Fuquay-Varina mayor leaving after two decades guiding town through ‘explosive growth’

Fuquay-Varina Mayor John Byrne will not seek reelection this November, retiring after 20 years spent leading the town.

In a news release announcing his retirement Monday night, Byrne said serving as mayor had been “the greatest honor of my life.”

“My wife and I are in good health, and we are at a stage in our lives where we want to do some things that require a time commitment that would frankly take away from the responsibilities of being Mayor,” he said in the release. “This is a great opportunity to step down on a high note and transition to the next phase in our lives.”

Byrne, who is completing his 10th term as mayor, ran unopposed in 2019. It was the fourth time he faced no challengers in his bid for mayor.

Accomplishments as mayor

In the news release, Town Manager Adam Mitchell praised Byrne for the town’s growth during his tenure. Fuquay-Varina has grown by more than 68% since 2010, according to Census data, to an estimated 2019 population of more than 30,000.

“Mayor Byrne has been an incredibly strong leader in helping to navigate the explosive growth the Town of Fuquay-Varina has experienced over the past 20 years,” he said. “His strong vision and commitment, and quite honestly, his affection for this town have left an enduring mark on Fuquay-Varina.”

The town pointed to his efforts to complete the Judd Parkway loop around Fuquay-Varina, business area developments, receipt of tens of millions of dollars in grant funding for community improvement, infrastructure investments and park and land expansions as key accomplishments of his two decades as mayor.

It also recognized his efforts to refurbish a former Belk department store building into an arts center, as well as his personal financial and land donations to the town.

But Byrne’s long tenure also featured several town controversies.

Earlier this year, Malcolm Ziglar, a Black 14-year-old, was handcuffed in his own yard and detained by Fuquay-Varina police for unknowingly purchasing a stolen bike.

In the aftermath, as the Ziglar family and activists called for accountability and police reform, Byrne told community members to “move forward” and said race was not a factor in the officers’ actions.

“It is not an uncommon procedure for an officer to detain a suspect while gathering information related to a complaint where probable cause exists,” he said. “In no way did the officer detain Mr. Ziglar because of race.”

In 2018, Byrne received criticism for saying a family had been in town so long “they helped run the Indians off,” The News & Observer reported.

He said at the time he hadn’t meant to offend anyone, and was just referring “to history.”

Byrne voices support for mayoral candidate

Byrne said in the release he supports Mayor Pro Tem Blake Massengill for mayor in the upcoming election.

“He is a wonderful family man, business owner, and advocate for Fuquay-Varina,” Byrne said.

Massengill has served on the Town Board since 2013 and as Mayor Pro Tem since 2015.

This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 10:18 AM.