She was not the first Black person on the City Council in the rural town of Fayette. Shown from left: Councilman Cedric Wilson (sitting in chair at far left), Councilman Jerry Nichols, Councilman Jason Cowart, Mayor Ray Nelson, City Clerk Dawn Clapp, Councilwoman Linda McCraw and Councilman Eddy Campbell. The cameraman who live-streamed all the council meetings swung the lens toward Virettia, who cleared her throat. Jordan, she said, interrupting. Ward One Councilwoman Linda McCraw is not seeking re-election. The mega-rich. What mattered about her election what had spawned a lawsuit aimed at unseating her and nervous rumors about what her victory could mean was that she was the first to win outside the traditionally Black ward, breaking through what had seemed to her and other Black residents of Fayette to be the informal Rule of One. On Election Day, someone called police to report a possible fight outside a polling place, which turned out to be Virettia and the other Black candidates who were outside greeting voters when the sirens came screaming, and through it all, Virettia tried to maintain her composure. All Rights Reserved. Fayette County was founded on December 20, 1824 by an act of the Alabama Legislature and was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero General Marquis de Lafayette. Rod Northam, Mayor This aint the half of it, baby.. Tornado activity: Fayette-area historical tornado activity is slightly above Alabama state average.It is 134% greater than the overall U.S. average.. On 4/3/1974, a category F5 (max. Fayette Mayor Jeremy Dawson can be reached by phone at (660) 248-5246 or by email at jdawson@cityoffayettemo.com. A sign for a business in Virettia's ward. My trailer is paid for, cash. Growing up in Fayette during a time of growth and initiative I know the citizens of our town have the heart to continue the progressive actions that have always characterized our town. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Youre going to see some things, Cedric said. Were you a slave? yelled her daughter, getting up to leave as the meeting degenerated into a tense silence, and when it was over, Virettia called Cedric. They drove past the apartments, past an old plantation house, a Christian supply store and out along a strip of highway where there was a Ford dealership, two local banks and a small airport. I lost everything. People think we dont have a problem, but we do. Fayette County has four incorporated towns and cities including Fayette, Glen Allen, Berry, and Belk. But no one wants to talk about race in this town, she said. She walked by the men chatting in the corridor and took her seat next to her colleagues, wondering if they had supported Scotties lawsuit. Fayette municipal election is Tuesday, Aug. 25. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of my hometown. What bothered her was not Scottie Porters lawsuit or social media postings exactly, but the silence. They have breakfast at 5 AM and dinner as late at 8 PM. All nine Council members are elected from individual districts, and only citizens within the city limits can vote for those seats on the Council. The City Council also appoints an attorney, who represents the City administration and City Council in all legal matters. It was Tuesday, the day of the council meeting, and in the afternoon, Virettia got a call from a White woman in town, a friend of her mothers, who had been the only person to defend her on Facebook. She took a deep breath and ventured into a subdivision called Haughton Acres, walking up to houses flying Trump flags, and as the campaign went on, the rest of the town realized this was no ordinary election. Information about LaFayette, Alabama City Council Members The meeting begins at 5 PM at the Fayette City Hall, 204 Temple Avenue North. Suggest Listing As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,285 people, 1,888 households, and 1,178 families residing in the city. Appointees are to be city residents. See a helpful list of local county services and agencies. Preachers: nothing. Virettia held her hand as the board voted, each of the White members siding with the White neighbors, and the one Black board member siding with Ericka, thwarting the unanimous vote needed to block the trailer. Fayette City Council certifies election results. Virettia was alone in her office, and after she hung up, she allowed herself a moment to feel an unexpected sense of vindication. The City of Fayetteville adopted the council/manager form of municipal government in June 1949. There used to be no Black, Cedric said. I dont have anything tonight, she said, looking out at the faces in the audience, and then at the mayor. I had a fire. Its hard even now to believe how crazy with fear the protests last summer made white people in this country. History [ edit] Originally known as "La Fayette", it incorporated on January 15, 1821. She told her thank you, but no, and as she changed into a skirt and heels and drove over to City Hall in the early evening, she weighed whether this was the moment to bring her feelings out into the open. Hes been out, so we scheduled a meeting for tomorrow, so next meeting, Ill be able to bring an update on the airport.. According to the Kppen Climate Classification system, Fayette has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Fayette operates under the Mayor-Council form of government. [15]. Copy editing by Wayne Lockwood. City of LaFayette 50 Alabama Ave W LaFayette, Alabama 36862 334-864-7181 info@cityoflafayetteal.com. Seeking the position of mayor, replacing retiring Mayor Ray Nelson, will be: Kevin Bass, Rod Northam, Max Weaver and current City Councilman Cedric Wilson. [4], Fayette is located in west-central Fayette County at 334131N 874956W / 33.69194N 87.83222W / 33.69194; -87.83222 (33.692068, -87.832358). Virettia had always thought of her town as a nice place to live but a hard place to be anybody unless your granddaddys uncles cousins a somebody. For a while, her father had been somebody the citys first Black councilman but that was long ago, and she had always wondered what to make of his silence about the experience. From 30,000 feet we look at Aliceville and we know 20 years ago it had a White mayor and now it has a Black mayor, and a Black council, and its got s--- left, he continued. Basically, what happened was that Whitesides election broke what McCrummen calls the Rule of One in Fayette. She is the newly elected City Council member for Ward 1, which includes the complexes she manages. The age distribution was 21.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% 65 or older. Her father: nothing. The Fayette City Council is shown at its Sept. 1 meeting that was called to certify the election. Sign up for Weather Alerts because seconds matter. Now he spent most days at his antique store, happy to share with anyone who asked his belief that if all the Black candidates had won, Fayette would have soon resembled another Alabama town he knew of, an hour to the south, which in his mind had been a charming place when White people had the majority on the City Council. Hey Jerry, the mayor said to one of the other councilmen as he came in. It began with the gift from Lois Wilson, a Fayette native, of her art collection, which ultimately totaled 2,600 pieces of her own and of other artists' work. Our history of is one of people with the vision and daring to achieve outsized goals for a town our size. 2023 County Office. The Fayetteville City Council is the elected governing body representing the citizens of Fayetteville. About 12.5% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over. She checked to see if the judge had ruled on the case; still nothing. Whys there always only one Black? Virettia said. He owned the Spanish-style house on the edge of the traditionally Black ward that had belonged to Virettias godmother. Each office holder is elected to a four year term. Relevant maps for LaFayette, Alabama Alabama Open Meetings Act - Notice Details Citizens are both stockholders and customers; the elected body represents the board of directors and the manager is the chief executive officer responsible for the daily operations of the corporation. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. We are also the home of the Sipsey Arts Alliance. Generally, no votes are taken. All this is you now, Aliska said. You may rent any of several rooms, including the auditorium, for your special event. Even though Virettia had never met Scottie Porter, he was not exactly a stranger. Fayette is a town where people have always found opportunity waiting to be fulfilled. Fayette, Alabama - Wikiwand I kept my yard up. Im talking to you all, Ericka said. Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below. He answered after two rings. LaFayette has a mayor-council form of government. Few people will say what I say, but people in this town were scared to death. We may earn a commission from these links. The Fayette Art Museum has over 5,000 pieces of art by nationally recognized artists. 54 were here. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), A corkboard at Mayfair Manor displays a newspaper clipping about Virettia's council election win in November. All council members and Mayor Ray Nelson were present for the meeting. In 2005, City Council began holding informalwork sessions on the first Monday of eachmonth. In her new role, she works to help people beyond the complex. Individuals are also encouraged to become members. Mayor - Fayette, Alabama These dreams have been realized by the formation of several companies that grew to be leaders in their fields before being merged into larger entities. A White woman Virettia had known for years had sent her a private message asking how she was holding up but nothing public. Her first reaction was to consider quitting. Check back often to see our calendar of upcoming events and our latest county job openings. Council members and the mayor are not full-time city employees, but they are financially compensated for their time and expenses. Any of you want to talk further on this? the mayor said, turning to his right and then turning to Virettia, who shook her head no. Mayor Hinges on Voter Rolls, Preventing a Repeat of WWII-Era Imprisonment, Fox News Told Viewers What They Wanted to Hear. City government works closely with the local community college to provide employee training and programs for several companies that supply the region, nation and world with products in a variety of fields. About Us - Fayette Art Museum The City Manager is responsible for managing the Citys employees, and the finances and resources as the chief budget officer. Oh baby, guess what? Cedric said, brightening, telling Virettia about a White woman hed run into at the bank, one of the many hed suspected of spreading the false rumors about him. We are also the home of the Sipsey Arts Alliance. A small rural town might not be expected to provide an environment for innovation or acceptance of changing economic trends, but our city has initiated many new products and embraced the evolving business world. Alabama Open Meetings Act - Notice Details 35.5% of households were one person and 19.0% were one person aged 65 or older. She had been on the phone last May with her boss, talking about how she felt the needs of her tenants and working-class families were being ignored in Fayette when her boss said, So what are you going to do about it?. City of Fayette | Fayette AL - Facebook And I said, Sure is, which in his mind was the put-down of the century, a luxury he would normally not allow himself. Citizens only vote for a candidate running in their respective districts. We strive to hear every single question, concern, and comment to better enhance the quality of life in our City. For all other departments, please click here. (McCrummen won a Pulitzer in 2018 for her coverage of Judge Roy Moore, the Gadsden Mall Creeper, in Alabama.) Fayette City Hall - Fayette, AL (Address, Phone, and Hours) - County Office The racial makeup of the city was 73.4% White, 24.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. A city resident wishing to become mayor must specifically run for that office. A few days later, Virettia was still upset, and when a tenant whod helped on her campaign stopped by her office, she started telling her what had happened. Our county is a wonderful place to live with tremendous opportunities for growth, development, and industrial development with our proximity to the I-22 Corridor. (205) 932-4510. Why now?. In addition to these . what black person have you seen come to my defense Ill wait NO ONE, she had texted her cousin in a moment of frustration. I worked for that spot. Name Fayette City Hall Address 203 Temple Avenue North Fayette, Alabama, 35555 Phone 205-932-5367 Hours Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-4:00 PM All of that was still in the air as Virettia, preparing for the first full City Council meeting, drove through town one day with her friend Aliska Hughes-Monroe, the new councilwoman from the traditionally Black ward, to see about a zoning issue. It was a small town. Can You Prove Those Colonists Weren't Witches? Gas: 205-932-5269 After Hours: 205-270-0088. Its mine. When investigators from the district attorneys office showed up at Mayfair Manor three times asking tenants if their absentee ballots had been coerced, she decided not to file a complaint with the NAACP. P.O Box 1111 Montgomery AL. Get your date and time reserved early while they are available. The population density was 530.2 inhabitants per square mile (204.7/km2). The multiracial tenants include fast-food workers, veterans and elderly and disabled people. Our area has an abundance of natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities for anglers and outdoorsmen, as well as having a major portion of the Sipsey River running through the center of the county. . (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post). We have a place for you, a place where your dreams can have a beginning. Its going to look fine. We just havent said anything about it. There were 2,239 housing units at an average density of 257.4 per square mile (99.4/km2). When I moved to my house it looked like nothing, and I fixed it up. She was raising two sons. Local elections were coming up. You got some old ordinances with some old language. Antiques store owner Scottie Porter lost a lawsuit against Virettia that disputed her eligibility to hold office in Ward 1 because she owns a home outside of it. In the afternoon, she read a complaint that a constituent had posted on Facebook: asking for my neighbors and friends in ward one now that the new City transition has taken place who can they ask about someone fixing a water leak., Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!" Social media was aflame with boogedy-boogedy about busloads of Black Lives Matter and Antifa activists coming to wreak havoc in Your Town. The mayor is elected at-large. The Fayette City Council with members Tommy Williams and Virettia Whiteside meets at City Hall in the small Alabama town in January with Mayor Rod Northam in attendance. Im going to meet with Kip tomorrow at 11, she said, referring to the airport manager. The Fayetteville City Council meets regularlyin formal session on the second and fourthMonday of each month. Laws were meant to be amended. Call us today to get any more information about our county. Now.. She listened as he told her that he had just gotten the decision. get driving directions from your location, Fayette County Death Certificates & Records, Voter poll locations and election procedures. Hes the only Black.. The median household income was $31,705 and the median family income was $41,905. LaFayettes proximity, transportation options, access to outdoor activities and major sporting events makes it a perfect place to live, raise a family, do business or just visit. Design by Tara McCarty. Councilwoman Aliska Hughes-Monroe was absent from the meeting with all other council members present. In the row behind them, Virettia sat with Ericka, a hand on her shoulder, thinking this would not be happening, not in this way, if Ericka were White. The tentacles are just so far-reaching, Scottie said. After upending a racial norm in the rural South, a Black councilwoman contends with defiance from a community she wants to serve, The Fayette City Council with members Tommy Williams and Virettia Whiteside meets at City Hall in the small Alabama town in January with Mayor Rod Northam in attendance. Population control. The City of LaFayette, Alabama, the county seat of Chambers County, in East Central Alabama provides the perfect balance between rural and urban life.
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