In over a decade on the Greensboro City Council, it has been extremely rare for At-large City Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter to miss a meeting.

In fact, if the City Council gave out yearly perfect attendance pins Abuzuaiter would have a pocket full.

Abuzuaiter, however, missed the Tuesday, March 1 meeting and will also be absent from the Tuesday, March 15 meeting because she is currently in the hospital in Washington, NC.

Abuzuaiter was on the Outer Banks with her husband, Isa, when she became ill, which is how she ended up in a hospital so far from home.

What put Abuzuaiter in the hospital is diverticulitis and a ruptured diviticula, which can be life threatening.

However, Abuzuaiter said her recovery is going well and added, “I’m expecting to be back in Greensboro this week.”

She also said, “I’m going to bounce back and be at 100 percent.”

Abuzuaiter said, “I certainly appreciate everybody’s concern about me and all their prayers.”

Abuzuaiter was first elected to an at-large seat on the City Council in 2011, won reelection for two year terms 2013 and 2015, and then in 2017 won election to a four-year term.  That four-year term was extended by the state legislature when the Greensboro City Council election, which was scheduled to be held in October and November of 2021, was delayed.  The primary was rescheduled for March 8 because the US Census data required to redraw City Council districts was not available in time for the fall election.

The NC Supreme Court in December 2021 suspended filing for all 2022 elections and postponed the primary from March 8 to May 17 in order to consider challenges to the congressional and state legislative districts drawn by the state legislature.

Even though the challenges had nothing to do with the already delayed City Council elections, they were postponed along with everything else.

Despite all the delays, Abuzuaiter filed to run for reelection and said that she is looking forward to getting back to Greensboro and campaigning.

The City Council primary will be May 17 and the general election on Tuesday, July 26.

 

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