Find 7 external resources related to Fayette City Hall. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), Virettia stands in Mayfair Manor's Community Room. 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. Privacy Policy 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. Virettia also manages Valley Cove. We would love to have you come and visit Fayette County and see rural living at its best! Check out the Gas Board website. She started organizing tenants in the two apartment buildings she managed, Mayfair Manor and Valley Cove a multiracial coalition of fast-food workers, former addicts, veterans, the elderly, the disabled and a few who kept declining to fill out voter registration forms until it became clear they could not read. Four days later, a sheriffs deputy knocked on her door and handed her a lawsuit aimed at overturning her election based on the residency issue. The cameraman who live-streamed all the council meetings swung the lens toward Virettia, who cleared her throat. For every 100 females, there were 81.4 males. Its going to look fine. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. All Rights Reserved. Fayette operates under the Mayor-Council form of government. The Fayette Art Museum was founded in 1969 by Fayette City Council and Jack Black, who was the Musuem's Director for 35 years. Tornado activity: Fayette-area historical tornado activity is slightly above Alabama state average.It is 134% greater than the overall U.S. average.. On 4/3/1974, a category F5 (max. Over the course of its history our town has been the starting point of many endeavors that became larger than the the city itself. Council elections arenonpartisan and a primary election is held inOctober, only when more than twocandidates vie for a specific seat. Under the current electoral system, the City Council consists of nine council members and a mayor. As hed told Virettia: I felt fooled by 'em. Others with regional and national reputations have also called Fayette home. Review our. Here's a small story from a small place that teaches us big lessons about what kind of country we actually are. Incumbent Jason Cowart did not qualify for re-election in Ward Three, leaving qualifiers Brad Cox and Tommy Williams to battle for the position. Elections are non-partisan, with the mayor and council members serving four-year terms. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), Share your feedback by emailing the author. In addition to these . [5], According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.4km2), of which 8.5 square miles (22.1km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2km2), or 0.95%, is water.[2]. Now.. Across many fields of endeavor Fayette has been the starting point for people with great ideas, energy and expectations for tomorrow. So yall ever voted to change the outdated laws? Virettia asked Cedric now. Virettia was alone in her office, and after she hung up, she allowed herself a moment to feel an unexpected sense of vindication. Jeremy Dawson . BOX 87 LAFAYETTE, AL 36862. Sign up for Weather Alerts because seconds matter. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. Design by Tara McCarty. Citizens are both stockholders and customers; the elected body represents the board of directors and the manager is the chief executive officer responsible for the daily operations of the corporation. Rioters were going to target downtown Fayette, where the Garden Club had planted flower beds and people gathered on holidays in the courthouse square. There were 2,336 housing units at an average density of 273.0 per square mile (105.4/km2). .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}The Rot Beneath Green Labels on Forestry Products, Donald Trump Wants to Make 'The Jetsons' a Reality, They Promised Whistleblowers but Delivered Hot Air, Thomas More Society Joined Election Denial Chorus. These are informal meetings. She tried to remember that this was the whole reason she had run in the first place. A few days later, Virettia was still upset, and when a tenant whod helped on her campaign stopped by her office, she started telling her what had happened. The more members the more the Chamber can promote Fayette and Fayette can promote your business. The City of Fayetteville adopted the council/manager form of municipal government in June 1949. The population was 4,619 at the 2010 census,[2] down from 4,922 at the 2000 census. Were hustling backwards, Virettia said. Fayette is organized in a mayor-council form of city government, with a mayor elected citywide and five council members elected from districts. I believe it with all my heart.. She listened as he told her that he had just gotten the decision. Virettia held her hand as the board voted, each of the White members siding with the White neighbors, and the one Black board member siding with Ericka, thwarting the unanimous vote needed to block the trailer. The city is situated on the southern edge of the Piedmont Plateau. Incumbent Councilman Jerry Nichols will attempt to retain his position on the council in Ward Five, as he is challenged by political newcomer Garrett N. Rainey. The mayor is elected at-large. Few people will say what I say, but people in this town were scared to death. The meeting begins at 5 PM at the Fayette City Hall, 204 Temple Avenue North. Fayette County has four incorporated towns and cities including Fayette, Glen Allen, Berry, and Belk. However, that was far from the actual reason, as Porter made clear to McCrummen. And I said, Sure is, which in his mind was the put-down of the century, a luxury he would normally not allow himself. Fayette is a town where people have always found opportunity waiting to be fulfilled. She sat down and tried not to cry. She got up and followed the sound outside where she found a tenant she knew as a veteran with PTSD, saying over and over I did a lot of bad things, and so she had held his hand for a while, saying We serve a God thats a forgiving God until he calmed down. Learn about the county commission that cares for our region of Alabama. Even though Virettia had never met Scottie Porter, he was not exactly a stranger. Its me. To speak before the City Council on a matter of importance fill out and submit this Agenda Request Form. All nine Council members are elected from individual districts, and only citizens within the city limits can vote for those seats on the Council. Look at my heart., But that was not reality, she was saying the next morning, sitting in her office. Its hard even now to believe how crazy with fear the protests last summer made white people in this country. We have a place for you, a place where your dreams can have a beginning. Board of Alderman . Mine will be a home too, once I get through with it.. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Fayette, Alabama . If you give me time, my trailer might put a value on your home. All right, well call the meeting to order, the mayor said. You can also pay your bill on-line. It is time to become a member. TheFayetteville City Councilis an elected body representing the citizens of Fayetteville. Contact Glenda for availability and services provided by the staff. That she had won. Fayette, AL 35555-2684 (205) 932-4510 . The Fayetteville City Council is the elected governing body representing the citizens of Fayetteville. 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 pretended like she didnt see me. Check back often to see our calendar of upcoming events and our latest county job openings. County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. My trailer is paid for, cash. Ward One Councilwoman Linda McCraw is not seeking re-election. The matter involved a Black woman named Ericka Espy Hollis, whose house had burned down. [9] 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. [10] She listened for a moment as he responded mm hmm, she said, mm hmm and then, growing impatient, she did what she finally had the power to do. . (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), A corkboard at Mayfair Manor displays a newspaper clipping about Virettia's council election win in November. The building houses government offices, including the Fayette legislative body, and provides public records, government services, and information about Fayette services. Virettia asked him who was on the abatement board. After she won, she spoke only of being humbled and grateful, even as she worried about what else could happen. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.88. It was a small town. The tentacles are just so far-reaching, Scottie said. We are also the home of the Sipsey Arts Alliance. History [ edit] Originally known as "La Fayette", it incorporated on January 15, 1821. When a rumor started that her candidacy was illegal because she had recently bought a house in another ward, she explained that yes, she had bought the house she hoped to live in someday but as her tax returns, voter registration, bills and sworn oath indicated, she lived with her sons in an apartment at Mayfair Manor. Learn about the services they provide and their interest in your safety. Generally, no votes are taken. And so she had told herself, Stay cool, calm and collected. She had kept reminding herself: I am the first to sit up here for Ward One., She kept thinking about Ericka and Mike and the people counting on her to succeed, and about Cedric, her father and the people who had come before, and for that matter the people who might come after, and she kept telling herself what she knew to be true: This is bigger than me. Look at the state Constitution. One percent of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 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 told Virettia she wanted to speak on her behalf at the meeting, but by now Virettia had decided she needed to speak for herself. It was officially shortened to "Fayette" in 1898. The City of Fayette is located in Fayette County in the State of Alabama.Find directions to Fayette, browse local businesses, landmarks, get current traffic estimates, road conditions, and more.According to the 2019 US Census the Fayette population is estimated at 4,249 people. 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. BOTTOM RIGHT: Like many other Mayfair Manor residents, Zach supported Virettia during her council run. Thats why theyre so mad.. This aint the half of it, baby.. We are also the home of the Sipsey Arts Alliance. 1.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Yet.. Her second chance came a few minutes later, after the police chief gave his report. One on the abatement board in a town that was roughly 73 percent White and 24 percent Black. 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. Hey Jordan, she said, and began telling him what the woman had told her. You see what Im saying? But now it was the summer of protests after the killing of George Floyd. All this is you now, Aliska said. How a White woman hed known for years had asked him to get on a video call so she could see his face when she asked if he really was going to fire all the White department heads if he won, which was not true. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males. Why now?. The Fayetteville City Council meets regularlyin formal session on the second and fourthMonday of each month. He owned the Spanish-style house on the edge of the traditionally Black ward that had belonged to Virettias godmother. Ultimately, Donald Trump Beat the System. Comes now the Plaintiff Scottie Carl Porter she read, recognizing the name of a man she only knew as the owner of an antique store downtown and a superfan of President Donald Trump who had lost his own bid for City Council. Each office holder is elected to a four year term. 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. She said he was being ignored, that he needed help and she needed help, and so Virettia called a deputy at the jail, a White man she knew who was planning to run for sheriff and would need her support. Phone-Number: 334-864-7181 Meeting-Type: regular Submission-datetime: 1/23/2023 . Their combined presence changed the longtime makeup of the council. FayTV is available on Spectrum Cable on Channel 7 and video content is also available for viewingonline. Always one, a situation that had long described the reality of entrenched White power outside big Southern cities like Birmingham or Atlanta. An indication that the actual power structure might change surely brings the night sweats to the good white citizens of the town. And I think developing those relationships is a good thing, the mayor said, moving on. A & E Family Restaurant has opened in the old Cruze-In location in The Triangle. Rod Northam, Mayor Im talking to you all, Ericka said. In 1928, Victor and Lucy Patterson began manufacturing Golden Eagle Syrup in Fayette. City of Fayetteville Name Fayette City Hall Address 203 Temple Avenue North Fayette, Alabama, 35555 Phone 205-932-5367 Hours Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-4:00 PM She punched the girl in the face, which solved the immediate problem but also began a period of acting out that she later decided had to do with feeling abandoned and wanting someone to rescue her. RIGHT: Aliska Hughes-Monroe, Virettia's best friend, was elected in November to represent Ward 4. What mattered about her election what had spawned a lawsuit aimed at unseating her and nervous rumors about what her victory could mean was that she was the first to win outside the traditionally Black ward, breaking through what had seemed to her and other Black residents of Fayette to be the informal Rule of One. We just havent said anything about it. Seeking the position of mayor, replacing retiring Mayor Ray Nelson, will be: Kevin Bass, Rod Northam, Max Weaver and current City Councilman Cedric Wilson. Mike! she said now, seeing him pass by her office. She had been on the phone last May with her boss, talking about how she felt the needs of her tenants and working-class families were being ignored in Fayette when her boss said, So what are you going to do about it?. All meetingsstart at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.