BOTTOM RIGHT: Cotton fields, such as this one in Fayette, still permeate the South. . The city is situated on the southern edge of the Piedmont Plateau. Here in the shebeen, we are longtime fans of Stephanie McCrummen, who is posted in the South and who writes for the Washington Post. The mayor is avoting member of the Council. Learn more about the history of our probate office and the people currently operating it. A sign for a business in Virettia's ward. [1] Federal officials The current members of the U.S. Senate from Alabama are: To view a map of U.S. House districts in Alabama and find your representative, click here . Address, Phone Number, and Hours for Fayette City Hall, a Town & City Hall, at Temple Avenue North, Fayette AL. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. Listen to me. 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. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), Share your feedback by emailing the author. People say it could never happen here. Males had a median income of $29,857 versus $21,899 for females. LaFayette | Encyclopedia of Alabama Im talking to you all, Ericka said. Fayette is organized in a mayor-council form of city government, with a mayor elected citywide and five council members elected from districts. In May 2000, voters approved the current election system of nine Council members elected by single-member districts and a voting mayor elected at large. Fayette, Alabama - Ballotpedia Her third chance came after the mayor went over the budget. The more members the more the Chamber can promote Fayette and Fayette can promote your business. 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. LaFayette has a mayor-council form of government. Population control. The same dreams and enthusiasm are still alive today in companies founded in Fayette. THE TIMES-RECORD PO DRAWER 159 FAYETTE, AL 35555 . Council members and the mayor are notfull-time City employees, but they arefinancially compensated for their time andcertain expenses. City Council March 8, 2016 @ 5:00 pm Add to calendar Details Date: March 8, 2016 Time: 5:00 pm Venue City Hall 203 Temple Avenue North Fayette, AL 35555 United States + Google Map Phone: 205-932-5367 View Venue Website 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. All council members and Mayor Ray Nelson were present for the meeting. Whitesides subsequent experiences surely stemmed from the same kind of panic. 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 I love you, but you owe me $77, Virettia said. We are fans because she goes out and finds those small stories in small places that nevertheless teach us big lessons about what kind of country we actually are, a question that has stumped us pretty badly so far in 2021. City of Fayette | Fayette AL - Facebook Find 6 Town & City Halls within 22.8 miles of Fayette City Hall. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.85. All ninecouncil members are elected from singlemember districts and only citizens withineach district may vote for each district seat. Have a question about our comment policies? [4], Fayette is located in west-central Fayette County at 334131N 874956W / 33.69194N 87.83222W / 33.69194; -87.83222 (33.692068, -87.832358). Find Vital Records and Voter Records related to Fayette City Hall. Alabama Open Meetings Act - Notice Details City of Fayette Missouri - Timeless Character, Soaring Spirit. Thornell authors economic development book. She tried to remember that this was the whole reason she had run in the first place. Virettia had always thought of her town as a nice place to live but a hard place to be anybody unless your granddaddys uncles cousins a somebody. For a while, her father had been somebody the citys first Black councilman but that was long ago, and she had always wondered what to make of his silence about the experience. Learn more about our 15-man engineering crew and view their contact information here. Here's a small story from a small place that teaches us big lessons about what kind of country we actually are. 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. About 12.5% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. All nine council members are elected from single member districts and only citizens within each district may vote for each district seat. We are conveniently located 40 miles from the City of Tuscaloosa and approximately 90 miles to the City of Birmingham. All Rights Reserved. I believe it with all my heart.. Our county is a wonderful place to live with tremendous opportunities for growth, development, and industrial development with our proximity to the I-22 Corridor. The City Clerk's Office maintainsmeeting minutesfrom City Council meetings and publishes a schedule of upcoming City Council meetings. BOTTOM LEFT: A sign for a business in Virettia's ward. Of the 2,092 households 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. Fayette, Alabama - Wikiwand Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Fayetteville City Council has establishedboards and commissions. At the 2010 census there were 4,619 people, 1,924 households, and 1,206 families living in the city. The mayor is elected at-large. We talked about it, Cedric said. The City Manager is responsible for managing the Citys employees, and the finances and resources as the chief budget officer. We are also the home of the Sipsey Arts Alliance. 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. 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. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. She is the newly elected City Council member for Ward 1, which includes the complexes she manages. 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?. 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. Virettia talks with a resident at the Mayfair Manor apartments in Fayette. Despite aging buildings and the occasional downed sign, Fayette has been trying to revive its downtown area. Phone-Number: 334-864-7181 Meeting-Type: regular Submission-datetime: 1/23/2023 . Rod, Jerry, Eddy, Tommy, and at the far end of the dais was Councilwoman Virettia Whiteside, now writing something down to keep herself focused. He needs to go to the hospital.. Councilwoman Aliska Hughes-Monroe was absent from the meeting with all other council members present. The mayor is a voting member of the Council. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. 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. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Fayette city, Alabama", "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990", "NOAA NCEI U.S. Board of Alderman . The mega-rich. Hes the only Black.. Fayette City Council votes to charge for abated properties She had often stared at the Trailblazer Award hanging on his living room wall, but she had not asked him about his experience, and he had not offered many details. Copy editing by Wayne Lockwood. Mayor and City Council Members. We have a place for you, a place where your dreams can have a beginning. Its disguised pretty well but its right here among us. Its 20 years I worked for that. 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. Her first reaction was to consider quitting. City Council | Lafayette, CO - Official Website The median age was 40.2 years. Appointees are to serve on only one boardor commission at a time and shall attend atleast 75% of regularly scheduled meetings onan annual basis from the date of theirappointment. including West Point Lake in Georgia, 15 minutes to the east and Alabama's Lake Martin, 30 minutes to the west. Suggest Listing Now she called Cedric Wilson, the former city councilman who had lost his bid for mayor. People think we dont have a problem, but we do. I know its hard youre his mom and thats your baby, but Im here, Virettia said, waving over another tenant behind on his rent. 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. When investigators from the district attorneys office showed up at Mayfair Manor three times asking tenants if their absentee ballots had been coerced, she decided not to file a complaint with the NAACP. The multiracial tenants include fast-food workers, veterans and elderly and disabled people. The residents have got protection because weve got ordinances, said the mother, going on about declining property values, until Ericka finally stood up. 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. . Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 11:04:46 AM. 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. Phone 205-932-5367. City of LaFayette 50 Alabama Ave W LaFayette, Alabama 36862 334-864-7181 info@cityoflafayetteal.com. At the 2000 census there were 4,922 people, 2,092 households, and 1,303 families living in the city. 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. Originally known as "La Fayette", it incorporated on January 15, 1821. 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. One on the zoning board. Few people will say what I say, but people in this town were scared to death. These dreams have been realized by the formation of several companies that grew to be leaders in their fields before being merged into larger entities. Fayette, Alabama - History, Heritage, Natural Recreation and Small Town Our history of is one of people with the vision and daring to achieve outsized goals for a town our size. Their combined presence changed the longtime makeup of the council. Elections are non-partisan, with the mayor and council members serving four-year terms. The park will serve residents of the city and surrounding rural areas, offer a recreation area for people coming to work in LaFayette, and provide a gathering place for families, friends, and out-of-town visitors. Every day, the woman said. 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 per capita income for the city was $16,602. 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. It is time to renew your membership. Fayette, Alabama City Council 'Rule of One' Black Member - Esquire This is bigger than me.. 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.' Of the four Black candidates who ran, they were the two who had won. The only municipal election within the county this year will occur on Aug. 25 in the City of Fayette, with every position on the ballot being contested. Always one, a situation that had long described the reality of entrenched White power outside big Southern cities like Birmingham or Atlanta. [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]. If you wish to speak before the City Council you may fill out a Request Form that can be found on the main menu under About > Council Meetings. Our county is a wonderful place to live with tremendous opportunities for growth, development, and industrial development with our proximity to the I-22 Corridor. Check back often to see our calendar of upcoming events and our latest county job openings. Im getting tired of this, Virettia said. Mayor of Fayette / 660-248-5246 . Ox Bodies, now a division of TBEI, is a world leader in truck dump bodies, Fayette Fabrication, founded in 2014, provides custom carts, racks and skids for the automotive industry across the southeast. Someappointees must have special licenses ormeet certain professional requirements. LaFayettes proximity, transportation options, access to outdoor activities and major sporting events makes it a perfect place to live, raise a family, do business or just visit. Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below. Phone-Number: 334-864-7181 Meeting-Type: special/called Submission-datetime: 1/27/2023 8:19:08 AM: Notice: Statements . Fayette, Alabama City Council 'Rule of One' Black Member Comes to an End 1 Read Every Article Esquire Has Ever Published 2 The 35 Best Gifts for Serious Whiskey Drinkers 3 Marvel Is Weird About. Fayette, Alabama - Wikipedia 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. Lord give me the strength, Virettia thought to herself. Design by Tara McCarty. Shown from left: Councilman Cedric Wilson (sitting in chair at far left), Councilman Jerry Nichols, Councilman Jason Cowart, Mayor Ray Nelson, City Clerk Dawn Clapp, Councilwoman Linda McCraw and Councilman Eddy Campbell. Cumberland County falls under the requirements of the Federal Voting Rights Act. The mayor also appoints Council members to City Council committees and liaison positions. As hed told Virettia: I felt fooled by 'em. I dont have anything tonight, she said, looking out at the faces in the audience, and then at the mayor. Im telling you this is the best Ive seen him.. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. It wasnt just the house she had bought in another ward, he said, explaining why he opposed her election. In accordance with that act, four of the nine districts are drawn so that minorities are assured a voting majority within that district. These are informal meetings. With a beginning as one of the earliest settlements in West Alabama, Fayette grew with the region to become a provider of initiatives that have enriched our people with an environment of willingness to dream. Aliska Hughes-Monroe, Virettia's best friend, was elected in November to represent Ward 4. Stand behind me show up! Virettia had texted then. (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), Virettia stands in Mayfair Manor's Community Room. Okay his medication: Hes taking it every day? Virettia asked. Individuals are also encouraged to become members. The racial makeup of the city was 75.34% White, 23.38% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. There were 11 provisional ballots counted in the final results of the Fayette municipal election, and four provisional ballots cast were ruled ineligible to be counted. It began with the gift from Lois Wilson, a Fayette native, of her art collection, which ultimately totaled 2,600 pieces of her own and of other artists' work. He only has one kidney. Her first chance to say something came with the first item on the agenda, covid-19. City Council - Fayette, Alabama She had imagined another version of the moment, one where she had turned to the camera and said to the whole town of Fayette, Why are you so frightened? Look at my heart., But that was not reality, she was saying the next morning, sitting in her office. History [ edit] Originally known as "La Fayette", it incorporated on January 15, 1821. City of Fayette Mayor - jdawson@cityoffayettemo.com . City Council | City of Montgomery, AL 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. 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. Their combined presence changed the longtime makeup of the council. 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. Fayette | Alabama Secretary of State Virettia also manages Valley Cove. Virettia took a deep breath. Mike, come in here, Virettia said, waving him in. Scottie Porter had responded to the post. I kept my yard up. Rent out our incredible multipurpose complex for your next event. The White city councilmen: nothing. All right, well call the meeting to order, the mayor said. I dont even know where to begin, she said. Of the 1,924 households 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. Our City Park - City of LaFayette, Al (Jared Ragland for The Washington Post), TOP: Despite aging buildings and the occasional downed sign, Fayette has been trying to revive its downtown area. City of Fayette 203 Temple Avenue N. Fayette, AL 35555 Phone: 205-932-5367 Fax: 205-932-5788 email: cityhall@fayetteal.org Contact Numbers If Emergency, please call 911 Police: 205-932 5312 Fire: 205-932-5311 Gas: 205-932-5269 After Hours: 205-270-0088 Water: 205-932-5311 For all other departments, please click here. Fayette County Circuit Clerk Democratic Party Samantha Howard (205) 932-4617 Website Fayette County Coroner Republican Party Timothy "TK" Kimbrell (205) 361-4828 Fayette County Probate Judge Republican Party Mike Freeman (205) 932-4519 Fayette County Sheriff Republican Party Byron Yerby (205) 932-3205 Email: info@fayetteso.com Website Aliska Hughes-Monroe and Scottie Carl Porter are seeking the council position in Ward Four. 433 Hay Street Theyd talked previously about what had happened. All members of the Fayetteville City Councilserve concurrent two-year terms following acitywide election held in early November inodd-numbered years. Bevill State Community College has a location in Fayette. This aint the half of it, baby.. The new mayor had told Virettia he supported her but had said nothing publicly. Fayette, AL 35555-2684 (205) 932-4510 . You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. [15]. Terms and Conditions. Gas: 205-932-5269 After Hours: 205-270-0088. There is Opportunity for You in Fayette! 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. June 2, 2022 by by She checked to see if the judge had ruled on the case; still nothing. It was a resident from somewhere in her ward, telling Virettia that her son was in the county jail and was in need of medical attention. Fayette municipal election is Tuesday, Aug. 25 | The Times-Record The Fayette Art Museum has over 5,000 pieces of art by nationally recognized artists. Fayette is a city in Fayette County, Alabama. Again. She was on her own. Take the high road, people kept advising. Fayette County has four incorporated towns and cities including Fayette, Glen Allen, Berry, and Belk. The mayor acts as theofficial head of City government and presidesat City Council meetings. P.O Box 1111 Montgomery AL. [9] 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. 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. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. The population density was 575.1 inhabitants per square mile (222.0/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. Hed never told her about the notes he got in his mailbox with messages like Shut your mouth, n-----. Or the restraint he had to summon to ask White colleagues who still used the term boy to refer to Black men: If you know the gentlemans name, would you please call him by his name? He had not told her about feeling like you werent there.. He owned the Spanish-style house on the edge of the traditionally Black ward that had belonged to Virettias godmother. A White woman Virettia had known for years had sent her a private message asking how she was holding up but nothing public. 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.