23 Accomplishments in 2023

As I reflect on the completion of my second full year as a City Councilmember, I’m glad to share a list of 23 projects and initiatives we were fortunate to complete in 2023. These accomplishments span a wide spectrum, from enhancing the efficiency of our local government to embarking on projects that promise lasting positive changes for our community. Thank you for joining me in the work to build a better, brighter Kinston and a more prosperous North Carolina.

Here we go:

  1. Installed new playground equipment at Fairfield Park and Bill Fay Park, reaffirming the City’s commitment to providing fun and safe recreation activities for our community’s young people.

  2. Became a Board Member of the Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce, working to strengthen local enterprise and deepen the Chamber’s impact throughout our community.

  3. Created a Public Information Officer position in the City Manager’s office to help increase and streamline communication between the City of Kinston and our community.

  4. Published a list of city-owned properties available for public bid, selling all of them and putting nearly two dozen properties back on the tax books and in the hands of our community.

  5. Assisted the Kinston Department of Fire & Rescue and Kinston Teens with their annual Smoke Alarm Blitz.

  6. The City of Kinston received the highest possible audit rating and an increase in our revenues based on our FY2022 audit.

  7. Served as a speaker at various events across the state including the Pasquotank County NAACP’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, the Craven County Democratic Party’s Annual Wainwright Dinner, the Beloved Commmunity Center’s Truth, Justice & Reconciliation Summit, and Fayetteville State University’s Votechella Summit.

  8. Supported the City Manager in hiring a police chief, filling a critical vacancy in the police department.

  9. Attended the National League of Cities Congressional Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., and became a member of the Community & Economic Development Federal Advocacy Committee.

  10. Created the Historic Grainger Stadium Commission to spearhead efforts to preserve and enhance that key asset in our community.

  11. Held a ribbon-cutting for Holloway Recreation Center’s new pool, and identified funding sources for continued improvements at the center.

  12. Unanimously passed our $117 million annual operating budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

  13. Created the Mayor & Council Travel Policy, the first City of Kinston policy of its kind in over forty years.

  14. Created a full-time Data Clerk position in the City Clerk’s office to assist with responding to inquiries from the public, managing data and documents related to the city’s cemeteries, and supporting the administrative tasks of the office.

  15. Served as a speaker at the Neighborhood Funders’ Group National Convening in Wilmington where I discussed the history of racial, environmental, and economic injustice in eastern North Carolina and our work to reconcile with it.

  16. Hosted seventy-five faculty, staff, and administrators from UNC Chapel Hill for an overnight visit of downtown and East Kinston as a part of the Tar Heel Bus Tour.

  17. Invited as a guest of Vice President Kamala Harris on her Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour stop at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

  18. Received a Merit Award in Planning & Analysis from the American Society of Landscape Architects for the Emma Webb Park Master Plan.

  19. Conveyed the former Kinston Shirt Factory site to Kinston Community Health Center for the construction of a new, nearly 60,000 square foot facility.

  20. Served as a Steering Committee Member for Carolina Across 100, a prograim aimed at increasing UNC Chapel Hill’s heelprint in all 100 counties while providing workforce development opportunities for young people.

  21. Published several articles, op-eds, and blog posts on topics ranging from how to acquire real property from the City of Kinston to why district elections would be a bad idea for our city council.

  22. Led conversations to review and update the City of Kinston’s Animal Control ordinances and policies related to stray, vicious, and nuisance dogs.

  23. Hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for Emma Webb Park, initiating the first phase of renovations that include removal and leveling of the former pool, refurbishment of the athletic courts, and installation of a walking trail.

I look forward to us working together to achieve even more in 2024. Happy New Year!

Christopher Suggs