Happy 100 Days of Non-Compliance | Eastern North Carolina Now

Happy 100 Day Anniversary for Non-Compliance

   It is written that the Buddha once spoke the words "Three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth." Congratulations to the Washington Housing Authority on their 100 day anniversary of stonewalling my Freedom of Information Act request demanding receipts on the trips taken by the Authority, who went on these trips and what they spent money on since the City Council voted to give them $580,000 out of the General Fund. In those 100 days, the sun and the moon have shown themselves but certainly not the truth.

   Here's what we do know. Alice Sadler, the Mayor's wife, is the Chairperson of the Washington Housing Authority which is an appointed position. The conflict of interest in this fact alone is alarming but this is the tip of the iceberg. We also know that Council Member Brooks bought two lots from the Housing Authority after making a motion to move the $580,000 out of the General Fund over to the Housing Authority and then sold it back the Housing Authority for a profit. We know that the city subsequently forgave the taxes accrued on these properties. We know that after the $580,000 dollars was given to the Washington Housing Authority that as many as 9 trips were taken by the Housing Authority to such locations as Los Angeles, Denver, Savannah, and Tampa.

   Here's what we don't know. We have no idea where any of the $580,000 given to the Authority went. We have no idea if spouses, including the mayor, went on these trips on the taxpayers dime and how much they spent on these trips. We have no idea why an elected Council Member was allowed to purchase two lots using money that he made a motion to move out of the General Fund and into the Housing Authority and then allowed to sell it back for a profit. Is something nefarious going on? We don't know because no answer at all is forthcoming from the Washington Housing Authority.

   Today a voter at the polls questioned Mayor Sadler about this and about the conflict of interest of his wife serving as the Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners for the Washington Housing Authority. His excuse was that there was no conflict of interest since another City Council Member had nominated her. I interjected at which time the mayor launched into a string of expletives towards me not fit to print. Now I have a thick skin and I'm not easily intimidated so I could care less about his apparent short fuse. But the fact that he thinks its appropriate for his spouse to serve as the Chairperson of a group that the City of Washington is handing $580,000 over to while another Council Member that is part of his slate of candidates profits off the transactions and then fails to comply with a mandatory Freedom of Information Act Request is troublesome. As the saying goes “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

   This election is not about me. It's not about Mayor Sadler. It's not about Councilman Brooks. It's about the rule of law and transparency in government. No one has the right to refuse to keep from the public what they have spent $580,000 of taxpayer dollars on, including the Mayor and his Wife. Representative Keith Kidwell's Office as well as Senator Jim Perry's office have already reached out to the Washington Housing Authority urging them to comply with the law but apparently they feel no compulsion to comply.

   Election Day is November 7th and Early Voting is all next week from 8 AM til 5 PM and next Saturday from 8 AM til 3 PM. Let the Mayor and the candidates for City Council know they aren't above the law. And Happy 100 Day Anniversary of Non-Compliance to the Washington Housing Authority.