So, does anyone out there want to be the mayor of Kinston?
In an exclusive statement to The Free Press and his supporters, the presumed front-runner for the position, Danny Rice, said he’s not going to file for the race.
Rice is the national director of the Woodmen of the World and is one of the primary reasons – along with Kinston/Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Director Bill Ellis – the WoodmenCommunity Centeris in Kinston.
In his statement, Rice said he was concerned with potential perceived conflicts of interest.
“In my role as National Director for Woodmen I would have to, as Mayor, recuse myself from discussion of issues directly or indirectly related to Woodmen, the WoodmenCommunity Centerand the Lions Water Adventure waterpark,” Rice stated. “I do think this circumstance would limit my effectiveness as Mayor and I wound not want to take on that responsibility if I can’t give it 100 percent.”
He continued, “These new projects are so important to our city and I would not want anything to have a negative impact on their continued success. In my current role I can advocate independently for our great city and all Woodmen interests without hesitation.
Rice is one of those rare people who is universally admired – you’d struggle to find a single person in Kinstonwho has a bad word to say about him. One of the reasons I thought he’d be a solid candidate for mayor – and the reason I thought he was as close as a shoo-in to the position out there with current mayor B.J. Murphy also deciding not to run – was that Rice, a Democrat, also had solid Republican support.
However, a huge political vacuum is now in place in Kinston; Murphy and Rice have formally announced they’re not running for the office. Another potentially solid candidate – Kinston Mayor Pro Tem Joe Tyson – has also publicly and privately asserted he has no interest in the job, along with current city councilman Robbie Swinson.
So, let me ask again – does anyone out there want to be mayor of Kinston? Perhaps the better question is – why would anyone want to be the mayor? It’s not for financial advantage; the best the mayor can make is a shade over $13,000 a year.
It’s certainly not for power; in Kinston’s form of government, the mayor position is little more than that of a figurehead. The five city councilmen have markedly more power than the mayor.
Murphy, who is wrapping up his first – and presumably, only – term, said he ran for mayor to help Kinston’s youth. As a proud Kinstonproduct himself, he said youth in our town didn’t have a plethora of solid young examples.
In a conversation with Murphy Saturday afternoon, he pointed out it’s only March and folks don’t have to file for mayor until the summer. But when’s the last time we were eight months from a mayoral election in Kinstonand had no idea who the candidates would be in the race?
Bryan C. Hanksis the managing editor of The Free Press; his column appears in this space every Sunday. You can reach him at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at BCHanks.