Residents press council on governance and police engagement during citizens’ forum

Speakers during the citizens’ open forum raised concerns about local governance, ordinance consistency and police‑community engagement.

Robert Wilkins told the council he believes Auburn’s council‑manager form of government has weakened accountability: "Today unelected city manager controls the budget, department hiring and firing and nearly every day decision," he said, arguing that the system distances executive responsibility from voters and urging renewed citizen control.

Susan Ball questioned the constitutionality and enforcement of a local sign ordinance and asked the council to apply constitutional standards consistently; she urged the body to consider nullifying a prior ordinance she said was improperly adopted.

Representing the Lee County NAACP, Letisha Smith said the NAACP was disappointed the Auburn police chief did not attend the group’s "Partners in Protection" town hall and urged city officials to prioritize community policing engagement. She said the annual event — which added the district attorney this year — is intended to build trust and share information about public safety.

Council members and staff responded: one council member said they attended the NAACP event and found it informative; city staff explained the chief canceled due to unforeseen circumstances and that the department had an on‑duty shooting the same day, limiting available personnel. Several council members expressed support for Chief Harris and encouraged residents to meet with him.

What’s next: Council and staff said they will continue to coordinate with community groups on engagement events and work to provide representation when possible; no formal action or directive was recorded beyond those commitments.