Thank you for sharing your thoughts about term limits for members of the Rocky Mount City Council and the Mayor. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to think critically about how we can strengthen our community’s leadership and future.

There is no shortcut to building a healthy community. As I near the end of my service — with just three more meetings before we install the next Ward 3 leader — I am focused on ensuring a smooth transition and continuing to serve as a strong community leader after leaving office.

Over the past six years, I’ve worked to promote transparency and shared leadership in Ward 3. I attend roughly 80% of our ward meetings and meet with residents, businesses, and faith-based organizations regularly — both individually and collectively. We’ve built 12 active community organizations in the ward that come together to discuss goals, challenges, and sustainable solutions.

I have always believed that leadership should be shared and that others should have the opportunity to serve. That’s why I chose not to run again and gave my community two years to identify and prepare new leadership. I’ve spent that time working with residents to create a robust succession plan for Ward 3.

If I had a choice between term limits and succession planning, I would choose succession planning every time. In a healthy community, people are empowered to make informed choices — whether that means electing someone for one term or one hundred. Strong communities manage their leadership through engagement, accountability, and participation, not just legislation.

I also plan to discuss this petition and others like it in my upcoming Ward 3 meetings, because it’s important that residents’ voices are heard and understood. I encourage my constituents to continue raising these topics with our newly elected leaders once they take office, so that this conversation about leadership and accountability continues beyond my time on the council.

My hope is that Rocky Mount continues to grow into a place where:
- Families have the freedom to live out their creativity and thrive.
- Retirees feel safe and supported in their neighborhoods.
- Children can grow up in a healthy environment, free from adversity.

We must build leadership across party lines and generations — empowering our neighbors to take ownership of the city’s future. If we commit to succession planning, transparency, and community involvement, our city will be led not just by elected officials, but by the people themselves.

Respectfully,
Rev. Richard Joyner
City Council Member, Ward 3
Rocky Mount, North Carolina