Mayor seeks public input on planned Civil War history center

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The mayor of a North Carolina city wants the public’s input on a proposed Civil War history center.

The Fayetteville Observer reports Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin is calling for a special city council meeting to gauge support. Colvin said the $7.5 million the city would have to invest in the project could be put to better use than the proposed North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center.

Colvin, who is black, says he no longer backs the project, and he says a growing number of the city’s black residents are expressing concerns about it.

Troy Williams, a criminal defense investigator and radio co-host, supports the center and accuses the mayor of stirring up opposition. Williams, who also is black, said the center will tell the truth about the war.

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Information from: The Fayetteville Observer, http://www.fayobserver.com