City Council - Regular Meeting

[music] Good evening and welcome to the December second 2025

meeting of the Greensboro City Council. I do need a motion to excuse um Mrs. High Totower, Mr. Matheni, and Miss Pinder. Okay. Moved by um Mrs. Hoffman, seconded by Mayor Pro. All in favor say I. I. Um we are in the Katie Dorset Council Chamber. Um we will begin tonight's meeting with a moment of silence. Thank you. Mr. Holston, would you lead us in the

pledgece to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. I just want to take this opportunity to say what an exciting night it is um to seat a new city council. Wonderful new faces. I look forward to the great things they do in the coming years. I know that our city is in good hands and for that I want to say congratulations to all of you. I hope that you enjoy your service as much as we have. Now, that's the end of this meeting. This is the This will be the shortest meeting I've ever had. We are going to take a short recess. Um they're going to change the name plates out and then the new council will um take their seats. So, um we're out. Thanks, Amen. Hey. Hey. Hey.

Can't tell. Um, we are going to uh have Miss Frank call the judges up for our oaths.

Good evening. First, I would like to take a few moments and have Judge William A. Wood to Please come to the front and say a few words.

Such an honor for me and the other two judges that are with me, Judge Johnson Tomkins and Judge Jones, uh, to be invited to be here for this swearing in ceremony. It's a high honor. It's a big not only for the folks who are being sworn in uh but also for the city of Greensboro going forward. Uh Judge Vaughn and the former council left the left the city in good order but these folks who were going to swear in tonight have committed to even try to make it a better place going forward and that's that's kind of their mission and what they got elected on. Uh the first we're going to get the ball rolling by swearing in Judge excuse me um Mayor Mary Kay Abbaser. I I demoted her to to judge, but uh but in any event, we're going to swear her in first. And as all of you know, I'm sure Mary Kay's got a long history of service to the community, both as a business owner and also being on the uh city council for many, many years. And uh the one person who's probably more thrilled that the campaign is over is probably her husband, Issa. Because every morning I would pull into the I would pull into the courthouse uh to start my day's business early in the morning and there would be Issa out there at the early voting poll uh shaking down votes out there by whoever whoever would listen to him and that would be rain or shine. So I'm sure Issa uh is is is thrilled that this had the outcome that it did and um that he can now move forward with Mary Kay as good. So with that being said, they've got a large task ahead of them for a town the size of Greensboro, but we're going to go on and get Mary Kay Abbiser, the mayor elect. We're going to get her sworn in as mayor right now.

United States power of United States and that I will faithfully discard of my office. I will.

Congratulations. [applause] Next we'll have the administration of the oath of office for council member Tammy district 5 by the honorable Judge William A. Wood. and laws of the United States. I will be fulfistent with of the United States to the best of my knowledge and ability and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of my

office as a member of the city council city

[applause] [applause]

Next, we'll have the administration of the oath of office for council member Hugh Holston at large by the honorable retired judge Paul L. Jones. All right. raise.

I do and sincerely swear that I will support the Constitution and laws of the United States that I will be faithful and very true to the state of North Carolina and to the powers and authorities which are or there will support maintain and defend the laws of stateution. United States to the best of my knowledge and ability and that I will faithfully discharge from my office as a member of the city of the city of Denver. So help me God. I will congratul [applause] Now we would like to have some remarks. Mayor Booer, would you start us off?

Thank you. We will have our incumbents um say a few words before we rotate out and give the others room to come in. Um I stand before you today. Well, I'm sitting right now, but I stand before you. I'm humbled and deeply grateful for your trust, your support, your belief in me, and that we can build a a better Greensboro together. We had so many wonderful things going on in this city and we've experienced a trajectory of success we haven't seen in decades. That is one reason I value every single council, every single mayor before me. Things take time. From the very beginning, my campaign was not about policy or those who made campaign promises. You heard me many, many times. My philosophy is to build relationships. My philosophy has always been to build relationships. And that is what I want to continue to do on this council. For every single new council person, I am there for you. I am there to make sure that you know the things that have gone on before on this council previous because that is what is very important. How did we get here? How did Greensboro get to this point? Sometimes it takes 10, 15 years but we are at that point and this new council can take us above and beyond. That is my goal and that is my wish. Building those relationships is something that we need to do not only with ourselves but also with our community and I think we have made great

strides and I want to see that continue. So to my family, my team, my volunteers, and every person who helped lift me up, guide me, inspire me, and you did it with heart and determination, and that's what I want to do for you. My heart is in this, and I am determined. You didn't just help me. You helped me build that network of relationships that will carry us far. And I guarantee you it is going to carry us far. Thank you, [applause]

Council Member Thur.

Thank you. I didn't really prepare remarks for tonight because as many of you all know, I do my best talking from my heart directly. Um, first of all, I'd like to start out by thanking the council members that showed me the way, uh, that brought me along. So, Nancy, the mayor, Von, Nancy, Nancy Hoffman, Goldie, um, Zach, um, everybody that brought me along and especially Ivonne Johnson tonight. She's deep in my heart. Um, she was one of the first that welcomed me to council and it's it meant a tremendous amount to have her counsel and to have her advice and to have her witty comebacks when I was taking things a little bit to heart and she always had just the perfect little thing to say to me to make me feel better and put a smile back on my face. Um, I also want to thank my husband who's put up with me running yet again. Um, and the folks, the volunteers and and my campaign team. It was it was a great ride. Um, and words for this existing council. I am so excited to serve with you all to have be amongst the ones to welcome the next generation of our city's leaders and I think that's such an honor and I take that very seriously and I look forward to serving with you all to helping you all achieve what you want to achieve to us working together to moving forward together and I'm very excited about what the future holds for Greensboro. Um, we are on the cusp of greatness, of even

more greatness, and it'll be my honor to serve beside each one of you, and for us to do this the next four years together. So, thank you. Thank you for trusting me. Um, thank you for calling me mom or ma, uh, as the case may be. Um, and I look forward to the relationships that we'll continue to build and all the great work that we'll do. So, thank you so much. I'm honored.

Council member Holston. Thank um Tammy, you get mom or was it Mima? So I'm told

I've heard the term. I want to say first of all, thank you to my family for being here and supporting me. My son and daughter-in-law, my sister and brother-in-law, my grandson Hudson there, which whom you've heard earlier. Um, but especially to my wife Olympia for being by my side and supporting me. uh through all of my craziness and and with the appointment back in 21 and then running again in 22 uh and then for this this race in 25 also and also I have some nieces here with me also I also have uh many members of my campaign team for whom uh for without whom I would probably not be sitting here today because they worked so hard and so diligently and were so supportive uh from the very beginning all through the trials and tribulations and the heat and the cold and and everything else that that went on. Uh very grateful and thankful uh for the love and support that you provided me throughout. Uh to our fellow council members uh who are departing who are over here to my left um uh Miss Hoffman and Miss Wales and I can't see Um, I know that Mayor Vaughn is still there. Uh, Jamila Pender, Zack Matheni, and Sharon High Totower. Did I miss anybody? I got them all. Okay. Um, I really have learned a lot from them in my time here on council. Uh, I know I said Jamila Pender, but she came in after me. But I'll always remember Jamila saying, you know, you got to go to the data. the data is going to tell you everything you want to know. So, I've learned something from each and

every one of my fellow former council members. To my future council members, I'm really excited. I mean, there's so much energy. There's so much passion, uh, uniqueness and uh, innovation and creativity, and I embrace it wholeheartedly. At the same time, we're going to have to govern, and sometimes governing isn't as easy as it looks. I know we made it look easy, right? We made it look easy. It's like making sausage. Um, but we can still have a good time as we do it. We're not always going to agree and I don't expect for us to agree all the time, but I expect for us to to work hard for this for this residents of Greensboro. I said before that uh this is a big customer service organization and we're like the the call center team up here and you let us know what's going on if it's right and you also let us know what's going on if it's not going right. But either way there has to be that communication. There has to be that transparency and that advocacy so that we can continue to do the great things we've been doing. We had some great successes, but I leave you with this. We have more work to do, and I'm confident that with team with with this team that we'll get it done. Thank you, Madam Mayor. [applause] And for those of you, if you don't mind, we would ask if you would rotate out so we could bring in the families of Councilwoman Roth. Councilman Allen and Councilwoman Black and I'll go out inside. We'll take about five minutes to to let

everyone exit and say goodbyes and all that good stuff. Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat. I'm happy.

If everyone can get in and get their seats, please. We're going to begin in just a moment. of the oath of office for council member Denise Roth at large administer by judge Lisa Johnson Tomkins. United States

power. office. Next, we'll have the administration of the oath of office for council member Irvin D. Allen at large. administered by Judge Lisa Johnson.

I just want to say what a pleasure it is for me to be able to do so because his father is a seat in which I just wanted to say what it is. [applause] I will support that I will be faithful and bear true to the state of North Carolina to support the laws of states with the United to the best of my knowledge and I faithfully discharge the duties of a member of the city of the city of world. [applause] Next, we'll have the administration of

the oath of office for council member Crystal T. Black, District 1, administered by Judge Lisa Johnson. Y'all, this is my classmate. [laughter]

[laughter]

I personally sincerely support the Constitution and United States that I will be faithful and very and authorities which are established for the government that I will endeavor to support maintain and defend the constitution and law notist. of the United States of America. Now we would ask for a few remarks from council member Denise Roth. Thank you. First, let me say how deeply grateful I am to be here and thank you to the residents of Greensboro who place your trust in me. You have given me a profound responsibility and I do not take it lightly. I want to begin by

thanking my family, Chip and Connor, and also my mother, uh, who couldn't be with us tonight. She's in Wesley Long Hospital this evening. So, please keep her in your prayers. They have supported me in more ways than you will ever see and public service is certainly a matter of family service and I do not take that lightly. I also want to thank my friends and a small campaign team Nikki Baker as well as Erica Goddard. They have been stalwarts throughout this whole effort. And to my colleagues on council, thank you for welcoming me to this table. Each of us have arrived here by different paths, but we share a common responsibility to do what is best for Greensboro. I look I look forward to learning from each of you and to working with each of you throughout. Greensboro is a city with an incredible story. A story of courage and resilience and reinvention. As we move forward, I want to emphasize that I will lead by listening and I did that during the campaign and I've learned so much. I believe in building bridges. Greensboro is a diverse city racially, economically, generationally, and politically. Our strength will come from our ability to bring together neighborhoods and interests that do not always talk to each other and to make sure decisions in this chamber are informed by voices from every corner of our city. Tonight is a moment of celebration. But tomorrow we will get to work. And my promise to you is simple. I will show up. I will do the homework. I will listen with respect and always measure our success by one question. Are the lives of people in Greensboro getting better? Thank you. I look forward to serving with you.

Council member Allen. I never thought I would get one of these. I am truly grateful to be here this evening surrounded by so many people that raised me and supported me in this community. Uh this is a full circle moment for me. I I've been in this chamber many times uh talking about many issues and uh I am looking forward to uh getting back some of what I gave and uh looking forward to uh learning from each and every one of you. I have to thank my parents and my family who are here tonight. Uh I wouldn't be here without uh the guidance and and teachings of my father uh who taught me what service is. Uh my mother uh amazingly taught me how to be a fighter at 4 foot 11. Uh who uh really uh paved the way to get me here and sacrificed everything to get me to this place. Uh to my siblings uh who who also played a major role in in helping to raise me uh introducing me to to music and culture and organizing and uh friendship and fellowship. Uh and and have really been uh my best friends in the world. uh as as I've come to to know this city and to work in this city, I'm so grateful for the folks who have helped me uh with the campaign uh and the organizing. Mama Jay. Uh, Reverend Nelson Johnson, Lewis Brandon,

Dr. Clar Barnes, TC Muhammed, Wesley Morris, Joe Frierson, uh, everyone at the Beloved Community Center, uh, all of my organizers that helped raise me in this city, Holden, April, Fei, Fahim, [laughter] so many names. Uh, I could go on and on, but you you all really helped me get to this moment. Uh, to the city of Greensboro that entrusted me uh to to sit on this das and and to to serve uh I I'll be eternally grateful and I will do all that I can in my power to serve this city uh and to give it my all uh as I have with all the work that I've done. So, I I belong to you now and I am so grateful uh to be able to serve uh and I'm I'm grateful to my daughters for sharing me. they've always had to share me with the community. Uh but now they'll be sharing me with the entire city. And so I'm I'm so thankful for you all. Uh looking forward to uh the great things that were able to come uh to come to the former council uh Goldie Wells. I'm so grateful to to uh to Goldie, to uh Ivonne Johnson, to so many folks that I've I've just been able to watch your leadership uh and and has gotten me uh to the point where I realized that I needed to grow. And uh so I thank you for those conversations, for pushing me uh for pushing me away sometimes and for bringing me close. Uh I'm I'm so grateful and I'm looking forward to serving. uh and to this current council. I am so excited to be serving with each and every one of you. And I truly mean that. I believe that so much is possible with uh each and every one of you. I've gotten to know most of you over the

years and a lot of you on the campaign trail and I am uh truly excited about what we're able to uh going to be able to accomplish. Uh and I'm uh excited to serve with you and to building your trust and to following and learning from you. Thank you. Council member Black, I'm going to try to speak without crying since Lisa decided to make me cry earlier. Um, I'm just proud to be sitting in this seat and to be able to serve the residents of Greensboro. Um I have been at that podium so many times and uh advocated for so many things um mainly for the quality of life for people in this city and I want to be able to serve and bring that to this dis so that our community understands that that's what everyone up here is representing. I thank my family for always supporting me. As Iran said, my daughter has given me to the community for since she was a Girl Scout and that was at five. She's 30. And so we have served in this community consistently and um I've always wanted to give back. This is just a new way to give back. And I look at so many people in the audience and how they've touched me and how they've given me these little tidbits of advice that brought me to this point. So, I'm thankful for each and every one of you and and where you have put me in this place. To my family who has heard about this campaign for almost a year. Um came to the to the polling sites, stood

outside in the cold, passing out flyers. Uh early voting was brutal, but we stood there and we put the work in. And um I believe that the people have spoken and I want to be able to serve the people and give them what they are asking for. So I thank you for entrusting me in this seat and to move forward with the direction in which Greensboro is excited about doing. Uh to our former council members that have come along with us, Tammy earned the name Mimo. I gave her that name because I wanted to feel young. That's really what it was. but she has been um a guiding star along with the other council members. We need each other. We need each other. We are a a melting pot now on this council. And you know, I gave Irvin my cell phone today and I said, "Turn this thing off." So, I know that I need him just as much as I need the advice of some people have served along the way. So, I want to thank you for entrusting me into sitting in this seat and representing you and in this city and I hope that I make you proud. So, thank you. [applause] Now, if we could a fiveminut recess and allow the family members of council member Crawford Parker and Marshall's family to be able to come in.

It feels All right. If we can Please everyone can find their seats. Thank you.

Madam city clerk,

next we'll have the Administration of the oath of office for council member Cesaly M. Crawford, District 2, administered by Judge Lisa Johnson Tomkins. All my northeast girls I support United States.

office. Next, we'll have the administration of the oath of office for council member April Parker, District 3, administered by Judge Lisa Johnson. I will support United States.

I will never support maintain. United States. Next, we'll have the administration of the oath of office for council member Adam J. Marshall, District 4, administered by Judge William A. Wood.

United States. Thank you everyone. Uh your new council, if we could give them a round of applause, please. [applause] Now, as you all know, the Greensboro City Council has a mayor and a mayor pro Tim and Oops.

The speech. Oh, we need your speeches first. I am so sorry. I need to be corrected. Yes, I am so sorry. I apologize. Go ahead. We've got people to thank. Yes. Um so I I want to start by uh thanking um the folks who aren't here today. Uh of which I would never have gotten this far without. And that'd be my grandparents uh Dr. John Oliver Crawford and Porsche Crawford. uh and my aunt Mary Jane Crawford. Um I want to thank Dr. Wells uh for holding us down um for all of these years. Um is going to be a very large transition to come from organizing uh to being uh a city council person. And the beginning of that education started with butting heads with Dr. Wells uh with Tammy uh with you and uh with the mayor um our new mayor Mary Kay and our outgoing mayor uh Nancy Vaughn. um without those conversations at that deis or in delegations bringing community members to talk to council members then uh to fight for and to have conversations about what it is that we wanted from city council. It is a very large responsibility that I feel uh for now holding this seat and making sure that I listen to other folks who are coming to the deis, making sure that I continue to show up in communities so that I can continue to hear from our folks uh in neighborhood associations, in unions um and across the city, but mostly

District 2 uh to make that workingass people, people in historically redlined communities, people who keep this city running, all have a voice on this day. So, I want to thank um my campaign manager who couldn't be here uh this evening, but really did an amazing job in our last campaign when I got to meet so many people that I'm sitting up here with or looking uh as they're going out. Um, it was my honor and is my honor to have been uh campaigning with the people who are sitting up here and I am so excited about what we can accomplish and how we can move the trajectory of this city in a way that puts people first. And so iron sharpens iron and I hope that we become very sharp up here. Thank you.

[applause and cheering] [applause]

Council member Parker, my mic up. To God be the glory. Um, yes. I want to thank God. There's many lifetimes that it took to arrive here now, and I give great thanks. Uh, so many of you know I I came down here 15 years ago following my twin with my kid Juliana Gwyn in tow. I got two rockers and a big black dog and movements were birthed off of that porch. And I met so many of you along the way uh to now become the first black queer person ever elected to Greensboro City Council. Uh, and I'm also um when I announced uh I I announced that I was the youngest woman and I got a text from man Nancy Von said that she had done it at 37. I am the youngest black woman ever elected to Greensboro City Council at 42 and I stand corrected. And in those moments, that's where co-governance still exists amongst all of us. Um, So, I'm very grateful again to my family and loved ones, but especially uh district three. Shout out to district three. Um it is because Yeah, shout out to district three. It is because of their political imagination um their curiosity of what is possible our joint commitment around fairness and justice uh that I am so blessed and grateful to be here on today. Um I do want to also give great thanks uh these folks who have campaigned y'all. Uh this I was on the ground for a whole year uh to earn this seat. Um, but I am so in

awe in the ways in which you all have held each other and engaged civically and I'm just so thankful. Don't this look like a bunch of world changers right here, y'all? Uh, in the lineage of Greensboro. And so, yeah, this is lineage work, y'all. This is it's a continuum. Um, there's move we are in the lineage of movement work. um where we have turned protest to politic and um I want to say let our ancestors be our mentors and so I just want to speak the names um of some folks that uh that we stand on uh in their greatness. So I want to name um first of all my grandma dot who helped me get my first degree. Uh I want grandma Pat who's no longer with us who also helped me learn how to read. Um, but I've been inspired in Greensboro by movements past um with George Simpkins and the ENT4 and the Bennett Bells and those who have established the International Civil Rights Museum and so many of my elders um that have held I've been a student of this day and they have held uh me in council and um for better or for worse and here we are together now. And so I want to honor um the movement as being our inheritance uh gifted by Reverend Nelson Johnson, Lewis Beverage, our forever mayor Ivonne Johnson, Representative Ralph Johnson, Mamia, my elders, elders um who are neighborhood leaders uh uh Netty Code, Dorothy Brown, Mary Smith. If you all want to say one name of a person that has changed Greensboro, if you want to go ahead and bring them into the space right now, please do so. Any

So, I'm not showing up as all knowing y'all. Um, but I do know uh that we uh I am committed to governing the same way that you all show show saw me campaign. Uh we were hardworking, highly ethical, led with integrity, full representation, and so I plan on staying on mission of equity and inclusion in the city of Greensboro. Um, I hope to continue uh great work of the greats of the people that I've already I've been informed by resistance from the red lines with the black wall street and Greensboro that have always acknowledged that we deserve to design our city and here we are doing it together. So, I give great thanks uh again and again. Um, thank you. Council member Marshall.

Wow. Thank you. Um, what an honor it is to be sitting up here on this day with everybody that that campaigned during this last election and won their seats. I cannot wait to see what we can do together. Uh, so congratulations to all of you. Uh, I was born and raised right here in Greensboro. This is home. Um, and I cannot tell you how humbling it is to be elected by your hometown to serve.

Thank you for putting your trust in me, for putting your trust in all of us to lead. It was a long campaign season. I think we all know that. Um, so I want to thank a few people, especially my family, Lauren, Caroline, and Graham. I could not have done this without you, Lauren. It was your encouragement that made me run. So, this is kind of on you. Uh to my parents, thank you for always teaching that uh being involved in the community was important. Thank you for leading by that example. I had the best campaign team. Dylan Moore, former council woman Florence Gatton. They kept me on track. They kept me on message and I learned so much from both of them. To my partners at Law Firm Carolina, thank you for giving me the space um to do this. I I appreciate that more than you will know. Um and to the former council, thank you for all the work that you have done. But I especially want to thank Nancy Hoffman. Uh Nancy represented district 4 for 14 years and did so with distinction. I have some very big little shoes to fill. Thank you for your guidance and your friendship. I'm so excited to serve this community. Greensboro has so much promise and so much to offer. We've seen some real successes and we are set up to experience so many more. And we must ensure that those successes are felt across all of our communities and across all of our neighborhoods. And I can promise you this, we all want the

absolute best for Greensboro and our citizens. And we will do everything we can to keep this city moving forward. This is our moment, and I'm excited to serve. Thank you.

[applause]

Just a couple more items and then we will adjourn for the evening. Um I I do want to say that our next order of business is to elect a mayor pro Tim. The mayor pro Tim is the one who fill in for the mayor if she is unable to be at a speaking commitment who assists the the mayor on the deis who also uh is kind of someone who uh helps the mayor guides them along uh keeps them on track sometimes because a lot of times I don't think a lot of people understand and and Mayor Vaughn did it very well but there's sometimes when you might lose your place in the script or you might forget to call a speaker and I I know that uh Mrs. Thurma on my right and and Denise on my left will certainly keep me on track, but the mayor pro Tim is the one from the at large who is tasked with that. So, um you know, I've got some great incumbents up here who will always guide and help me along. And I just can't wait to hear everything from the new council when we start getting into meetings and everything. But now um if someone would like I would like to take a motion for the mayor prom.

Madame mayor. Yes. It is my honor to nominate Denise Roth as the mayor prom. Thank you. And I and I have a second from Mrs. Thurm. So that is properly motioned by Mr. Holston and seconded by Mrs. Thurm. I will need to do a voice vote on this. Uh, so Miss Black, your first vote. Yes. I vote for Mr. M. Thank you. Yes. Mr. Holston, yes. Mrs. Thurm, yes. Miss Parker, yes. Mr. Marshall, yes. Crawford, yes. And Miss Rob,

yes. Okay. And I am a yes. So that passes unanimously.

[applause]

Now, if judge would come up and give her the oath of office for mayor pro town. establish discharge. of my office as city. [applause]

All right. I know Mrs. Roth would like to say a few brief words and then I will say a few brief words and then I will ask for a motion to adjourn after that. Thank you and I I appreciate it. I really just wanted to have a moment to acknowledge the fact that um it's very few moments in life that you get to and recognize the people um that are around you and the strength that is there. Um I want to thank Mary Kay. I had a chance to work with her early on um in my career and it's a full circle moment and I is my honor to support you. Um I want to thank Mr. uh who has just served um honorably and continues to uh serve as such and thank you for the nomination and thank you for to my council members here and testing me and I will do my best to support all of you. Um and I also just wanted to have a moment to say thank you to Ivon Johnson and I know her name has come up many times but as a young woman uh coming into leadership 10 years ago I can't begin to tell you what it means to follow in the footsteps of that woman um and to learn from her. And I know we all share that sentiment and I just means the world to me that Lisa that you are here with us tonight and I will do my best to live in her shadow. Thank you. And knowing what Denise was going to say, I want to kind of follow up because Mayor Vaughn, Ivonne Johnson and I were the three at large uh actually when Miss Roth was our city manager. So, we have

come full circle and you know um getting to know um Mayor Vaughn then and I'd already known Ivonne for quite a while but you know we were kind of the three amigos or amigos and you know we just it it was amazing how much they taught me and I you know that's what you do is you learn from the others. So um I kind of want to leave that because Lisa your mom is so proud of you. I just know it and um you know she's someone that that we all admire and she is leaving a legacy through us. So thank you and this is your new council. Now we can do a big round of applause. [applause] Now the moment who is going to make the motion to adjourn

motion to adjourn moved by Mr. Holston, who is my second? All in favor?