All tagged sammy aiken
Linda Rouse Sutton and Sammy C. Aiken were the top vote-getters in the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners At-Large - Democrat Primary race. Sutton and Aiken will face Keith King (Rep) in November for the two At-Large seats.
AP called the governor’s races for both parties: Lt. Governor Mark Robinson will face Attorney General Josh Stein in November.
Sammy Aiken, a retired Navy veteran with a wealth of community service experience, is vying for one of two At Large Lenoir County Commission seats, aiming to enhance services and the overall quality of life for county residents. With twelve years of service on the Kinston City Council under his belt, Aiken believes his background in government affairs positions him as a valuable candidate for the commission.
The 2023 municipal unofficial election results for the Kinston City Council race are in, and the residents of Kinston have made their voices heard. Incumbents Mayor Pro Tem Antonio Hardy, City Council Member Felicia Solomon, and City Council Member Sammy Aiken hoped to secure their seats for another term against opponents Les Lipford and Barbara Seaforth. Hardy, Solomon, and Seaforth secured a seat on the Kinston City Council.
Neuse News Publisher BJ Murphy interviews 2023 Municipal Election candidate Sammy Aiken.
After twelve years of committed service on the Kinston City Council, Sammy C. Aiken, a retired 20-year U.S. Navy veteran, has plans for the future of the city he represents. Although he was born and raised in Eden, he’s lived in Kinston for 42 years, and his service stretches beyond his tenure in the Navy. He has contributed to the community, serving on boards and committees.
The Kinston City Council passed the proposed Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget Tuesday evening. The budget included increased salaries for the mayor and the city council and funding to increase the hourly rate of part-time city employees. This was the third year in a row the council attempted to give themselves increased salaries. Council member Robbie Swinson voted against the increased mayor and council salaries both times it came for a vote Tuesday.
At the City Council meeting on July 20, 2021, the council voted 3-1 to transfer eight properties from the City of Kinston to Kinston Teens, a youth-led nonprofit organization. City Councilmember Sammy Aiken disputed Councilmember Kristal Suggs’ ability to vote as she is the Kinston Teens Chairperson. “I have consulted with Councilwoman Suggs with her roles with the Kinston Teens and whether it was appropriate for her to be excused from voting. In my opinion, she is obligated to vote,” said City Attorney James P. Cauley, III.
On June 15, 2021, Kinston’s City Council voted to approve the proposed 2021-2022 budget, which included a four-cent property tax increase. The budget did not include the proposed salary increase for the city council members or the mayor. During the meeting, Councilmember Robert Swinson made a motion to remove the salary increases from the proposed budget, which was seconded by Solomon. The motion passed with Solomon, Swinson, and Councilmember Kristal Suggs voting for the budget without the salary increases, and Councilmembers Antonio Hardy and Sammy Aiken voting against it.
“I will sleep well tonight knowing that we made the right decision to not approve the salary increase for the Council,” said Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon.
The Kinston City Council met for a Budget Worksession on May 24, 2021, wherein a four-to-one vote they approved their own salary increase of $18,000 total per year and the mayor’s $3,600 per year raise ahead of the June 15th City Council meeting. The City of Kinston is expected to increase property taxes by $0.04 per $100 valuation at that meeting.
As this was a budget work session, there is no video of the off-site meeting, but an audio recording is attached. This vote was the only one taken during the four-hour budget meeting. During the same session, the previously reported dry-cleaning allowance line item was removed by the consensus of the mayor and board.
Have you ever had something gnaw at you long enough that you finally had to address it?
Last month the City of Kinston requested that Neuse News run a Public Notice informing the community of the proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget. Having served for eight years as mayor, I know the budget process and numbers well. Glaring to me was the proposed $26,100 increase in the mayor and council’s salary line item. Surely that was a mistake. Surely in a time like this that would not be on the table.
The proposed budget for next year anticipates steep drops in revenue. It eliminates capital outlay and calls for positions to remain unfilled while raising the possibility of employee furloughs if revenues drop more than expected. Under the proposed budget, city council members and the mayor would receive a raise.
The City Council of Kinston provides information and updates to all residents regarding COVID-19 including recent executive orders, the state of emergency in Kinston, the continuation of public services, continued police and fire protection, and contact information for additional resources surrounding COVID-19.
Council members wish to see warranty information on replacement parts before making a further decision.
The swearing-in ceremony took place during Monday’s meeting of the Kinston City Council.
The Council tabled the scoreboard replacement proposal for its second meeting in January, 2020 and approved the North Carolina Department of Transportation's proposal to remove the stoplight on Vernon Avenue at Vernon Park Mall.
