Citizens contacted New Bern Now questioning the residency of New Bern Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey in early 2022. He ran uncontested and was re-elected as the alderman of Ward 4 in July 2022.
When the number of residents reporting similar claims increased to over 30 people, NBN sent an email to all members of the board of aldermen asking for comment before publishing: Residents Report — Alderman Lives in a Different Ward than Elected to Represent. Three aldermen responded and their comments were included in the article.
Alderman Rick Prill of Ward 1 stated he had sent an “email request to City Attorney Scott Davis asking that this matter be discussed with the Board at Tuesday night’s meeting.”
The issue was not addressed by the board. Instead, during the Tuesday, Nov. 8 meeting, Kinsey said, “There’s been some false accusation about me, where I live. I live in the City of New Bern. I live in the Fourth Ward. That’s where I reside. Noone has come to me to ask me anything, it’s just been negative information. That’s where I live. I do live in the city.”
During the Jan. 10, 2023 BOA meeting, Alderman Bobby Aster of Ward 3 acknowledged that Kinsey lived in the Duffyfield community when he said, “I haven’t walked the streets over there in a long, long time…I don’t live over there like you do…” Alderman Kinsey responded, “How do you know where I live?”
Kinsey announced during the Feb. 14 board meeting, “I have a special guest with me tonight. I would like to tell her happy Valentines. That is my fiancé.”
Alderman Kinsey previously lived with his wife in Ward 4. Over the past months, residents and NBN have regularly seen him and/or his vehicle at the house on Goldsboro Street in Ward 5.
According to NC general statute § 160A-59. Qualifications for elective office., “All city officers elected by the people shall possess the qualifications set out in Article VI of the Constitution. In addition, when the city is divided into electoral districts for the purpose of electing members of the council, council members shall reside in the district they represent. When any elected city officer ceases to meet all of the qualifications for holding office pursuant to the Constitution, or when a council member ceases to reside in an electoral district that he was elected to represent, the office is ipso facto vacant. (1973, c. 609.)
Kinsey has not responded to requests for comment. The board of aldermen have also been asked for comment.
If you are a concerned resident with information related to the situation, we ask that you contact the Board of Aldermen (BOA). Feel free to cc us on emails.
By Wendy Card, co-editor. Send an email with questions or comments.