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The Greensboro City Council began its first meeting of 2025 with a list of honor recognitions, the selection of a new Mayor Pro Tempore and the earmarking of funds for an East Greensboro park remediation.
Council appointed At-Large Council member Marikay Abuzuaiter as Mayor Pro Tempore at its January 7 meeting. Abuzuaiter replaces the late Mayor Pro Tempore Yvonne Johnson, who served in this capacity for a total of 19 years, until she passed away on December 4, 2024.
There was much discussion from the council members before the vote as the nominations came down to District 2 Council member Goldie Wells and Abuzuaiter.
Traditionally, the role of Mayor Pro Tem has gone to the highest vote-getting at-large member, which, over the last few years, was the late Johnson. Some council members expressed their thoughts on sticking with tradition rather than choosing a district representative as Mayor Pro Tem.
Wells has served as the District 2 representative since 2017. Wells previously represented District 2 on the city council from 2005 to 2009. She stated that her decision to throw her name into the nominations came from a desire to continue to build upon the vision of diversity, equity and inclusion that the city has for itself. She also added that Greensboro is a majority-minority city, and she believes the city’s leadership should reflect that fact.
“Therefore, I suggest that a minority council member serve as Mayor Pro Tem to demonstrate our embrace of the vision of our city and our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusivity,” said Wells. “We can also make history because this has never been done before.”
While District 1 Council member Sharon Hightower and At-Large Council member Hugh Holston gave statements of support for Wells, the other five council members put their votes behind Abuzuaiter.
“I’ve learned a lot from Goldie, but I will support Marikay,” said Mayor Nancy Vaughan. “The At-Large is supposed to be over the whole city, as well as the Mayor Pro Tem. Being Mayor, you have to be able to move in spaces throughout the entire city and do it right now. I know Goldie is an extremely competent person and loves this city, but I believe tradition has a valid purpose in this case.”
District 3 Councilmember Zack Matheny said he was torn, citing his respect and admiration for Wells, beginning when she hired his mother as a teacher more than 40 years ago.
“This decision is difficult,” Matheny said. “Dr. Wells has served with integrity and dedication. However, I support the At-Large position because it ensures representation across the entire city.”
During her comments to council, Abuzuaiter thanked the members for their kind words and said she believed that Johnson had been preparing her for this next chapter.
“I feel like she was my true mentor. She would tell me to be there and be accessible because people just want you to listen and help them find a solution,” she said. “If I am elected as Mayor Pro Tem this evening, I will keep doing the things that she would have been doing as it relates to Council. She didn’t care if you were Black or White or Brown; she would help you, and that’s the way she taught me, so I will certainly try to honor her legacy by doing the best I can.”
In the end, Wells lost the vote 5 to 3, followed immediately by an 8 to 0 vote to make Abuzuaiter Greensboro’s new Mayor Pro Tem.
Greensboro City Clerk Angela Lord administered the Oath of Office immediately following the nomination and appointment.
Abuzuaiter is an At-Large member elected to the city council in 2011 and re-elected in 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022. She ran for office to be an advocate for small businesses, being a former small business owner of Mahi’s Restaurant for 22 years, to support public safety, and to give a voice to all Greensboro residents. She credits city staff for helping her assist residents with concerns.
Her goals for the city council include increasing the availability of affordable housing, continuing to pursue economic development opportunities to bring good-paying jobs to Greensboro, and supporting public safety and infrastructure, including transportation. Abuzuaiter also serves on numerous city boards and commissions and is a graduate of Greensboro College.
Among other duties, the Mayor Pro Tempore attends community meetings and events, signs city contracts, and presides over, and signs the minutes for city council meetings in the mayor’s absence.
The city is also tasked with appointing someone to fill Johnson’s unexpired at-large term, a position intended to represent the entire city rather than a single district. City council seats are nonpartisan offices.
Only people who live within the Greensboro city limits, are registered voters, and are old enough to vote will be eligible for appointment. Applicants are asked to provide their name, home address and answer questions regarding previous elected experience, involvement with community or city groups and their reasons for seeking appointment. Applicants may also choose to upload a resumé.
The city will accept applications through Jan. 17. On Jan. 28, the council will allow applicants to make their case in a five-minute presentation. Council members are expected to make the appointment at the Jan. 28 meeting.
The new council member is expected to be sworn in on Feb. 4. Whoever is appointed will finish out the remainder of Johnson’s unexpired term through early December.
With this year being an election year for city council, the appointed member also has the option to run for the seat in the upcoming election.
Applications can be found by visiting the city’s website at www.greensboro-nc.gov.
Also, at Tuesday night’s meeting, the council approved an ordinance for $11 million in state funding, of which $10 million is earmarked for the Bingham Park remediation and $1 million for downtown projects.
Council also presented a resolution to honor to the 200th Anniversary of First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro. Two Resolutions to Honor were delivered posthumously to the families of the late Dr. Arthur P. Bell, a retired professor of agriculture at N.C. A&T State University and Robert Kolla, an educator who served 42 years in the Guilford County Schools System and is a community volunteer. Council also presented a resolution to honor the retirement of former North Carolina A&T State University Chancellor Dr. Harold L Martin, who retired in August 2024.
“Thank you for helping people recognize the importance of the North Carolina A&T and East Greensboro. Thank you for doing that for this community,” said Hightower.
