Lawmaker says state audit targeted black officials in Rocky Mount
FOOD TRIPS LAST LONGER, AND
>>> CONTROVERSY IS BREWING IN
ROCKY MOUNT OVER AN AUDIT
RELEASED LAST WEEK AND MAY
ROBINSON IS CALLING FOR BIG
CHANGES IN RESPONSE AND WHEN
STATE LAWMAKER IS ATTACKING THE
STATE AUDITOR CAPITAL BUREAU
CHIEF LAURA LESLIE JOINS US NOW
WITH MORE.>>REPORTER: ACCUSED
OF MISMANAGEMENT AND MISUSE OF
TAXPAYER FUNDS, AND A PATTERN
OF CITY OFFICIALS BENDING THE
RULES FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHER
CITY OFFICIALS.
ROCKY MOUNT MAYOR IS CALLING AN
EMERGENCY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
THURSDAY TO DISCUSS THE AUDIT
IT FOUND FOR THE $7000 IN
UTILITY BILLS WERE WRITTEN OFF
FOR WHEN CITY COUNCILMEMBER AND
OTHERS BENEFITED IMPROPERLY
FROM LOANS OR GRANTS AND THE
CITY MANAGER RAN A $1500 AND
TRAVEL ARE MEALS BEYOND WHAT IS
ALLOWED PER DAY GOOD THE MAYOR
SAID THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD REPAY
THE CITY AND THE ENTIRE COUNCIL
SHOULD SIGN AN ETHICS PLEDGE.>>
IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR COLOR,
AGE, GENDER OR RELIGIOUS
AFFILIATION, ALL OF THESE ACTS
ARE WRONG, UNETHICAL AND TOOK
ADVANTAGE OF EVERYONE WHO LIVES
IN ROCKY MOUNT.>> BUT STATE
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY
WILLINGHAM BELIEVES COLOR DOES
MATTER AND HIS ACCUSING THE
STATE AUDITOR FOR TARGETING
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITY OFFICIALS
IN HER INVESTIGATIONS AND ONE
COULD ONLY ASCERTAIN THAT THERE
IS A SINGLE REASON BEHIND THIS
AUDIT TO ATTACK AND DISCREDIT
PEOPLE OF COLOR HE SAID.
STATE AUDITOR BETH WOODS SAID
SHE IS DISAPPOINTED BY THAT
ACCUSATION AND SHE SAYS RACE
PLAYED NO PART IN ANY OF HER
INVESTIGATIONS.
MY OFFICE HAS CONDUCTED SIMILAR
INVESTIGATIONS OF TARBORO, AND
BELHAVEN SHE SAID IN A
STATEMENT AND THE CITY OF ROCKY
MOUNT RECEIVED NO BETTER OR
WORSE TREATMENT THAN ANY OF THE
OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
INVESTIGATED BY MY OFFICE.
THE MAYOR SAID HE DID HAVE A
DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AUDIT WITH
HER YESTERDAY AND HE IS CALLING
ON THE COUNCILMEMBER WHO HAD
THE UTILITY BILLS WRITTEN OFF