On December 16, Durham's City Council honored the departure of City Manager Wanda Sims Paige, who is retiring after 37 years of service to the city. Paige leaves an impressive legacy: she guided Durham through a major security breach, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the successful November approval of a $200 million infrastructure bond. She was the second female city manager in Durham's history. The council unanimously appointed Deputy City Manager William "Bo" Ferguson as the next city manager, effective January 1, 2025. However, the appointment process sparked frustration from Council Members Chelsea Cook and another council member who wanted a more open search with multiple candidates rather than an internal promotion. Cook expressed particular frustration that her hand was raised during discussion when the vote was called.
The most contentious moment came during public comment about the bond referendum results and how the city will spend the money. Multiple residents challenged the council's spending priorities, particularly the unanimous approval of $4.88 million in police vehicle contracts totaling 77 hybrid patrol SUVs at roughly $47,600 per vehicle. Samuel Scarboro, a descendant of the Hayti neighborhood destroyed decades ago, drew parallels to broken promises of the past and noted that homelessness in Durham surged this year: 34 percent increase in chronic homelessness, 58 percent in homeless children, and 31 percent in homeless families. He asked why the city isn't investing that money in housing unhoused residents instead. Elizabeth Arrant cited the city's own 2023 Community Health Assessment naming affordable housing as the number-one health priority and pointed out that the East Durham Community Design Project found residents care most about housing, not police vehicles. Thomas Britton, an unhoused resident who distributes 100 to 125 meals weekly at Long Meadow Park, described how police cleared the encampment in November while he was hospitalized, destroying residents' belongings as the park prepares for renovation under the bond program.
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