When Guillermo Nurse was elected mayor of Oxford, N.C., the city he's called home for 15 years, he said unifying his fellow residents was his driving force. Nurse is a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, the first Black mayor of Oxford and the first Latino mayor in North Carolina.
He's been the mayor for a little more than a year now, so 吉彩网网站's Will Michaels called him up to see how the effort to unify his city is going in a time when unity seems to be a difficult prospect.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Are there any changes you can point to that show progress toward that goal?
Yes. I think we are really meeting that challenge, although we have lot more to go. We've introduced Juneteenth to the city. That was never being done before. We've introduced Hispanic heritage. We have a large Culture Fest that unites all magnitudes of the human race. I have worked with the Latino community community get them on board. And I think we're a very diverse and all-inclusive community now, way, way more than we were. Everyone feels relaxed. They can come out. I've made myself available to talk to everyone, so I think we've moved in in right direction, but there's a whole lot of work to be done, so I think still think we got more to do.
In that more work that there is left to do. Is there anything standing in the way of it? And if so, what?
Well, I think it's just a matter of time. I think most of the citizens of Oxford have bought into the changes in the city. I would say you have that 20%, 25% that's been here all their life and they're having a hard time taking the grip on the change that that's coming into the city, especially as the city is starting to grow. We're scheduled to be around, I would say, 25,000 citizens in the next five to six years.
Just to be clear, when you talk about 25% or so of the city having trouble accepting change, are you talking specifically about population growth?
Well, some is population growth. Some is just basically changing the city. That 25% each each day I see dwindling down to smaller percentage right now. It's that small community of people that just will not change, and that's fine. The world is made out of everyone, and we just have to find a way to adapt and keep them part of the community and let them know we love them.
One specific goal that you had when we talked last was for the City Commission to pass a resolution by the end of 2024 calling Henry "Dickie" Marrow's death and assassination. Marrow was, of course, the Black Oxford man who was killed in 1970 after being accused of making a crude remark to a white woman. Two white men were acquitted by an all white jury.
We did for the first time recognize with a proclamation Henry Marrow's death. In fact, we had his daughters come and get the proclamation. We had Dr. Ben Chavis speak at Juneteenth. Right now, we're looking for one of those (historical) markers. They want to have a marker installed down where he was shot.
We got opposition when we decided to do the proclamation, not within the board, but we got opposition - very little, but on the outside - where they asked to censor me for reviving hate and discontent in the community, and they just didn't want to recognize that Dickie Marrow was assassinated, and the other people that did it walked free.
I wanted to also talk briefly about recent cuts in federal funding trickling down to state and local governments throughout the past few months. How, if at all, have they impacted Oxford?
Right now, it has not impacted yet. Will it? I am sure it will impact somehow. Right now we are struggling because the legislature trying to take $11 million from us that was already granted to us, but hopefully we hold on to that.
Talking to both Senators and Congressmen, they're still telling us, 'Go ahead and apply for the grants that are out there,' and it's basically like a case by case basis that they're looking at these things. But right now, it has not impacted us, but once this year budget goes in, and the projects we have coming up, we'll find out real fast if it's going to impact the city.
Are there any grants in particular that you worry about right now?
One of the big things we want to do, as I said in my campaign, was to build a public safety building. We're working on that right now. We will need a grant to do that. Our wastewater treatment plant, we will need a grant to keep it functioning and expanding to deal with the growth that we have coming. Again, both Senators and Congressmen are saying, 'Submit your grant. Submit your package. We can't tell you if it's yes or no, but just submit it.' All they can do is tell you no, but you got to submit. If you don't submit it, you can't complain.
The last time we talked, you had just become mayor and you promised not to be in the position for more than six years. The mayor in Oxford is elected every two years. I assume that you will be running for re-election this fall, but what do you hope to get done before the end of your first term?
The public safety building. That's one thing. That's one of my goals. Get that in design. We're working on building an economic development department for city of Oxford. We are at the point where the growth is going to come, we need to have our own economic development team.
Is Oxford still a city on the rise?
Yes, Oxford is a city on the rise. Last time you were here, we didn't have any houses developed down (Highway) 96. Now we have close to 100 houses already built with residents down there. There's talk about bringing in a Chick-fil-A, a Starbucks, and some newer restaurants and supermarkets.
Thank you for coming back on the program.
Thank you very much for inviting me. You're welcome to come back to Oxford. You know you missed the Hot Sauce Festival? (laughter)
