Board of Aldermen vote to extend term from 4 to 5 years; approve sale of properties, expand boundary, buy new fire truck, talk about “sip and stroll,” and more.
The Board of Aldermen approved a motion to ask the North Carolina General Assembly for a local bill that would cancel the 2029 election and extend their time in office from 4 to 5 years; used the Consent Agenda to approve the sale of city-owned properties; agreed to expand the New Bern Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s planning boundary; changed the Hurricane Florence Fund to purchase a fire truck; and covered other topics during April 14, 2026 meeting at City Hall in New Bern, NC. The mayor also voted on all matters.
Requests and Petition of Citizens
A citizen protested the mayor’s “decision to push the people of New Bern to the back of the bus.” He asked the board why the mayor would restrict, restrain, and delay the people from being heard at the beginning of the meeting as they had for decades. He reminded the board and mayor of their oath of office. He said, “The right to petition plays an important role in American history.” He said he has been mistreated and defrauded by local, state and federal governments and sought redress of grievances.
Backstory: In January, the mayor told the board that he wanted to change the aldermen’s Rules of Procedure by moving Requests and Petitions of Citizens to the end of the meeting if the topics aren’t related to the agenda. After a lengthy discussion, City Attorney M. Scott Davis told the board he would bring a draft ordinance back to the board for review. It didn’t happen, but the agenda’s verbiage was changed to note Petition of Citizens – Agenda Topics.
A Kings Row resident spoke about one of the requests to rezone during Requests and Petition of Citizens on behalf of others. He said there was an R-1 zoning district that butts up to their properties that’s not listed on the paperwork. He asked why the city wanted to rezone the land to C-3. He said the property used to be railway access, until the railroad was removed and the land was returned to the original owner or heirs. He said the land was sold in 2004 and asked why the city has been mowing the land for the past 8-10 years.
A resident said she was concerned with potential changes to the city’s ordinance – Chapter 82 that regulates vehicles for hire. “The revelation that the petty cabs ‘shall be permitted to allow the consumption of beer and unfortified wine during tours of the district” is very disturbing with regard to transparency, she said. While it can be legal, it seems to be nothing more than a rolling social district and conveniently absent from the summary sheet of talking points.” She urged the board to hold a public hearing concerning a “major alteration in the current ambiance of the historic downtown district that belongs to all New Bern residents” if they wanted acceptance among businesses and residents.
Another person noted the Board of Aldermen would be taking the vote away from the people for one year if the city’s (2029) election was moved to 2030 (if they approved the agenda item that asks for a local bill and charter change). It was noted that an alderman recently made motion to spend $10,000 of the aldermen’s “special appropriation fund” to “hang things on the wall at City Hall.” The citizen said the board could consider taking $12,000 from their special appropriations fund each year to cover the cost of the (2029) election to allow voters to elect city officials every four years instead of letting the city council and mayor stay in office for another year without a public vote. The aldermen were also asked to consider changing the city’s charter language back to the original charter language, as the former Ward 1 aldermen asked them to do last year but the motion failed because the mayor caused a tie, as reported. The mayor currently votes on all matters, which gives one of New Bern’s six wards, two votes on all matters.
A resident/business owner said he felt the “community surveys and studies conducted by the city and local nonprofits have made one thing clear that people are looking for more experience-driven activities downtown.” He is launching Bear Crawl Tours, “a family-friendly pedal powered, healthy, carbon-neutral touring experience that highlights the history, businesses, events, and overall charm of New Bern.” He said it has the ability to offer a group transportation option during events. He said the routes would be planned and they would be fully insured. He said they would be “mindful of noise levels and respectful of residential areas” and asked the board that “commercial pedal vehicles be treated in a way that is aligned with other transportation and tour services already operating in New Bern so that we can contribute to the downtown economy without being regulated in a way that makes the model unworkable.”
Consent agenda
Aldermen Trey Ferguson (Ward 1), Sharon Bryant (Ward 2), “Bobby” Aster (Ward 3), Lainy White (Ward 4), Barbara Best (Ward 5) and Dana Outlaw (Ward 6) voted to approve several items on the consent agenda that were bundled into one items and without discussion. Mayor Jeffrey Odham (of Ward 6) also voted for the motion. Items included setting a public hearing on April 28, 2026 on the proposed FY2026-2027 budget; initiating the upset bid process for the purchase of 1110 Mechanic St. and 902 EF Thompkins Ln.; selling 1205 Mechanic St. to Agape Adams, 824 Lees Ave. to United Worship Center, 615 First Ave. to Arleather Bryant; approving the Redevelopment Commission’s sale of 828 Eubanks St., 1135 H St., and 1129 H to Ansel Jarvis; , updating memorandum of understandings with the US Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration and a mutual aid agreement with Greenville Fire/Rescue; closings South Front Street by Palace Point Commons on July 4, Middle Street on Nov. 8, Third Avenue and Broad and Rountree streets for events; and approved minutes.
Regular agenda
City Manager Foster Hughes said the city has grown by about half a square mile through voluntary annexation since 2020 and has a population of 35,266. He said the assessed property values increased by $145 million to 5.47 billion which brought in an estimated $565,500 in additional income.
He’s proposing spending $3,335,639 on capital requests for FY 2027 which doesn’t include a new fire station that’s estimated to cost $9.2 million. The $1 million fire truck was moved from FY27 to the FY28 budget, according to information in the meeting packet.
The General Fund revenues and expenses are $52,238,420. The city manager is proposing a 3-cent increase in property taxes from $0.39 to $0.42 (per $100 valuation). He said the Municipal Service District property valuation remains at $200 million and he didn’t recommend any change to the ad valorem tax rate of $0.1122 cents.
He recommended spending a total of $3,865,000 on enterprise operating funds from the water, sewer, electric and solid waste funds. He also estimated spending about $10 million on water and sewer infrastructure and $7 million on electric infrastructure. The city is projecting spending over $46 million on electric infrastructure in 2028.
City Manager Hughes said the city owes over $41.7 million in debt.
He proposed a budget of $181,753,100, which is a 9.3 percent overall increase compared to last year. The budget can be found here. The aldermen will hold a public hearing on April 28 at 6 p.m. at City Hall on the proposed budget. The budget workshop will be held on May 5 at 9 a.m. and the budget will be adopted on May 12.
Rezoning
Staff presented two different zoning map amendments in one agenda item. “The intent of the request is to correct several instances of split-zoning which will clean up the map and help prevent any confusion moving forward,” according to a memo from Development Services Director Jessica Rhue.
In Ward 2, staff recommended rezoning 2501 Neuse Blvd., 2503 Neuse Blvd., 2507 Neuse Blvd., 8-052-088 on Neuse Boulevard north of Sherwood Avenue, 2511 Neuse Blvd. to be rezoning from C-3 Commercial and R-15 Residential to a C-3 Commercial district.
In Ward 6, staff proposed rezoning 3.89 acres between the Kings Row community and South Glenburnie Road (CC Parcel ID 8-208-143) from I-1 Industrial and R-15 Residential to R-15 to a C-3 Commercial district.
The DS director said they decided to only rezone the industrial piece of the split-zoned property that will be absorbed by the parcel to the south after receiving concerns from the public.
City Attorney Davis said the developer and the property owner’s attorney asked him and staff if they could add parking spaces in the industrial railroad right-of-way. He said the parking lot can’t exist in that industrial zone and proposed leaving the residential ROW on the northern half and making the southern half of the ROW as C-3.
The board opened a public hearing and a resident said there’s a ditch that is approximately 15 to 20 feet wide and about 12 feet deep that has water flowing through it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sometimes it’s 4 inches deep, sometimes it’s one to two feet deep. He said he wasn’t sure how they can fill it in or build on it and thought it should be left alone.
The city attorney said it would be left alone.
The resident said the letter that property owners received said the ditch was part of the rezoning.
It was said that the top piece would remain yellow (residential) and the bottom piece would become red (commercial)
Jessica Rhue said the decision was made during the Planning and Zoning Board meeting but the notice for the public hearing had already been mailed.
During the public hearing, Aderman Outlaw said he was going to wait until it was the appropriate time when the board held a discussion but then he talked about why he felt the city mowed some property owners’ lots and not others and split zoning. He also questioned whether or not the Kings Row community received proper notification.
Aldermen Ferguson (Ward 1), Bryant (Ward 2), Aster (Ward 3), White (Ward 4), Best (Ward 5) voted for the rezoning of the properties and a portion of one of the parcels to C-3. Mayor Odham (of Ward 6) also voted for the rezonings. Alderman Outlaw (Ward 6) voted no.
Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan
The board held a public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan. One resident spoke and said a community group put in an application for funds. The hearing was continued until May 12.
Vehicles for Hire.
During the aldermen’s first full meeting, the city attorney suggested amending Chapter 82 – Vehicles for Hire ordinance and adding provisions for horse-drawn vehicles, pedicabs and commercial pedal vehicles for hire (Trolly Pub, Pedal Trolly, etc.) as well as other changes.
He said people have since expressed interest in starting a pedicab and commercial pedal vehicle business and said they have horse drawn carriages and a tour bus. He noted pedal vehicles can currently operate in the city if they follow the law and can serve beer and wine, like limousines. He said the Police Department could vet drivers like Uber drivers and they would have a land yard and badge.
Alderman Ferguson said he wanted to move forward with a draft and work with residents and prospective businesses. He said he felt it was important to try something new to bring an attraction downtown.
Davis said it could be in a specific area downtown, and they would load vehicles on private property. He also said they could stop at bars along the way. If they do nothing, they can operate.
Bully pulpit?
The aldermen stood by as the mayor complained about a citizen’s concerns that was expressed during Requests Petition of Citizens.
MOU for the Expansion of the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Planning Boundary
The board was told on Feb. 10 that the New Bern MPO’s Transportation Advisory Committee suggested including the towns of Dover, Vanceboro and Cove City, and the city of Havelock in the MPO’s planning boundary. The current boundary includes areas of unincorporated Craven County, the towns of Bridgeton, River Bend, Trent Woods and the city of New Bern. The mayor resigned from the committee in December and the board appointed Ferguson as the primary member and Bryant as the secondary member in February. Ferguson resigned sometime after that due to a professional conflict. A planning meeting for “stakeholders” was scheduled for Feb. 19. The Board of Aldermen approved the MOU on April 14.
Memorandum of Understanding with CarolinaEast HealthSystem – Company Police Department for BeOn System Communications
The mayor said he was recusing himself due to a conflict of interest as he’s on the Board of Directors at CarolinaEast Medical Center. The aldermen approved a “so moved” motion. Despite being recused, he continued facilitating the meeting.
Police Chief Patrick Gallagher said the city’s IT Department identified a threat to their firewall so they turned off the firewall. It required “any service needed by their comm system needed to be done onsite and couldn’t be done remotely.” He said CEHS’s Police Department uses the radio system that the NBPD uses. “Without the firewall, they can’t use BEON which allows the radio system to link to wi-fi. There are areas in the hospital where the radio system won’t work so the hospital agreed to front $25,000 that will put the firewall in the city’s system.”
The alderman approved the MOU.
Mutual Assistance Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding with the NC Narcotics Enforcement Task Force.
Chief Gallagher said the SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) initiated a regional violent crime task force and partnered with Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties. He asked the board to approve a mutual assistance agreement with NC Narcotics Enforcement Task Force which would eliminate the requirement for a PIN request for mutual aid.
The aldermen voted to approve the MAA and MOU. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Local Bill and Charter Change for New Bern Elections
The aldermen unanimously approved a resolution to ask the North Carolina General Assembly to extend their time in office from 4 to 5 years to “save money.” The also requested using a nonpartisan, plurality method, as reported here. A public hearing was not held.
2026 PARTF Grant Application for Martin Marietta Park Phase 2 Improvements
The board voted to authorize staff to apply for a $500,000 grant for phase 2 improvements to Martin Marietta Park that requires a $500,000 match. It was said that the match would come from the general obligation bond money.
Trey Ferguson said it was because citizens voted for the bond.
Background: About 15 percent of 25,128 registered city of New Bern voters approved issuing $8 million plus interest for the Parks and Recreation Bond that property taxpayers will repay over two decades. About 8.11% of voters voted against the bond, according to the NC State Board of Elections website.
Ferguson (Ward 1), Bryant (Ward 2), Aster (Ward 3), White (Ward 4), Best (Ward 5) and Outlaw (Ward 6) voted for a motion to authorize the city manager to execute and apply for the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant. Odham (of Ward 6) also voted for the motion.
Audit Contract
The aldermen voted to approve a three-year audit contract in the amount of $54,500 is with Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams and Co., P.A. The mayor also voted yes. The firm has conducted the city audit since FY2019, according to meeting minutes.
Demolition ordinance for 2814 Oakland Avenue
The aldermen approved an ordinance that allows the city to demolish primary and any secondary structures at 2814 Oakland Avenue. The mayor also voted for the motion. Director Rhue reported they didn’t have demolition funds which were estimated at $9,300. That doesn’t include asbestos abatement, if necessary, which could double that cost.
Budget amendments
The mayor bundled the following agenda items into one vote, and the aldermen approved the budget amendments. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Finance Director Kimberly Ostrom presented budget amendments to the Multi-Year Grants Funds to recognize $1,000 from the Juvenile Crime Prevention council to be used for the National Night Out. It also recognizes $28,362 for other grants NBPD has received.
She said FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) obligated $955,812 for the old structure at 2602 Oaks Road that sustained damage during Hurricane Florence towards the cost of a new building. She said the city requested not to change the scope of work to not rebuild the structure and noted they received approval to fund a fire truck in December 2025. The Budget amendment allocates $955,812 of FEMA funds for the truck.
Another budget amendment appropriates $191,100 from fund balance across the General Fund and Water, Sewer, and Electric funds to cover the cost of an increase in utilities for city-owned facilities. The General Fund amendment includes $4,500 for the Firemen’s Museum, according to information in the packet.
An amendment also transfers $25,877 from fund balance to cover additional costs for the fire truck which brings the total to $981,689.
City Manager’s report
The city manager talked about proposed construction on Pollock and Craven Street and parking for the Fishing Pier. He also made other announcements.
New Business
Trey Ferguson talked about hiring a consultant for the Electric Working Group. He also talked about strategic planning and a potential “sip-and-stroll” for a social district for events. He made a motion to let the Downtown Business Council make a presentation during the April 28 meeting. The alderman approved the motion. The mayor also voted for it.
Lainy White talked about Simmons Street repairs and said they are moving dirt at the 43 Connector.
Barbara Best asked if they were still making appointments to the Redevelopment Commission and the mayor said the board can vote for it. Foster Hughes said they will still have staff to do the work. Ferguson said they intended to meet last week, but they didn’t have a quorum. Odham said he wasn’t going to vote for anyone at this time and asked the city clerk if she could prepare a ballot. Ferguson asked if they could talk about it on April 28.
Best also talked about a dip on Oaks Road and Hughes said he would look into it.
Odham asked the city manager if they could approve a resolution to ask NCDOT to expedite repaving Neuse Boulevard and Davis said they need a resolution. It was said it will be on the April 28 agenda.
The mayor said he and the city manager asked if they could spend $25,000 of the Board of Aldermen’s “special appropriation fund” to pay for a feasibility study for developers.
Petition of Citizens
A citizen voiced concerns with hurricane recovery programs and certain officials.
Two people spoke about a recent incident between a family member and law enforcement. The board was asked that all members of the community to be protected “regardless of the neighborhood background and/or circumstances.” It was alleged, “Individuals are being followed, stopped, questioned, and scrutinized without clear cause. Citizens are being asked why are they outside late at night as though their presence alone is suspicious.”
One person said, “I’ll be more than glad if we can put this on the books for the next meeting. I would love to have the opportunity to come back and continue.”
The mayor said, “You’ll have the ability to do that at our first meeting in the month of May.”
More details and the full agenda can be found in the meeting packet here.
Meeting minutes can be found here, and videos are available City 3 TV, the city’s Facebook page and the city’s YouTube channel.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.