Joseph Hatem

{"skills":"I recently graduated college with a B.A. in Politics & International Affairs and Philosophy. I was a Public Policy Intern for Greenville Housing Fund in Greenville, South Carolina, where I worked directly under the Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement. ","achievements":"n/a","responsibility":"n/a"}

✪ Worked with the N.C. League of Municipalities, Local Mayors, and County Commissioners ✪ Established Southport Connected—with grant funding ✪ Board of Aldermen Meetings—Live Streaming ✪ Monthly City Newsletter ✪ Removed Time Limit on Public Comment ✪ Worked with our Central Business District to delay work on Howe Street until after Christmas ✪ Town Hall –Board of Aldermen— Workshop for the open exchange of ideas, information, and for citizen involvement and input—most recently concerning traffic, roads, speeding, and pedestrian safety and crosswalks ✪ Established Two Board of Aldermen Meetings a Month ✪ Worked with City Manager, City Staff, and Board of Aldermen moving forward with 38 City Projects

At a July 7 aldermen meeting, Mayor Alt claimed the planning board stalled on a critical Bull Frog Corner parking variance for 13 months—suggesting a legal risk for the city. Planning Board Vice Chairman Kevin Locklin, along with other board members, later publicly refuted the claim, stating the delays were mischaracterized and the board had acted responsibly in response to safety concerns and statute requirements. Alt’s accusations misrepresented procedural facts and publicly undermined the credibility of volunteers who have faithfully served Southport. In a contested 4–2 vote, Planning Board Chair Sue Hodgin—a respected member with institutional knowledge—was not reappointed, despite vocal support from board members and at least one alderman as recently as a few days before. Her removal was seen by insiders as politically motivated, especially given her past critiques of the mayor and advocacy for transparency. Mayor Alt publicly stated that the Planning Board had no legal standing under state statutes to review development agreements. Board members swiftly contradicted this, noting that the law requires their involvement before the aldermen vote—exactly the process they followed. Such mischaracterization of legal procedure suggests either ignorance of or disregard for clear policy and impairs public trust. Since taking office, Mayor Alt presided over a sudden resignation of City Manager Stuart Turille Jr., who left amid a history of resignations in other municipalities—all without explanation. Residents and leaders were provided no substantive answer, and an inexperienced interim replacement was appointed after just a brief closed session. Alt declined to clarify the circumstances, citing privacy protections—and failed to reassure residents about leadership continuity or strategic direction. After a razor-thin election (decided by a recount and ultimately just two votes), Mayor Alt suggested the city was divided and would need to “make amends” with one half of Southport. A planning board member responded that there was no “real win” for the city, seeing his phrasing as pandering and pessimistic. Alt later backtracked, calling the quote a mischaracterization, but the initial statement created significant unease about his leadership style and tone. When presented with a proposal for paid public parking to fund capital projects, Alt admitted he was not personally in favor but suggested the board needed revenue ideas—it was met with a massive public opposition petition of over 7,200 signatures. Critics argued Alt did not anticipate the public backlash or sufficiently engage with residents before raising the proposal, indicative of reactive, rather than responsive, leadership.