A Commissioner Heading to the State Senate, a Budget Hearing, and a Young Girl Who Stole the Show
Tuesday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting had a little of everything: Boy Scouts leading the Pledge, a surprise announcement that will soon leave a vacancy on the board, a moving moment from a young Tourette’s advocate, pointed public comments about fiscal restraint and federal immigration detention facilities, and a mayor who kept things warm, funny, and moving all at once. Here is what happened.
How the Night Opened: Scouts, a MADD Award, and a Retirement
The evening opened with members of Boy Scout Troop 500 leading the Pledge of Allegiance — earning a warm welcome from Mayor Clapsaddle, who noted that his son Nathan’s name is on the side of the troop’s trailer as a former Eagle Scout. The scouts are working on their Community and Citizenship Merit Badge.
With the Pledge done, Clapsaddle moved quickly to an amended agenda item he had distributed to commissioners before the meeting: the recognition of Wake Forest Police Officer Jay Fuquay, who received MADD North Carolina’s 2026 DWI Enforcer Award at an April 30 ceremony in Selma. The award recognizes officers whose DWI enforcement stands out relative to their community’s population. Fuquay — a former Winterville officer who joined Wake Forest PD in May 2023 — accounted for 47 of the department’s 255 DWI arrests in 2025, and had already logged 15 of 86 arrests so far in 2026 as of May 15.
Minutes from the April 7 work session and April 21 regular meeting were approved unanimously, and the board moved into presentations.
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The mayor read a retirement resolution for Katherine “Kathy” Tharrington, a Public Works Administrative Assistant retiring after more than five years of service. Tharrington was not present, but Clapsaddle read her full resolution, praising her as “a cornerstone of the department” who supported the Solid Waste, Streets, Urban Forestry, and Fleet divisions.
Proclamations: Pride, Prayer, Fitness, Chronic Illness, Mental Health, and Tourette’s
The presentations section covered six proclamations — and produced three of the most memorable moments of the night.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month came first, and it was not on the printed agenda. Clapsaddle called up Amanda Cottrell, co-founder and past board chair of Wake Forest Pride, and read the proclamation recognizing June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, calling on residents to “reflect on the importance of respect, understanding, and belonging for all members of our community.”
Cottrell accepted it quietly. “Thank you everyone out there who has been so supportive of an initiative that started with a few people in our community at a really hard time,” she said. “We’re grateful for the support we have on both sides of this room tonight.”
It was a brief, warm exchange — and for residents who have been watching Wake Forest closely, it carried weight that the moment itself didn’t fully announce.
Background: What happened last year
Last September, then-Mayor Vivian Jones made an offhand remark at a work session that Wake Forest would recognize Pride Month in October — she later said she had confused Pride Month with LGBTQ History Month. Within hours, the NC Values Coalition had blasted a prewritten email campaign to its statewide mailing list directing supporters to contact Wake Forest Town Hall. By that same afternoon, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Executive Vice President Ryan Hutchinson had emailed Town Manager Kip Padgett warning that the seminary would “re-evaluate its partnerships with the town” if any proclamation moved forward. That evening, the town’s own communications team was preparing what one staffer described in writing as a post they knew “will provoke a firestorm.” Within days, Jones had walked back the proclamation entirely in a private phone call with the seminary, confirmed by a follow-up email from SEBTS President Dr. Daniel Akin thanking her for “your decision to remove the proclamation from the agenda.”
Wake Forest Pride held its first community festival last fall, Tuesday was the first time the Town of Wake Forest has formally recognized Pride Month from the dais.
National Day of Prayer followed, read by Commissioner Cross. She noted that the official May 7 event at the seminary was rained out, but that didn’t stop about 37 people from gathering outside to pray anyway. Reverend Bob Gallagher, who organized the event, was in the room and thanked the mayor and Commissioner Cross for their support. “We did have a great time at the seminary,” he said, “and some of us did get out there and stand in the rain a little bit.”
National Senior Health & Fitness Day (May 27) was also read by Commissioner Cross, with the Center for Active Aging’s Zoie Taylor present to accept.
Chronic Illness & Medical Advocacy Awareness Month was read by Commissioner Sliwinski. Amber Austin, founder of Unhinged and Loud Advocacy and Education Foundation, stepped to the podium. “Unhinged and Loud was created from personal pain, lived experience, and the reality that so many chronic illness and autoimmune patients feel unheard and unseen while searching for answers,” she said. “This recognition is not just for me — it’s for every patient who has ever felt dismissed, ignored, or invisible.”
Then came the moment many in the room will remember longest.
Mental Health Month — also read by Commissioner Sliwinski. Before he began, he paused, visibly collecting himself, and told the room plainly: “Y’all are gonna have to give me a minute.” He read through the proclamation, his voice catching at points, calling on residents, government agencies, businesses and schools to “recommit our community to increasing awareness and understanding of mental illnesses, reducing stigma and discrimination.”
When he finished reading, he set the paper down and spoke from the heart. He thanked the mayor, his colleagues, and the town for making mental health a priority. He mentioned the lapel pins — mental health awareness pins he had brought to the meeting and personally distributed to every commissioner, the mayor, and town staff. He said he wished he could take credit for the idea, but then turned and looked directly into one of the cameras: “I know my dad is actually back in Pennsylvania watching, so — I don’t know what camera it is — but hey, pops.”
He explained that mental health has been an issue he and his father have bonded over throughout his life. “It was important for him for us to have these tonight,” he said quietly. “Just wanna say thank you to him and thank you to all of you.”
The room was still.
Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day (June 4) was read by Commissioner Wright. When he finished, a young girl named Jessenia — a Tourette Association of America Youth Ambassador — stepped to the microphone.
“Hello, my name is Jessenia. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s December 12th, 2023,” she said. “Tourette Syndrome is when someone makes uncontrollable sounds and movements called tics. I wanted to do this proclamation so I can raise more awareness about Tourette Syndrome so people like me won’t get bullied.”
She addressed a common misconception directly: “When people think about Tourette Syndrome, they usually think about the South Park episode, or when you shout out bad words — that’s called coprolalia, and only 10% of people have that. And the awareness color for Tourette’s is teal.”
Mayor Clapsaddle told her it was “very, very brave” to speak, then announced on the spot that the town will light up Town Hall teal on June 4. He added he is also working to get the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary lit up the same night.
Annexation Continued; Budget Hearing Draws Three Speakers
The board opened the public hearing on the Ritchie Family Properties contiguous annexation — 7.76 acres at 1313 N White Street. Benjamin Ho, managing partner at High House Capital, appeared briefly to request the delay the applicant had already submitted in writing: the developer is still completing due diligence and site planning and did not want to finalize the annexation vote before the site plan is ready. The board continued the public hearing for 30 days; the matter returns to the June 16 meeting.
The board then opened the public hearing on the proposed FY 2026-2027 Annual Operating Budget, which calls for no change in the property tax rate ($0.42 per $100 of assessed value), a one-cent reduction in the downtown Municipal Service District tax (from $0.14 to $0.13), a $1/month increase in the residential solid waste fee (from $24 to $25), and no changes to Wake Forest Power rates or the stormwater fee. The full Budget in Brief is available here. Residents can share feedback at Engage Wake Forest.
Three speakers came to the mic.
Abby Black (disclosure: a Wake Forest Matters contributor), a South Main Street resident, said she was “overall pleased” with the budget but urged fiscal caution given the town’s own projections of future hardship — tied largely to inflation and a pending state constitutional amendment that could restrict local governments’ ability to raise property tax rates. “When there is a predicted lack of future funds, responsible individuals should immediately sit down, check the condition of their accounts, weigh the reality of the data carefully, and move ahead with fiscal caution,” she said. “A government whose funds are derived from the taxpayers should be equally, if not more, fiscally responsible.”
Jennifer Amyx, speaking as a member of the Neuse River Hawks Conservationists, raised a different budget angle entirely: she noted that conservation nonprofits often need municipalities to have “skin in the game” — line items showing town spending on native plantings, invasive species removal, and similar environmental work — in order to successfully apply for matching grants. She noted that neighboring Rolesville has such budget items, making it easier to bring grant money into that community. “It can really disadvantage us as a nonprofit conservation group if we try to get money for the town and there isn’t evidence in the budget of spending by the town on those kinds of things.”
Margaret Watkins, questioned the value of adding a new position to the Economic Development department without measurable performance goals. “How do you guys tell whether or not they’re being successful or not without measurable goals? I would like to know how many jobs they created, what the average wage was.” She also questioned recent budget allocations for the Center for Active Aging, noting that membership participation appeared to have declined. “Why are we throwing money at something when it doesn’t seem to be utilized as often?”
The budget public hearing is now closed. The board and staff will discuss the budget further at the June 2 work session, with a final vote scheduled for June 16.
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Public Comment: Immigration Detention Concerns Raised
General public comment brought two speakers from Wake Forest Indivisible who raised concerns about the possibility of federal ICE detention facilities being located in or near Wake Forest with little or no advance notice to local governments.
Sarah Lind of South Franklin Street described a pattern she said is “unfolding across the country,” with warehouses and industrial properties being quietly acquired by the federal government and converted into immigration detention facilities. She cited cases in Mississippi, Oklahoma City, and Salt Lake City where municipalities learned about large-scale detention facility plans only through media reports, and noted that the incoming DHS secretary had himself acknowledged at a Senate confirmation hearing that most municipalities lack the water and wastewater infrastructure to support such facilities.
Jennifer Amyx followed, referencing an ACLU of North Carolina FOIA lawsuit filed in January 2026, which revealed that GEO Group — a for-profit prison corporation — is working to reopen the Rivers Correctional Facility in Winton, NC as an ICE detention center. That facility previously lost federal contracts due to findings of violence and sexual assault. She also noted that at least 17 people have died in ICE custody in 2026 so far, with over 40 deaths since the start of the current administration. She invited residents to a May 26 rally at the NC General Assembly in Raleigh.
The board took no action and made no comment on these remarks, consistent with public comment rules that do not allow board deliberation on topics raised during the segment.
Margaret Watkins returned during public comment with suggestions for improving the commissioner appointment process that will be needed to fill Fatmi’s soon-to-be-vacant seat. Her recommendations: remove names, ages, and addresses from candidate materials and assign numbers instead; prohibit off-camera communication between commissioners and candidates during the process; station staff near restrooms during breaks to prevent unofficial lobbying; and prepare a strengths-and-weaknesses summary for each candidate. “I’m sorry, but some of y’all did not go through all those resumes, and it was pretty obvious,” she said.
Consent Agenda Passed
The consent agenda — Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 5 for FY 2025-2026 — passed unanimously without discussion. The amendment covers a range of adjustments including recognizing the Schooldev legal settlement ($725,000 from fund balance, with payments through 2028), recognizing additional revenues above projections, moving $300,000 into the Stormwater Capital Reserve Fund, and reclassifying several departmental line items.
Commissioner Reports: The Biggest News of the Night
Department monthly reports and the April tax report were received without comment. Town Manager Kip Padgett had no updates. Then came commissioner reports — and the announcement no one saw coming.
Commissioner Sliwinski went first, noting the upcoming Juneteenth planning discussion at the Northeast Community Coalition and flagging the program change for the night-before event: with construction underway at Taylor Street Park and Joey Wiggins Park “very soon to be open,” the June 19 program will move inside Alston-Massenburg Center from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Commissioner Fatmi then took the mic — and surprised the room.
Fatmi explained that Senator Terrence Everitt had vacated his seat in NC Senate District 18 several weeks ago. After “a lot of considerations and deliberations, a lot of internal and external discussions, a lot of talking to family, a lot of prayer,” Fatmi said he was nominated and voted last week to fill that seat. He expects the appointment to be finalized by the end of this week or early next week, at which point he will step down as commissioner.
“My tenure here has been absolutely phenomenal,” Fatmi said. “I’ve absolutely enjoyed serving Wake Forest. I hope that I’ve done a good job during this short period. I want to thank my colleagues. Wake Forest, I think, is a well-oiled machine. And Mr. Padgett, you always sit quietly in the back, but you make all of this work.”
Not everyone on the dais had been given a heads-up. Commissioner Cross responded with measured candor: “This is the first time you’ve shared this information personally with me, so this is a very odd way for you to share it with your board. It would’ve been nice to hear about this ahead of time.”
The departure means the board will soon need to fill Fatmi’s seat — and Margaret Watkins had already laid out her suggestions for how to run that process cleanly, as noted above.
Commissioner Cross mentioned a ribbon cutting at the new Wake Forest Exchange development and reminded residents she hosts “Coffee with the Commissioner” Thursday mornings — next one is this Thursday at 9:30 a.m. She also noted that despite the National Day of Prayer event being officially rained out on May 7, about 37 people gathered outside at the seminary anyway.
Commissioner Wright reported emceeing the most recent Friday Night on White — which he was told drew the largest crowd in the series’ history — and is emceeing the next Six Sundays in Spring this Sunday.
Commissioner Shackleford, who serves as Mayor Pro Tem, praised the Wake Forest Fire Department’s free monthly CPR and first aid training, which he attended last Saturday. He said Lieutenant Lamberty and the fire department team did “a fantastic job” and that the 10-seat class appears to fill every month. To find out more, contact the Wake Forest Fire Department.
Mayor Clapsaddle closed with seasonal remarks about summer safety, shout-outs to Craig Windley (2026 Wake Forest Public Works Employee of the Year, nominated by his colleagues), Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year winners Azari Astrop and Candace Honeycutt, and Franklin Academy senior Gabrielle Pendola, appointed to the United States Naval Academy. He also recognized Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Military Appreciation Month, Peace Officers’ Memorial Day (May 15), and asked residents to take a moment on Memorial Day to honor those who served. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:03 p.m.
What’s Next
Commissioner vacancy: With Fatmi’s departure expected to be finalized this week or early next week, the board will need to begin a process to fill his seat. Expect that process to dominate the coming weeks.
Town Hall lit teal, June 4: Tourette Syndrome Awareness Day. The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary may also be lit teal — the mayor said he is working on it.
Joey Wiggins Park (formerly Taylor Street Park): Commissioner Sliwinski noted it is “very soon to be open.” Grand opening announcement expected.
May 26 rally: Wake Forest Indivisible and other organizations are gathering at the NC General Assembly in Raleigh to rally against ICE detention centers in North Carolina. More information here.
June 2 Work Session: Budget deliberations continue.
June 16 Regular Meeting: Budget adoption vote; Ritchie Family Properties annexation hearing resumes.
Juneteenth, June 20: Northeast Community Coalition planning an evening program June 19 inside Alston-Massenburg Center (6:30–7:30 pm) due to ongoing construction at Joey Wiggins Park.
Wake Forest Matters covers local government so you don’t have to sit through the meetings. The Board of Commissioners meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Board Room at Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks Street. Meetings air live on WFTV Channel 10 and are streamed on the Town’s Public Meetings Portal.
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