Keep Fayetteville Fair to host Monday night call-in meeting
Keep Fayetteville Fair, the group working to uphold the city’s new civil rights ordinance, has scheduled a call-in meeting for residents who have questions about the new anti-discrimination law.
The Civil Rights Administrator ordinance, if upheld in a Dec. 9 special election, would prohibit business owners and landlords from unjustly firing or evicting someone because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, and other characteristics.
The call-in meeting begins at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10. Residents who wish to participate should call 877-229-8493. The PIN is 113050.
Anne Shelley, spokesperson for Keep Fayetteville Fair, and Alderman Matthew Petty, sponsor of the new law, will answer questions about the ordinance and the upcoming special election.
The group will soon kick off a campaign asking residents to vote against repeal of the ordinance. For more information visit fairfayetteville.com.
Chapter 119, Civil Rights Ordinance
Fayetteville City Council members passed a controversial anti-discrimination ordinance at around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20 after nearly 10 hours of public discussion and debate inside City Hall.
The ordinance prohibits business owners and landlords from unjustly firing or evicting someone because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic background, marital status or veteran status. It also creates a civil rights administrator position to receive and investigate complaints from residents who feel they are victims of those specific types of discrimination. Offenders could be fined up to $500 if it is determined they violated the ordinance.
The ordinance was approved 6-2 with council members Adella Gray, Sarah Marsh, Mark Kinion, Matthew Petty, Rhonda Adams and Alan Long voting in favor of the measure. Ward 3 aldermen Justin Tennant and Martin Schoppmeyer voted against the ordinance.
A group called Repeal 119 immediately began a petitioning campaign to stop the implementation of the ordinance, and eventually turned in enough signatures to put the new law on hold and force a Dec. 9 special election to decide the fate of the ordinance.
