He lives near Boston and has three children. [3] When Fayette County was created in 1824, the town's name was officially changed to "Fayette Court House", though it was also known as "Fayetteville", which was the name shown on maps and on the U.S. Census in 1880 and 1890. The Fayette Art Museum has over 5,000 pieces of art by nationally recognized artists. And I think developing those relationships is a good thing, the mayor said, moving on. A sign for a business in Virettia's ward. Theyd talked previously about what had happened. Few people will say what I say, but people in this town were scared to death. All right, well call the meeting to order, the mayor said. TheFayetteville City Councilis an elected body representing the citizens of Fayetteville. Should an appointee fail tocomply with the attendance requirement orfail to attend three regularly scheduledmeetings, the appointee shall beautomatically removed. This is bigger than me.. [4], Fayette is located in west-central Fayette County at 334131N 874956W / 33.69194N 87.83222W / 33.69194; -87.83222 (33.692068, -87.832358). Learn more about our 15-man engineering crew and view their contact information here. Stand behind me show up! Virettia had texted then. I believe it with all my heart.. The Fayette time zone is Central Daylight Time which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Rod, Jerry, Eddy, Tommy, and at the far end of the dais was Councilwoman Virettia Whiteside, now writing something down to keep herself focused. Virettias mother had shopped at his store. She pretended like she didnt see me. Review our. It was a small town. Vying for office in Ward One are Steve Herring, Kevin Rhudy and Virettia L. Whiteside. You won, they kept reminding her, as she kept thinking of how she was supposed to handle this moment in a changing America, and now the mayor was moving through the agenda, turning to his left for comment. A & E Family Restaurant has opened in the old Cruze-In location in The Triangle. A federal judge later tossed out the decisions, but not before the matter helped spark the largest civil rights march in the South since the famous Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965. They drove through downtown, then crossed over into Virettias ward on the east side of town, which she had won in a runoff against a White candidate, 184 to 104, with most of her votes coming from her tenants. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Individuals are also encouraged to become members. All of the City Council's regular meetings are broadcast live onFayTV, the City of Fayetteville's Government Access Channel. 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. Fayette City Council certifies election results. Its 20 years I worked for that. Address, Phone Number, and Hours for Fayette City Hall, a Town & City Hall, at Temple Avenue North, Fayette AL. Council meetingsare held in the first floor Council Chamber ofCity Hall, 433 Hay St. Virettia also manages Valley Cove. Not that Virettia, who had never been in Scotties store and had never been one of the people he sometimes invited in for afternoon tea and conversations amid the antiques, had heard him say any of this; she only had the lawsuit, along with her own knowledge that it was precisely because of what had happened in Aliceville and places like it that in 1988, Black voters in Fayette were able to elect the towns first Black councilperson, who happened to be her father. 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. View map of Fayette City Hall, and get driving directions from your location. BOX 87 LAFAYETTE, AL 36862. See complete story in The Times-Record. 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. Each council member is assigned oversight for a unit of city government. Please join me, the Council and others of our community as we strive to make Fayette an even better place to live, work and play. That creates the opportunity for minority representation on the council roughly equal to minority representation within thecity'spopulation. The median household income was $25,714 and the median family income was $36,589. The story takes a twist at the end which I will not reveal, but suffice it to say that McCrummen has brought us a cautionary tale from a small place that brings us a lesson about a number of big things, including who we really are as a nation, which should stump us no longer. What is the reason for that? She had imagined a big speech about love and fear and bravery that would end with her telling people, It doesnt matter if youre rich, poor, old, young, Black or White, I care about you. BOTTOM RIGHT: Cotton fields, such as this one in Fayette, still permeate the South. Again. Whys there always only one Black? Virettia said. [9] (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post). Her first reaction was to consider quitting. In Ward Two, incumbent Councilman Eddy D. Campbell will face challenger Floyd Rogers Jr. for the position. (Jared. Copy editing by Wayne Lockwood. 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. That the judge had dismissed the lawsuit. He came in and stood in front of her desk. Its me. 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. I love you too, but theres no work around here, the man said, and that was how it went all day long, a parade of people with problems that could be as small as needing a ride to the grocery store and as large as not being able to afford medication and as difficult as what had happened the night before, when Virettia had been asleep in her apartment when she heard someone crying. RIGHT: Aliska Hughes-Monroe, Virettia's best friend, was elected in November to represent Ward 4. Fayette is a city and the county seat of Fayette County, Alabama, United States. Im telling you this is the best Ive seen him.. wind speeds 261-318 mph) tornado 19.6 miles away from the Fayette city center killed 28 people and injured 272 people.. On 3/3/1966, a category F5 tornado 32.6 miles away from the city center killed 58 people and . Originally known as "La Fayette", it incorporated on January 15, 1821. There were 2,336 housing units at an average density of 273.0 per square mile (105.4/km2). Basically, what happened was that Whitesides election broke what McCrummen calls the Rule of One in Fayette. Elections are non-partisan, with the mayor and council members serving four-year terms. FAYETTE, Ala. The men in ties stood in the corridor of City Hall, talking with a kind of familiarity that the newest council member did not yet feel. including West Point Lake in Georgia, 15 minutes to the east and Alabama's Lake Martin, 30 minutes to the west. 433 Hay Street The volunteerswho are appointed to the boards andcommissions serve as the link that connectsthe public to its governing body and serve asadvisors who make recommendations thathelp shape the policies and programs ofFayetteville. There are may things we can do together to continue providing the environment of opportunity Fayette has always enjoyed. She tried to remember that this was the whole reason she had run in the first place. Here in the shebeen, we are longtime fans of Stephanie McCrummen, who is posted in the South and who writes for the Washington Post. She was sued by a local white antique dealer named Scottie Porter, a failed council candidate himself and a Trumper to boot, who sought to invalidate Whitesides election on spurious residency grounds. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.85. Pictured is the Fayette Civic Center, where the Fayette municipal elections will take place from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25. About Us. Phone 205-932-5367. The mayor is avoting member of the Council. Its a lot of language about us in the Constitution of Alabama thats been there since 1921.. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), LEFT: 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. Fayette is organized in a mayor-council form of city government, with a mayor elected citywide and five council members elected from districts. Aliska Hughes-Monroe and Scottie Carl Porter are seeking the council position in Ward Four. What do you expect people to do???? Im talking to you all, Ericka said. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of my hometown. P.O Box 1111 Montgomery AL. Posted-By: City of LaFayette, Alabama City Council: Meeting-Date: 2/1/2023 Meeting-Time: 4:30PM: Notice History: Meeting-Location: 50 Alabama Avenue West P. O. Under the current electoral system, the City Council consists of nine council members and a mayor. Subscribe now! In her new role, she works to help people beyond the complex. She had surprised herself by deciding to run. Whitesides subsequent experiences surely stemmed from the same kind of panic. 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. I love you, but you owe me $77, Virettia said. This Was Gerrymandering Cloaked in Civil Rights. She checked to see if the judge had ruled on the case; still nothing. The former councilman from that ward was running for mayor, and soon rumors started flying. BOTTOM RIGHT: Like many other Mayfair Manor residents, Zach supported Virettia during her council run. The city is situated on the southern edge of the Piedmont Plateau. Council Meetings - Fayette, Alabama City Council Meetings begin at 5:00 PM on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month in the City Hall. All members of the Fayetteville City Councilserve concurrent two-year terms following acitywide election held in early November inodd-numbered years. This aint the half of it, baby.. She is the newly elected City Council member for Ward 1, which includes the complexes she manages. She sat down and tried not to cry. Besides Virettia, her cousin was running for a seat on the five-member City Council in another mostly White ward. LaFayette has a mayor-council form of government. The mayor acts as theofficial head of City government and presidesat City Council meetings. Now.. No suggestions! It was also because he believed she had run for nefarious reasons including his belief that she was part of a vast plot by national Democrats and billionaires like George Soros and Bill Gates to retain power at any cost. Posted-By: City of LaFayette, Alabama City Council: Meeting-Date: 2/28/2023 Meeting-Time: 5:30 PM: Notice History: Meeting-Location: FARMERS FEDERATION(ALFA) BUILDING 1006 AVENUE A SE LAFAYETTE, AL 36862. She wanted to call Aliska or Cedric, but before she could do that her phone was ringing. When I moved to my house it looked like nothing, and I fixed it up. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), TOP: Virettia talks with a resident at the Mayfair Manor apartments in Fayette. These people, these problems that she wanted the power to solve. BOTTOM LEFT: Residents sit outside Mayfair Manor. 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. Then she got a lawyer in Birmingham who asked the judge to dismiss the case, describing it as an attempt to intimidate Ms. Whiteside and to punish her for winning election to a traditionally white seat and literally an effort to keep Ms. Whiteside in her place. . The tentacles are just so far-reaching, Scottie said. About 15.4% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over. Ultimately, Donald Trump Beat the System. 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. Fayette is a town where people have always found opportunity waiting to be fulfilled. Copyright 2015 City of LaFayette Website Development by Red Sage Communications, Inc. Click Here to watch the latest City Council Meetings. He needs to go to the hospital.. 2023 County Office. Residents sit outside Mayfair Manor. I lost everything. The Fayette City Council met in a special called meeting at noon on Tuesday Sept. 1 to add the legitimate provisional ballots cast during the Aug. 25 primary and to certify the election results. The age distribution was 22.9% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% 65 or older. .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}In her latest work, McCrummen tells the tale of a Black woman named Virettia Whiteside, a member of the city council in a place called Fayette, Alabama. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), Share your feedback by emailing the author. We have a place for you, a place where your dreams can have a beginning. State officials For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. The City televisesregularly scheduled Council meetings liveand on playback on FayTV. This is the position that Mayor Pro-Tem Wilson will vacate to make a run for the mayors job. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Federal election monitors were sent to Aliceville, and in the years after that more Black people were elected, a development that led to White flight and divestment that is the story of rural towns across the South. Incumbent Jason Cowart did not qualify for re-election in Ward Three, leaving qualifiers Brad Cox and Tommy Williams to battle for the position. Fayette County has four incorporated towns and cities including Fayette, Glen Allen, Berry, and Belk. Thornell authors economic development book. Popularity:#1 of 2 Town & City Halls in Fayette County#114 of 236 Town & City Halls in Alabama#3,438 in Town & City Halls. But at a moment when old political orthodoxies were being challenged all the way down to small towns in the rural South, there were now two Black women on the Fayette City Council: one representing the Black ward, and Virettia Whiteside, 35, manager of two apartment complexes across from a vestigial cotton field on the east side of town. She was on her own. 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. He needs to go to the doctor. Virettia took a deep breath. Under the current electoral system, the City Council consists of nine Council members and a mayor. At the 2010 census there were 4,619 people, 1,924 households, and 1,206 families living in the city. The biggest threat to the male ego is a black woman, she said, reading out loud a quote someone had sent her as she began work one morning at Mayfair Manor, where she had a glass-front office in the lobby and the first tenant of the day stopped in just after 8 a.m. You doing okay, Junie? Virettia asked an elderly woman. All council members and Mayor Ray Nelson were present for the meeting. See vital information about voting in our county. At the 2000 census there were 4,922 people, 2,092 households, and 1,303 families living in the city. No, said Jerriolyn Lacey. Bevill State Community College has a location in Fayette. There used to be no Black, Cedric said. . See a helpful list of local county services and agencies. Pictured is the Fayette Civic Center, where the Fayette municipal elections will take place from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25. He answered after two rings. There had been others, all elected from the same ward since 1988, the one drawn after a federal lawsuit forced Fayette and other towns across the state to create districts that would enable Black representation. The Fayette City Council met in a special called meeting at noon on Tuesday Sept. 1 to add the legitimate provisional ballots cast during the Aug. 25 primary and to certify the election results. Subscribe now! 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. My trailer is paid for, cash. The matter involved a Black woman named Ericka Espy Hollis, whose house had burned down. Under the council/manager form of government, the Fayetteville City Council performs the legislative functions of the City, establishing laws and policies, sets strategic priorities and adopts the annual budget. Im getting tired of this, Virettia said. City of LaFayette 50 Alabama Ave W LaFayette, Alabama 36862 334-864-7181 [email protected]. Council members and the mayor are not full-time city employees, but they are financially compensated for their time and expenses. Photo editing by Bronwen Latimer. Here lately Ive just been down in the dumps, the woman said, and after they talked awhile, another tenant came by to discuss her sons mental illness. Finally, she said, Hey Cedric. I wouldnt be so rude, so I said, Hey. And she said, Whatre you doing? And I said, Keeping busy. She said, Thats good.' For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. The Lafayette City Council serves as the community's legislative body, enacting ordinances, appropriating funds to conduct city business, and providing policy direction for city governance through the city administrator. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice.
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