Chatman will battle challengers for ballot
By Anessa Myers
Published in News on October 7, 2007 2:24 AM
Residents in the third City Council district have three choices on the primary election ballot this year -- incumbent Donnie R. Chatman Sr. and challengers Jerry Broadhurst and Constance Foy Nixon.
And on Tuesday, they will decide which two will earn the right to face off on the November ballot.
Chatman threw his name into the ring this year after being appointed to the council seat in 2004.
The councilman is a Goldsboro native and former planning director, and he said he feels he is still the man for the job.
"I really don't know my opponents or what their backgrounds are, but I basically feel that with my experience with the planning commission and recent experience on the council, I have the necessary tools to be effective in that position," he said.
He said he tries to listen to the concerns of those in his district and acts toward solving their problems.
"The basic concerns that I have gotten from people in the district are crime, noise and nuisances. We are addressing those as they are brought to our attention. I want to keep moving on that," he said.
Crime is the biggest problem, he added.
"I think it's something we need to get a grip on, and we need to get a grip on it quick. I think the police are addressing that, and help with people and people coming forward," he said.
He said he has hopes of the community uniting to face the problem.
"I think once we all band together, we can keep it under control," he said. "I don't know if we will ever eliminate crime, but we can control it."
Chatman said he is committed to the improvement projects in the city, and he is looking forward to continuing to be involved with them
"The projects that are under way now, I want to see them continued and finished," he said.
The city hall renovation was something that "needed to be done for some time now," he said, and once it is completed, he believes it is going to be a great asset to the city.
The Paramount Theatre is another great addition to the city, and he is not the only one who thinks that way, he said.
"It was pretty well-used before. I think it is something the community will use. There were a lot of memories at the old Paramount. That's what people say. And they are glad to see it being rebuilt," he said.
These projects are "things that will benefit the city as a whole," and he hopes they will cause a snowball effect to make his hometown a better place to live.
"I was born here -- never left here. This is home," he said.
Candidates Jerry Broad-hurst and Constance Foy Nixon did not return repeated phone calls from the News-Argus requesting interviews regarding their candidacies.