All Roanoke Rapids City Council members, with the exception of Mayor Emery Doughtie — who does not vote except in the case of a tie — signed a public statement condemning racial discrimination.

The statement comes after Yvonne Doughtie, the mayor’s wife, commented on a Facebook post last week. Her comments addressed race, housing, and city schools.

“Each member of the Roanoke Rapids City Council is in full agreement with this statement,” the statement released today says. “We stand together, united as a Council, in the belief that every person in our community deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality, regardless of race, color, background, or heritage.”

“Recent comments shared on social media have caused concern and hurt within our community,” the statement says. “We want to be clear that the City Council does not condone or agree with words or expressions that are racist, discriminatory, or demeaning toward any individual or group of people.”

The statement continues, “While individuals speak for themselves, we as members of the City Council have a responsibility to speak for the values we believe should guide our community. We represent all people — all races, all colors, all backgrounds, and every neighborhood in our city. No resident should ever feel that they are less valued, less welcome, or less deserving of respect because of who they are or the color of their skin.”

“Our community is stronger when we choose respect over division and when we are willing to stand together against words and actions that diminish the dignity of others,” the document says.

“We recognize that public trust is built not only through what we say, but through how we lead. The City Council remains committed to serving every resident fairly, listening to every part of our community, and working toward a city where everyone knows they belong.”

The statement concludes, “We encourage our community to move forward together — not by ignoring hurtful words, but by rejecting prejudice, treating one another with respect, and demonstrating through our actions the kind of community we want to be. Hate and racism do not represent the values of the Roanoke Rapids City Council. We stand for dignity. We stand for respect. And above all, we stand with and represent all of our people.”

The statement is signed by Warren Keith Bell, Sandra Bryant, Andy Jackson, Rex Stainback, and Curt Strickland.

The comment by Yvonne Doughtie was posted in response to a Facebook thread initiated by rental property owner Jim Garrett, who was discussing perceived economic disparities between the east and west sides of Roanoke Rapids.

“On the east side of town, we generally see more prosperity, more people working and paying taxes, better-maintained houses, and neighborhoods that appear more stable,” Garrett wrote. “Cross into some neighborhoods on the west side, and the picture changes dramatically. There is more poverty and greater dependence on government assistance, such as Section 8 and food benefits. There are deteriorating houses, abandoned buildings, drugs, fires, homelessness, and violent crime.”

Replying to Garrett's thread, Yvonne Doughtie recalled growing up in the Chaloner Park area before addressing demographic changes in the city.

“I have lived here all my life! When I was growing up I lived in Chaloner Park. The Chaloner Park Neighbor Hood was a wonderful place to raise a family and it was full of middle class family’s with children that played together in each other’s yards from morning to dark. The people that lived in Chaloner Park were Businessmen and Women, Lawyers, Teachers, Principal, Police Officers, Nurses, Bookkeepers, Truck Drivers, Gas Station Owners etc. My Point is these were people with all kinds of employment and everybody worked for what they had…, no handouts of government give aways!” she wrote.

She concluded her post by writing, “Another problem I have observed is the Black Citizens have moved into the City of Roanoke Rapids and RRHS and there has been a lot of problems with their housing area and in the schools. I am not saying all Black Citizens but a lot of them just don’t take care of their houses especially if they are renting. We have what I call a lot of Slum Lord Rental People that do not keep their properties fixed!”