Graham Residents Tell City Council: You Are Not Respecting Us

Eleven Graham residents lined up during public comments at the city council's March meeting Tuesday night, and the message that emerged across nearly 35 minutes was blunt: the council treats its own citizens as an afterthought.

Former Graham city councilman Jim Albright accused council members of "talking down" to citizens at their meetings. He also pointed out what he called an irony in how the council structures its meetings: citizens face a time limit when they seek to address the council, but council members face no such limit when speaking on any topic, including the miscellaneous comments segment at the end of each meeting.

Eric Crissman, who returned to address both the council benches and what he described as the council's decorum, put the frustration plainly. "I get the distinct impression that ya'll don't respect us," he said. He extended that critique to appearance, telling council members, "Look at the way you guys are dressed. . . You should dress like you respect us." Crissman singled out Councilman Jim Young, who was wearing a T-shirt reading "Whiskey and Bad Decisions."

The session also turned briefly contentious when a speaker identified as Cohoon asserted the council was "making things up." Council member Bonnie Whitaker attempted to interrupt Cohoon mid-remarks, but Dickey overruled her, stating it was Cohoon's time to speak.

Residents also raised specific concerns about neglected properties in the city. Ronnie Isley brought up the remaining portion of the Culp Mill plant on Parker Street, a site that has been ravaged several times by fire. Jill Bullis called out the former Econo-Lodge at NC 54 and the interstate, describing its condition as unsightly and labeling it a "murder motel."

The 35-minute public comment period carried an unintended procedural footnote: it would have exceeded the 30-minute cap the council had previously considered imposing before ultimately deciding against it.

No council members responded on the record to the criticism of their conduct during the meeting, according to available reporting.