Unpacking the Washington City Council race | Eastern North Carolina Now

By:   John Steed

Lack of information has left many Washington voters scratching their heads on who to vote for in the November 7 city council race for all five seats.  The Washington Daily News no longer publishes answers to candidate questionnaires like it had for many years.  This election year, no civic group sponsored a candidates’ forum, as has generally been done in past years, that would allow voters to ask candidates about their agendas.

Some candidates have taken advantage of this lack of a marketplace of campaign ideas by running as stealth candidates, not telling voters where they stand on much of anything.  The incumbents all have voting records, of course, and some of the newcomers are very forthcoming with where they stand.

Another aspect of the race is that one mayoral candidate, Donald Sadler is running a slate of three allies, who would have absolute control of city government if all of them were elected.  The other mayoral candidate, Bobby Roberson, is not trying to push a slate but is friendly toward many of the council candidates while telling them he is not making endorsements.  Similarly, the county Democrat Party has its own slate in this non-partisan race, that is different but overlaps Sadler's slate.  The county Republican Party has advised its members who the registered Republicans running are but left it up to the voters to decide who to vote for.

Here are the incumbents running:

WILLIAM PITT is a longtime council member who has served as president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities.  Pitt was endorsed by Sadler two years ago, but not this year, as Pitt demonstrated that he makes up his own mind on issues, and voted against Sadler's 12% tax increase. Pitt is not afraid to set out his positions, and has pledged his opposition to tax and fee increases and his support for greater transparency in city government. He says this will be his last council race.

LOU HODGES, widow of former Mayor Mac Hodges, has served one term, during which she has been a swing vote.  While she initially pledged to oppose Sadler's tax increase, he politicked her to change her position and become the deciding vote to pass it.  She is very vague about what she stands for in this campaign, often telling voters that she is “for what the people want” but refusing to pin down what that is supposed to mean.

RICHARD BROOKS has served multiple terms on the city council despite his limited ability to read and write.  He was on the Sadler slate last election as well as this election, and has been a consistent vote for whatever the mayor wants.  Brooks has been criticized for making a motion to spend over half a million dollars of city taxpayers’ money for the purchase of two substandard lots he owned and the construction of low-income housing on them.

Here are the newcomers running:

 ANDREW “TEX” MELTON is making his first bid for public office, and has been forthcoming with voters on his positions on issues.  He is pushing primarily for holding the line on spending to prevent tax increases but has been willing to address whatever issue a voter is concerned about. Melton's career has always been in the private sector.

J. CONGLETON is making his second bid for a city council seat. His campaign is focused primarily on providing more recreational opportunities for city children.  While he sticks largely to that issue in his presentations, he has been willing to field questions from voters on other issues as well.

LISA PEYTON JONES is director of the Underground Railway Museum in Washington and has been active in civic affairs in her community.  She has been willing to speak out on whatever issues voters ask her about.  She is a strong proponent of greater transparency in city government, especially after Mayor Sadler tried to evict the city's senior citizen center without telling anyone.  She has also pledged to oppose any new taxes.  She is making her first bid for public office.

ANTHONY TYRE is running on the Sadler slate.  There is an open question about where he really lives.  While he claims an address over a business on Main Street recently, he has been living with his mother in Aurora, which many believe is still his actual residence.  Tyre has recently received a grant from a foundation to open a convenience or grocery store in Aurora on the basis that it is a “food desert”.  This is his first bid for public office.

GARY CERES is a small businessman who has previously run a couple of downtown businesses prior to the Covid era, and now runs an online business.  He has done extensive research and writing on city issues and has shown himself one of the most knowledgeable candidates on city issues.  Ceres has thrown himself into a number of battles with Mayor Sadler, being one of the most vocal opponents of Sadler's attempt to evict Washington's seniors from their Senior Center.  When Sadler sought to follow up his 2022 tax increase of 12% with a 2023 tax increase of another 8%, Ceres organized taxpayer opposition to it and the mayor backed down.  Ceres has done a lot of door-to-door campaigning and will answer whatever questions voters put to him.  This is his first bid for city council.

ELLEN BRABO is a young small businesswoman who runs an upscale Air B&B on Market Street and is a leader in the Washington Young Professionals.  This is her first bid for public office.  She has been rather vague in what she stands for, telling voters that she is “for a better Washington” without giving details of what she means by that and saying that the city needed “more young blood.”

MARY BEEDLE is a retired nurse practitioner and fairly recent transplant to the city.  She speaks at length promoting her “decision making ability” but avoids letting on what she actually stands for.  This is her first bid for city council.

ANTWON HORTON is a minister who presides over a church located in the building of the old Brentwood Lodge.  He is running on Mayor Sadler's slate and is making his second bid for a city council seat, having fallen short two years ago.  While he is a clear Sadler loyalist, he has not had much specific to say on city issues.

Washington voters can vote for up to five of the above candidates, or fewer if they so choose.

These council races have received less attention that the mayor race between incumbent. DONALD SADLER and three term City Councilman and former City Manager BOBBY ROBERSON.

That race is being fought largely over taxes and spending with Sadler having a record of significantly increasing both and Roberson never having ever supported a tax increase either as a councilman or as city manager.  The second issue in that race has been transparency in government with Roberson a strong advocate of transparency, and Sadler having a record of doing deals in the backroom.