Leaders will cast their last city votes tonight
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on August 6, 2012 1:46 PM
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When the gavel sounds at tonight's meeting of the Goldsboro City Council it will officially end the municipal careers of three public servants who have dedicated more than 85 combined years to the city, as Jackie Warrick, Don Chatman and Bob Waller will bid farewell to the council.
The new council will be sworn in at the regular meeting at Historic City Hall following the departing council members' final votes on the city's business.
The trio announced individually that they would not seek re-election in February, with Waller, the District 2 councilman, citing Scripture and noting that there was a time for everything.
"I don't know, I just feel that now's the time," Waller said. "It's time for some other people to take on responsibilities. We all decided that this was the time to let someone else have it."
Waller's replacement on the council will be Bill Broadaway, who is taking his first turn in city politics.
Warrick, the city's District 6 representative who retired from the Police Department as chief, put it in simple terms following his announcement.
"It's time to leave," he said. "I went to work for the city Jan. 10, 1968. It's time for somebody else to do it. I've been in public service longer than I've been married to my wife."
Warrick said he is looking forward to fishing again, especially now that his grandchildren are getting to the age where they can enjoy it as well. He also said he and his wife plan to travel.
The new District 6 council member will be Gene Aycock, who is also serving in his first term of public office.
Chatman said he was also led to step down due to his already lengthy stay in public service -- he worked for 30 years in the Planning Department before joining the council in 2004.
"I'm taking a year off like I had planned to in '03," he said, referencing his retirement year. "I think (the council) did a lot of positive things (during my terms)."
Former District 3 Councilman William Goodman will once more represent his district in Chatman's place. When Goodman resigned in 2004 due to a felony conviction, Chatman was appointed to take his place.
Warrick, who emerged as one of the more conservative members of the board, said he had always aimed to keep the city's priorities, and funds, balanced.
He said he is still concerned about roads in the city, as well as aging cars in the fleet and the city's sewer infrastructure, but said he and the council worked together to improve Goldsboro during his time in office.
"I don't think you could go anywhere and find a better group of men that work together for the betterment of Goldsboro," he said. "From the mayor right on down to me -- we all wanted Goldsboro to be better."
Waller and Warrick both noted renovations to Historic City Hall, the City Hall Annex and the Paramount Theatre as examples of what the council accomplished when its members got together.
"We've contributed quite a bit to downtown over the years, which I think is needed," Waller said.
But Waller continues to feel the city could do more for street resurfacing and sidewalk construction.
"We've done some paving -- a little bit of paving and sidewalks, but I think we need more sidewalks in certain parts of our city and we need a lot of paving done," he said.
A reception is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. following the city council's work session, which will begin at 5 p.m. in the City Hall Annex.