CITIZENS OF RAEFORD will head to the polls Nov. 4 to choose their mayor and members of the city council. With new candidates vying for leadership roles, the Hoke County Edition of the North State Journal emailed questions to each to find out who they are, what they love about Raeford, and what they hope to achieve in the coming years.
Except for his time spent away at college, John K. McNeill III has called Raeford “home” his whole life. With more than two decades as mayor, there are several projects he hopes to finish. McNeill says he “wants to ensure that Raeford is in a sound financial situation and also to see our Robbins Heights project completed” this term.
Candidate Demetria Barker-Augugliaro, a native from Brooklyn, New York, moved to North Carolina in her adolescent years and graduated from Hoke County High School in 1988. She is a veteran of the United States Army and Reserves, and has been active in veteran service organizations, including VFW and DAV. Augugliaro is involved in several organizations including the Eastern Star, Rho Alpha Omega Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Democratic Women of Hoke County and is a lifetime member of the Civic League of Hoke County. She holds degrees in education, art and nursing.
Jeremy Hollingsworth is the other candidate running for mayor. As a teacher at Hoke County High School, he teaches the fields of 3D modeling and animation, as well as Adobe visual design in the Career and Technical Education Department. He is a pastor at both Christ Free Will Baptist Church and Love Grove Free Will Baptist Church. Hollingsworth also owns and operates Hollingsworth Real Estate LLC.
“My motivation for running for mayor is simple: I want to work tirelessly for our city and help build a community that stands as a beacon of what a great city should look like,” he said.
Pharmacist Charles Allen has served the citizens of Raeford as a city councilman for 12 years and lived within the Raeford city limits since 1974.
“I am running for reelection to the Raeford City Council because I feel like there are many things we have brought to the citizens of Raeford,” Allen said. “One thing that I would like to see completed is expanding the facilities for the various city departments, police, water, maintenance, etc., into a single area that provides ample space for all the departments.”
For the past 16 years, Wayne Willis has served the city council.
“My favorite things about Raeford and Hoke County are the same things that brought me back home after college — family, friends, and the simple way of life in Raeford,” said Willis. “We need to continue working on acquiring grants to help fund the park improvements, provide space for our police, city maintenance improvements, and additional staffing at our fire department.”
If candidate Shirley Hart is elected to city council, her top priority will be to address recovery and food insecurity while supporting smart growth in Raeford. She works as the executive director of Tia Hart Community Recovery Organization and has more than 20 years of grassroots service in Raeford. Hart has served on boards including Sandhills LME, Four County Community Services, the Hoke County Public Health Advisory Board, Southeastern Family Services, Recovery Communities of NC and Second Harvest Food Bank. She has experience in community organizing through the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the Hoke County Civic League.
Voters can find the county’s 15 polling locations through the Hoke County Board of Elections.