A former Fayetteville mayor wants his old job back. Dan Coody was in office for eight years but lost in the 2008 runoff election against current Mayor Lioneld Jordan.
Coody said he's not happy with the direction Mayor Jordan has taken Fayetteville. During his kick-off campaign he addressed supporters with his own version of the stump speech.
"We need to have a debate about the direction of Fayetteville right now. Is there a vision that we are looking at? Is there a long-term goal? Have the decisions that been made lately, are they good are they bad?" Coody asked.
Coody said residents need a leader they can turn to, even when they don't agree.
"When I was mayor everyone knew who to throw rocks at because I was out there promoting ideas and trying to lead this community into this vision that had been generated from the community," Coody said.
Coody supporters listened to who they hope will guide Fayetteville during the next four years. That's if he beats current mayor Lionel Jordan.
"I agree with Dan, it's like nothing is going on. We are not going forward, we are just kind of coasting," supporter Steve Frankenberger said.
Jordan supporter Sharon Davison was down the road from Coody’s kick-off campaign backing the current mayor.
"Lioneld Jordan has proven himself on the council. He's proven himself as mayor. He has done more for us as a city," Davison said.
During the last four years, Coody said he's been self-employed in real estate and traveling with his wife, Deborah. Now he's ready to take his old job back.
"We did all kinds of things that were good for Fayetteville, and we need to gain that momentum and keep it going," Coody said.
5NEWS reached out to Mayor Jordan on Wednesday, but those calls weren't returned. Filing for the Nov. 6 election starts on July 27.
The Fayetteville mayor is elected to a four-year term and can serve an unlimited number of terms.