and I want the uh audience and and the viewers to understand.

When we say each council member will receive up to three nominations, each council member is inclusive of Mayor Pro Tem at this point in time, correct?

At this point in time, we're gonna deal with that shortly.

Thank you.

Yes, yeah, and the timeline will come next.

Okay, so we're in front of you to vote.

I think so.

I I am still trying to figure out where um this leads to the vote, and I think every it's basically around the interview process, and for participation and the five candidates to be invited to participate, and that's five for each council member.

No, ma'am.

It's for a council member, all right.

We have ballot process, whoever ends up in the top five.

Top five.

Okay.

All right, so is everybody ready to vote?

Miss Mayfield.

We are.

I was just gonna ask the clerk.

You have it, but do I need to repeat it for the minutes for accuracy?

If you want to write, I just need to know what you need in order for you to have because we have it.

If you have it, then I'm good.

If you need me to repeat it this way, then I will do whatever you need me to do for the records.

And I'm asking, is it this if I need to change what's on the screen?

No, this is good.

This is what we discussed.

Okay, I know as long as you keep saying the full council, yes, and we'll be okay.

All right.

So you have a motion on the floor.

All in favor of the motion, please raise your hand.

Anyone oppose?

Anyone that's not opposed.

Anyone opposed, sorry.

Anyone opposed?

All right.

So that's thank you very much.

We got yeah, we got a couple more motions, and we can I'm gonna type.

Just for the record, so that everybody's on the same page.

If just vote and we we are where we are.

Um, I move to have this interview on this Thursday, the 18th.

Second.

Um, okay.

We gotta check our calendars before we put the date.

So we can never check our calendars before we pick the date.

I'm trying to move my calendar almost every time.

That's what we should.

So, I don't understand that.

Uh, let's let's see if we can get through this.

Okay, I guess I'm good on those.

All right, all right.

Does everybody have that time frame on there?

I need a second.

What time on Thursday?

Okay.

I just showed morning or afternoon.

That's just so when are the ballots due?

When are the ballots due?

When are the ballots due?

Yeah.

I mean, I'm open.

When would you when do you need them due?

I'm just saying if that's the 18th is when we're having that meeting.

Prior to that time.

There has to have been a deadline for the council to say that.

That's a good point.

That's a good point.

We can work backwards.

So then, I'm not tied to this July 22nd.

No, I understand.

I understand.

Are we sending three names?

Are we waiting on a ballot?

We're waiting on a ballot.

If you do not, council, if you do not proceed with the 22nd, you will need to amend your prior schedule because you adopted that as part of your project.

Okay, so I'd like to offer this then as part of my motion.

Staff, and I'm I'm looking at you, uh Miss Ms.

Tines because it's the clerk's office.

If you can get us ballots today, and we have those ballots back to you by tomorrow, 48 hours ahead of a Thursday afternoon meeting, then we can then we can proceed.

Are folks comfortable with that?

Yeah, I'm very nice, and I don't know how we voted on a timeline.

Yeah, we'll get them the opportunity to do that.

I don't know if well, what I'll do is I'll that's the motion.

If if there's a second, we'll vote it up or down.

If it goes to down, then we'll just figure something else out.

We'll figure that out.

And so everybody would get their information.

Yeah, before they leave tonight.

Okay.

All right.

So just to be clear to make sure I understand.

So you want a ballot with the 49 people, yes, ma'am, by the end of before we leave here tonight.

All the eligible people who didn't work here, the eligible people.

Yeah, actually the eligible.

Okay, yeah.

All the so if we can have a ballot tonight before we leave, but for all of the eligible candidates, and council will return our ballots to you by tomorrow afternoon, which gives 48 hours time for notice to those selected candidates, then we can conduct the interview on Thursday afternoon.

And are you gonna do photos and all of those or what are the expectations for the sending the information to the clerk?

Besides just the letter or a list like we have here, yeah.

So we just we just can return our lists or like we typically do via email, just respond with your names, etc.

What about the um Kimberly?

Your ballots would be your ballots that would be received tomorrow, or I could I had a I had a question, but I think that it has been clarified.

So thank you.

All right, thank you.

And I just want to make sure point of clarification.

It's not the 48 people to come, 49 is the eligible candidates.

All the eligible, including those who did not attend in person.

Correct.

Correct.

Okay, okay.

All right, Madam Clerk.

I mean, Madam Clerk, are you good?

Is our attorney good?

Is anybody on the council good?

A question.

Um Madam Clerk, would it be easier for people just to write it in like their their top three instead of y'all having to like type all of those names in?

I mean, we all have the list, like everybody.

I feel like that may be more efficient of y'all's time this evening, so we can make the turnaround a bit faster.

I mean, just a write-in.

If you want to do that, nobody's gonna stop them.

I can make that motion.

Okay, can can I can I do a friendly amendment?

I'll take it.

Um, that instead of y'all writing down all the people, we all have the list.

It's not all for them.

Yeah, that's a high.

Oh, okay.

Well, whatever.

I have the list.

So are we doing a friendly amendment?

Okay, no amendments, all right.

Okay, cool.

All right, so we'll be following this.

We're voting on this.

So this is a two-part motion to have the interviews be conducted on June 18th, and also to have a ballot complete with all eligible candidates by end of day today.

You receive.

Don't you want to put a tomorrow?

No, but you receive the ballot today.

I receive the ballot.

24 hours press.

Yeah, and council members will turn it in by tomorrow.

Close of business.

The clerk, yes, closing business.

Okay, so are we comfortable with where we are?

Miss Mayfield, are you comfortable where you are?

Not even the slightest.

Okay, so for this slight last piece, I want us to be realistic and responsible.

We have our meetings have been running to 9, 10, later, to say that our clerk's office is supposed to get this information to us, and we are gonna be responsible enough to get this done back tomorrow.

It's very aspirational.

Versus at least I'm trying my best, y'all.

At least be realistic enough instead of saying ballot for all the eligible candidates by end of day, by end of tomorrow, to give enough time for our staff to do what they need to do when we still have meeting in 20 minutes, and we have been getting out of here at 9 10, 10 30, 11, and thinking that people are gonna get up and get through this by tomorrow.

Let's at least be gentle enough where ourselves and staff to at least give them Tuesday the 16th to get this out that still gives us a window to get the ballots done and get them back in because they still have to go in and calculate it.

I don't think it's reasonable at 20 minutes to five to say that the clerk's office should be able to get this information to us by tonight.

So a couple of things.

I I appreciate what you're saying.

Their spreadsheet is right here.

Like it already exists.

Yeah, but we have to do is respond, but the the meat of your question though, because remember the meat of your question, though.

I just want to make sure the reason that I've said Tuesday.

People are talking at the same time.

The reason I said Tuesday tomorrow is because of the 48 hours.

So the question is can staffs can y'all still notice the meeting before you know which candidates are invited.

You can notice the purpose.

Yes, we can yes, make sure you're okay.

Well, then cool, I'll accept that friendly amendment.

You want to use you said the end of Tuesday, so that's a matter of hours difference.

It's is those hours make a difference.

And I'm fine with 16, and to also in light of the conversation.

Would there be an eligible uh virtual option, excuse me, available to those because it is such a short notice.

I mean, I think that's it.

I don't know.

Now, why do you want to start something?

I mean, it's just how we get it.

We are talking about 48 hours notice.

I just want to put that on.

Again, I'm not putting it that June 22nd date is not.

I feel like we could have made somebody could have made a motion for us to amend that because this is too important of a conversation we'd have.

This isn't the five months that Anthony Fox had when he was that moved into a position.

So the idea of us trying to rush through this process, I have a concern about the ability to get it on record.

As far as the virtual option, I'm I'm I'm not opposed to virtual, but certainly if that's gonna be a part of this motion, folks should know about it.

Um willing to adjust the motion for the will of the group.

If they do not have the opportunity to do a virtual, then I think that's saying that you want to, but you know, you can't figure out how to get in.

Sure.

Madam Mayor.

I just want us to I appreciate both perspectives here.

Um I also though want to talk about, and maybe we're gonna do it now.

We have to do it at some point, but talk about the structure of these meetings, uh, because I think it has to we have to have a structure, it has to um have some uniformity to it.

I can imagine if 10 of us have questions, that's a long time, right?

Just one question, so we gotta talk about the structure.

Talk about that, yeah.

Maybe you should say maybe you could suggest I mean I'm just someone that could do that, yeah.

Somebody's got to do some work, exactly right.

Um and I think that our question okay.

I think that what we agreed upon was that the committee chair would have that opportunity to work through some of that, and nobody has suggested that, but it does need to happen.

So, so matter of fact, I'll volunteer myself since this is difficult.

I think it would be no, I think.

Well, so well, what I'm saying is is to I agree that those that can be worked offline.

If you have questions that you want to ask, simply send them in an email to everybody, and we can compile the questions list.

These things are not difficult policy questions.

The question is not about being difficult policy question, is how we process our work.

It's it's how we pro and it's killing us.

We may get to the end for sure, but there has to be process steps that there's agreement upon.

If we don't have, if we don't respect our committee structure, why do we have committees?

Is it's just it's and so all this stuff should have been sent to committee weeks ago.

Weeks ago, there is an auto official timeline that we're dealing with.

There's nothing magical about the 22nd.

We got 18 months, not for an interim mayor, but for the mayor of the city.

I think that deserves a little bit of thoughtfulness versus making the sausage around the dais when we're supposed to be listening to candidates, not making policy decisions.

It's just for me, it's how we process our work that's frustrating.

Are you making a substitute motion?

I make a substitute motion that we send it to committee.

So we have a motion and a second.

And put it up or down.

And when we say substitute motion to send to committee, does that include the inclusiveness of the fact that the things that we were talking about?

And then we can come up to achieve all the things that we want to achieve, the timelines, the structure, this the process questions that council member Anderson talked about in terms of making sure that just on uniformity.

We just can't make it up on the fly.

The recusal question, all those things are legitimate questions that we just shouldn't kind of make the sausage at the table.

So we have a you can put it up or down, but I just think it's.

Same notice, same legal notice requirements, but it can't be called.

Okay, yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

City attorney, I have a question.

Yes, sir.

Um so if this is if the yes have it, right?

Then we would have to then introduce a new motion to amend the adopted timeline that we voted for previously.

Correct?

That is correct because you won't be able to adhere to the 22nd deadline.

Or timeline, I should say.

All the questions.

All right, we have a called the question on the table.

So all take anyone, all right.

So let's go ahead all in favor of this.

Please rate of um which we're talking about what's on the um substitute motions on the substitute motion for the motion on the June 18th and those areas right there.

And if not, um we'll keep going.

Okay.

All right, we're ready.

Who's some who's all in favor?

One, two, three, four.

Auto gains.

Do we have anybody else?

All opposed four, one, two, three, four, five, six.

All right.

So I think we go back to the motion.

Oh, we go back to your motion.

Yeah, right.

All right, you're back to this motion here.

Okay, so called the question.

All right, we have a question on the motion that you see on the screen to right now.

So all in favor, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Well, can I well obviously this is passing?

So um is there all opposed anyone opposed?

She's right that it's the June 16th.

I didn't catch that.

So it goes to the 16th, and then it's 18th.

That was the first.

We have one opposed.

We had one opposed, all right.

Then that closes out this section.

My yes were wrong.

Then how many years was it?

No, that's not math there.

All right, so we have a zoning meeting.

No, second, second.

No, wait a minute.

Oh, you got to stay.

What about the question?

We need to.

Yeah, that's what she was.

Yes, but there is a motion and a second on the floor to adjourn.

But you can't have the ballot.

We have a motion on the floor to adjourn.

Do you talk about the two?

And is it due back?

I that's what I was asking.

Okay, all those in favor of the motion to adjourn.

We got a convener.

I know, but she's she needs to let ballots due back.

It says we're gonna have to.

Yeah, I know I was looking at that too.

Is it the ballot should do back by the end of day on the sixteenth?

Not the close of business.

That was Luana's um, do back, 24.

Friendly amendment.

So we're the ballots due out.

Same day, right?

Yeah.

Same day.

Yeah, Lawana wanted to give staff until tomorrow to get it out to us instead of getting it to us tonight.

Tomorrow?

Tomorrow for the ballots to be distributed.

I can't hear you.

After the ballots are distributed until they come back.

Yeah.

Now what it says is end of day on June 16th for the Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, we um can you like can you change that first June?

Can you use the mic?

To the 15th.

What it is saying is that there's no period in there to actually give the ballots and receive them.

So we would have to have like noon on the 16th for the circulation of the ballots and end of day on the 16th for the return of the ballots.

Yeah, I guess that's doable for the clerk's office.

So we just need it updated on the board so that people are clear.

Let's talk about it.

Because we have to vote on adjournment.

No, we we have to.

Well, time out.

We need to vote on adjournment.

Yes, madam mayor.

All right, we have a motion for adjournment.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Okay, so just one, two, three, three.

I can make sure he turned around.

All opposed, all right.

I think that the nays and then you have it.

All right, so now the next item on the agenda is what's on the agenda upstairs.

Sorry.

Is this right?

I think you can be eating them.

Okay.

Billy is this right?

Miss Walking.

So I was just commenting that the other topic that was brought up at the beginning of this meeting was the recusal.

So I was I was on the impression that we were gonna deal with that today.

I thought that we just had that come up.

It says charge recusal timeline, number of nominations.

But that that substitute motion failed.

I can't mark it out right now, but it fails.

We just need to talk about recusion.

So you need to entertain a motion.

All right.

Now what y'all doing?

Let's go ahead.

We need to have a motion for a recusal.

Mr.

Driggs.

Could the attorney please clarify?

My understanding was that a member who has a financial or other conflict must recuse themselves, or if they have a concern about an appearance of impropriety, they may ask the council to excuse them, which would then require a majority vote to be excused.

Those are two different things.

You just told us it's not a recusal situation, even though he gets more money.

So then it's a question of whether he chooses to ask to be excused, and we agree with him that because of the appearance of impropriety by a majority vote, he is excused.

That is correct.

Those are the two issues.

So that means you would have to ask to be excused since you can't recuse yourself since the attorney advises us you don't have a financial.

So it's up to you.

Can you speak into the microphone, please for the record?

I was halfway off the room.

Not today.

I tried.

Um I won't repeat everything.

I just said he is not eligible for a recusal because the city attorney advised us that his increased income doesn't qualify as a grounds for recusal under state law.

Therefore, he may ask to be excused based on a concern about the appearance of impropriety, and it takes a majority vote of counsel to excuse him.

So that does require that you would, in order for that vote to take place, you would have to ask to be excused, and I would suggest that for as long as council member Mitchell is in the pool of people, like if he's not among the final five, then he could participate in the selection among the five.

If he is among the final five, in my opinion, there is an issue, a question about conflict, and then but it is up to you to ask to be excused.

We can't do it.

We don't do it.

Is that right?

Thank you, madam mayor.

And the clerk mentioned it, but I think what we also have to remember when council when former mayor fox took his appointment, and then counsel appointed councilmember Patsy Kinsey.

She did not recuse herself.

So that I want us to keep in mind the idea of this recusal.

Yes, Councilmember Mitchell would have to make the motion himself, but we already do have precedent on that.

That's correct.

And that precedent is the sitting council member that ended up being put into the position of mayor for that interim period did vote for themselves.

There was no recusal.

I don't know why the conversation of compensation came into this particular conversation for the simple fact the mayor will always make more than counsel.

Whatever that amount is, I don't care if it's 2,000 more, the mayor's always gonna make more than counsel.

So whoever the mayor is, they are gonna make more than counsel with that.

So the recusal piece, Patsy Kinsey, as a city and council member who served 28 years as a district.

Well, when she was appointed to fill out Mayor Anthony Fox's seat, she was not asked to recuse, she did vote.

I don't understand why we're I understand why we're having the conversation now, but I just want us to make sure for transparency, that was not something that was a prerequisite.

But again, even though we just voted it down, had it gone to committee, that's where the discussion and the actual process could have been put in place.

We chose not to do that, but I just want to make sure everyone does understand.

We had a council member who stepped into the roll.

No, they did not recuse themselves.

Yes, they voted.

If he chooses to, that is his choice.

We do not get to do that.

All right, um, Ms.

Owen.

Thank you, madam mayor.

I just want to speak very briefly to my impression of why we are where we are.

I tried to bring this issue into the room because I've had a lot of engagement with constituents over the weekend, particularly, who have asked me about what they perceive to be the unfairness of a situation where um there is competition between a member of council and other members of the community, those members of the community need to get to six.

This member of council would only need to get to five, presumably voting then for himself.

So I wanted to put that into the room out of just an abundance of uh transparency around what our process is.

I believe there to be a conflict of interest, and I believe there's an appearance of impropriety to have mayor pro tem vote in the same way as he would if he were not running.

I think to the point made by council member Driggs, there is a difference in my mind of getting us to a point where we have a small group.

If he is on that small group, then I would contend that he should not um continue to participate in the same way that he would if he were not um our mayor pro tem.

So that is my personal point of view.

That is why the issues in the room.

Is there a motion on the table?

I don't believe.

Did you make a motion around this?

I did not, I'd like to comment when it's my turn.

Thank you.

All right, so why don't we stop?

And has he's handed Ed, do you want to okay?

Go ahead.

I just wanted to point out it was possible that four or five of us applied for this.

Where would we have been if everybody had been disqualified?

So uh I think the fact that Mitchell has served the way he has all this time shouldn't work to his detriment, as it were, he's entitled to his voice in this process as the mayor pro tem.

So personally, I clarified as I did just to make sure we understand the situation, it's up to him.

Uh I personally wouldn't put a burden on him to uh ask to be excused, which is what we're talking about.

Madam Mayor, yes, J.D., thank you, Madam Mayor.

Yeah, I would agree with my colleagues, Councilmember Mayfield and Councilmember Driggs, and also appreciative of council members Owens' point.

I, however, I really do think for me when I think about it, I think about the democratic process, right?

We are elected by less than five percent of the city's population, and why are we going to vote on whether somebody has the right to run or to seek a position of elected office?

We all raised our hands to run for elected office, and we all went in front of the community, right?

Everybody has the right to run for office and be a carry to that same standard, like we're putting on the same standard for all of the candidates that we've heard from today and that have applied for this role today.

That being said, you know, and I'll I'll just for appreciation will say this.

That's why I also agree with council member Owens when it comes to the physical virtual option, right?

We need to be equalizers and ensure that everybody has a fair shot and opportunity.

And I as I brought it up before, and I'll bring it up today.

I'm unsure with this financial compensation um part of the um uh discussion came apart because we did just vote as a city council to give ourselves raise, right?

That's part of the budget.

City council members and the mayor got a pay bump and the FY 2027 budget, right?

And so that conversation on financial compensation um feels very uh obscure to me to be had in this in this uh room right now.

Right, right, and she and and she would have disallowed that exactly, Mr.

Drake.

So thank you so much, and I I I concur.

All right.

Um let's go.

They're going around this way.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um just question for the city attorney here.

Um we were mentioning when uh Patsy Kinsey was appointed to be the interim mayor.

Was there a public forum with that process, or was she simply voted by her colleagues to be to take that seat?

Because I think if it wasn't a public forum, I don't believe there was, this is a different structure here.

And I'll be a little prescribed with our language.

We not a public forum, but not a candidate forum.

There were no there was not external competition, it was strictly internal to your point.

Uh Councilmember Anderson, only council members participated in that.

Correct.

And that's why I brought that up because you know, before we advance to a public process, we had the opportunity to potentially appoint any of us.

Um, so it's not about a particular individual, but we voted to make this a public process in advance in this public forum.

So we've had 49 people to sign up to come down to speak, people have taken the time to fill out applications.

You know, it's not just a small thing, a small thing we've asked them to do, and it's a very different process than when Patsy Kinsey, who's a district one uh resident, was appointed into a mayor.

Very different.

All right, Ms.

Mayo.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I would agree with Councilmember Driggs.

I don't believe that um mayor pro Tim should have to recuse himself.

Um I think that you know, as a sitting council member, he should have the same vote as everyone else um on council.

So um just wanted to put that out there.

Um I mean, that I guess would be a decision that he makes, and or we would make potentially, but I um I don't think that's necessary personally, all right.

I don't think it's not up to us, you know.

Yeah, I think it's I thought you said it once.

Uh uh then what attorney just said y'all.

Oh, we can't vote, right?

Okay, all right.

Anyone else?

Ms.

Vic Watlington, all right, Miss Ejmira.

All right, then Miss Johnson.

Oh, all right, JD.

I'll just add that it's like we're arguing about not arguing, we're debating about um uh assumption or some uh preconceived guarantee when there's not a guarantee, right?

There is as much possibility uh for the mayor pro Tim to become one of the top five candidates as well as to not become one of the top five candidates, right?

And so I just want to put that out there that and to the public, and I want to put be put on the record, there is not a guarantee on who gets appointed intramor.

That is point blank period, right?

Like we all have uh uh as we voted on the right to nominate up to three people in this process, and that those chances of whether uh mayor pro tim is one of those top three people, that's not guaranteed and it's not written.

We just heard from excellent candidates, right?

And I hope that we all have the due diligence to listen to those candidates and really nominate the best candidates we think aligned with the priorities and the future of this city.

So I just want to make that very clear that when we are having this discussion about excluding or taking someone's right to vote, there's not a guarantee that any of us would be appointed mayor if we did apply.

So thank you.

Alright, I think we'll show you.

Okay, um, she and the okay.

Madam Mayor, just quickly before we leave out.

I just want to make sure everyone remembers that on June the Monday, June 22nd, that starting at two o'clock, we have the city clerk's evaluation.

So that was one of the other reasons.

The motion went the way it went, but while we're throwing these dates out, I want to make sure that we remember the 22nd.

We already have the clerk's evaluation that's scheduled from two to six and with public forums starting around 5 30.

Okay.

Maybe we ought to, it's maybe a day in the life of council.

I mean, we choose violence on a daily basis around this diet.

So thank you.

Okay, so we've got a motion to adjourn.

Can we defer?

Motion to adjourn.

How many of you are at the um to adjourn?

You're not finding it so Mr.

Graham is opposed.