Mayor Charles Gaylor

One of my top priorities when taking office was to get our city across this finish line. Thank you to our finance team for your diligent work to get us to this milestone.

Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸

Happy Father’s Day to all the men out there who have adopted the role of father. It’s hard, and it’s incredibly important. The role of father shows our sons how to be better men, and shows our daughters what to expect from others.

But as men, we often don’t know where to look for help and advice. If you’re looking for a great resource, check out fatherhood.gov.

But remember this, there is no wrong way to be a father when you truly care and show up. Thank you to all the fathers out there and keep it up! Our community needs you.

Update:

We have a Special Called Meeting of the Goldsboro City Council scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, at 6:00 pm at City Hall. The purpose of this meeting is to have a discussion with Chief West of our Goldsboro Police Department and Sheriff Pierce of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office about what is being done to address the gun violence that is hurting Goldsboro, the commercial core of Wayne County. I, along with the City Council, will hear current operations, future strategies, and ways that we as civic leaders can better engage our citizens to fix this problem.

Since taking office in December 2023, we have raised salaries across the police department to support career officers remaining with, or returning to, Goldsboro. We have supported numerous events and organizations, working to build better relationships between city leadership and every corner of our community. We continue to support organizations who support families, youth programming, and better career opportunities right here in Goldsboro.

But we cannot slow down. We must push even harder and be more creative in our response. Violent crime locally has followed a national increasing trend as we enter the summer months. Therefore, we will come together again with law enforcement to talk about what is necessary from their perspective on Tuesday, and will even further commit our support to our community partners who also work so hard to make Goldsboro a safe and prosperous place to live.

As many of you have heard by now, our city has experienced a notable increase in gun violence over the last few days, resulting in multiple fatalities.

First, I want to acknowledge the loss of life and the grief that these families are feeling at this time. The loss of a loved one is inherently difficult; losing a loved one at the hands of another through an act of targeted violence is even more devastating. With that loss comes many emotions: vengeance, anger, denial, and the desire for retribution. What I am here to promise is that we will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice. But we will need the help of the community around us. We need prosecution through the criminal justice system. We must resist the urge to bring violence in response to violence. Our community deserves to see true justice.

Through conversations with Chief West of our Goldsboro Police Department, we are requesting support from Sheriff Pierce and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. We are asking to reactivate the REACT teams to help address both the immediate investigation needs, but also the root causes of these violent acts. We respect that every law enforcement agency is stretched thin, but appreciate the additional resources that WCSO brings into the seat of Wayne County.

In the coming week, I will be announcing a Mayor’s Violent Crime Taskforce made up of respected members from every corner of our City and County. We know that violence, especially gang violence, in Wayne County doesn’t care if it has crossed a border into a city or not. We must work together to bring resolution to our citizens, our communities, and our families. We simply cannot afford to lose more of our children, neighbors, and friends to these senseless acts of violence.

Thank you, Congressman Don Davis!

Thank you, Congressman Wiley Nickel!

Another great Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni & Friends, Inc. (OFFICIAL) weekend in the books! I was honored to bring greetings on behalf of the City last Thursday for the 2024 Annual Scholarship Program and to be part of the parade on Saturday. Can’t wait to see everyone next year!

Today we take time to memorialize those who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe and unified. We pay special tribute and acknowledge that all gave some, but some gave all.

Thank you to those who have served. I wish everyone a blessed Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

Happy Mother’s Day to all the strong maternal figures that help to guide and shape our community. We appreciate you!

The Mayor and City Council, along with Interim City Manager Matt Livingston (not pictured), were all in attendance yesterday at Faith Church's National Day of Prayer Luncheon.

The National Day of Prayer is celebrated annually on the first Thursday in May. The day presents an opportunity for Americans of all faiths to join in united prayer for the nation.

The month of April has already been jam packed in the City of Goldsboro! We’ve been keeping our calendar full around here, and I wanted to just share a few of the highlights:

- Goldsboro Parks & Recreation Senior Games
- Special Olympics Wayne County
- Goldsboro Alphas Anniversary Dinner
- Multiple Goldsboro Police Department Swearing-In Ceremonies
- NC League of Municipalities Town and State Dinner
- American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Golf Champion at Lane Tree
- City of Goldsboro Fire Department Fire Academy Graduation
- Disabled American Veterans Meeting
- United Way of Wayne County, North Carolina Night Full of Heroes
- Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne 100th Home Celebration
- Communities Supporting Schools of Wayne County Fundraiser
- Sunrise Kiwanis Greater Goldsboro Road Run

Spring has sprung in Goldsboro! There are a wide variety of organizations and initiatives that could use your talents, and now is a great time to get involved.

Happy Easter to all and I hope everyone gets to enjoy this beautiful weekend weather, too!

It was a beautiful day for a Change of Command ceremony at Seymour Johnson AFB! Thank you to Col. Teel for your dedication and service these past two years. You have set the tone for a strong partnership between the City of Goldsboro and SJAFB. Sarah and I wish you and your family the very best as you meet your next challenge.

And congratulations to Col. Lohse on continuing the tradition of exceptional leadership of the 4th Fighter Wing. I look forward to working with you!

I feel very fortunate to work alongside these dedicated women who are helping to lead and shape our community. Happy Women’s History Month!

We honor the women of the Goldsboro City Council during Women's History Month. Mayor Pro Tem Brandi Matthews and Councilmembers Beverly Weeks, Jamie Taylor and Hiawatha Jones are at the helm of the first Goldsboro City Council led by a majority of women. This is significant because, before Matthews' historic election in 2019, only one woman — Mildred Gaylor — had ever served on the Council.

Welcome to Goldsboro, North Carolina Main Street Center! It’s going to be a great few days.

Thank you to all those who worked so hard to get Downtown Goldsboro ready. You bring out the best in our city!

This morning we swore in Matt Livingston as Interim City Manager. It was an impromptu celebration, but a moment worth documenting. I’m grateful to Matt and his family for taking this step. Thank you to Mrs. Livingston for coming by on short notice so we could celebrate this day in the history of our city.

Last night the City and its manager, Tim Salmon, formally agreed to part ways. I wish him and his family nothing but success and happiness in his next chapter. He led this city through turbulent times beginning the moment he assumed the role. He was willing to make difficult, sometimes unpopular, but necessary decisions and push his people to be better than they were. I’d like to personally thank Tim for his five years of service to our city.

We also appointed Matt Livingston to the role of Interim City Manager. Matt has served as a Manager in two other cities for roughly seven years each, and led a council of government before joining Goldsboro as its Assistant City Manager. I’m excited to continue our work with him and appreciate his willingness to fill this role.

We will share updates about the search process and next steps in the coming weeks.

I’d like to give a shout out to this council for meeting until 11 PM Monday night and until 2 AM this morning. Your dedication to the city of Goldsboro is inspiring and does not go unnoticed.

As we celebrate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today, let us also remember the urgency in his message: the time is ALWAYS right to do right. The time is now.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!