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Smithfield council opens process to fill District 1 seat after Councilman Marlon Lee’s death; councilmen discuss memorials and short-term payments
Summary
Council issued a proclamation declaring June as Marlon A. Lee Day, heard extensive public comment, and discussed options to fill the vacant District 1 seat; the council unanimously approved contingent measures to consider paying the late councilman’s stipend to his children and to waive cemetery plot fees pending legal review.
The Town of Smithfield Town Council opened public comment and took initial steps following the recent death of Councilman Marlon A. Lee, including entering a proclamation declaring June 2025 as "Marlon A. Lee Day" into the record and discussing how to fill the District 1 vacancy.
The council chair asked for a moment of silence at the start of the meeting and later proposed entering the proclamation into the record; council members moved and seconded the entry and the motion carried. The mayor and several council members told residents that the statutory process for filling the vacant seat will follow North Carolina law and the town charter, and staff and the town attorney will present formal options to the council for a transparent process following the funeral period.
Multiple residents…
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