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In the 11th hour, prior to facing removal from the Goldsboro City Council, District 1 Councilman Antonio Williams is threatening to sue the city if he loses his seat for failing to disclose his residency.
The council Wednesday voted 6-0 to give Williams 48 hours to provide two forms of proof -- a driver's license or a cable, electric or water bill -- that verifies he lives in the district he represents.
The deadline came and went Friday at 4:30 p.m., by which time Williams did not provide documentation. Instead, the council received a letter from attorneys with the Durham-based Southern Coalition for Social Justice threatening legal action.
"... Mr. Williams satisfies all of the statutory requirements to serve as in elected office for Goldsboro District 1, and any efforts to remove him from the office to which he was duly elected would subject the city to litigation," according to the letter. "If the city intends to proceed in its current course of action and will not work with us to come up with a mutually agreeable solution, we will be forced to pursue a remedy in court."
The council plans to meet at 8 a.m. Monday in the second-floor conference room of the City Hall annex, at 200 N. Center St., to decide its next move.
Mayor Chuck Allen said last week that if Williams did not provide residency verification, then by law he will no longer be a councilman.
"He has not provided the information we required," Allen said Saturday. "He has not turned in anything to substantiate where he lives. In my opinion, nothing's changed. If he doesn't produce it, he's not going to be on the council."
Questions surrounding Williams' residency were recently raised by an unsigned letter ---- its return address listed as "Goldsboro, NC District 1 Citizens" ---- to the council this month claiming Williams was no longer a resident of District 1 and asked the council to take action.
The city attorney met with Williams on April 20, at which time Williams declined to provide his address. His last address listed with the Wayne County Board of Elections is 304 Wilmington Ave., but the owner of the property told city officials that Williams no longer lived at the home.
The unanswered questions by Williams resulted in the council taking action, due to concerns raised by the city attorney, including city policy decisions that Williams may have voted on. Any votes Williams has made could be voided if he is not a resident of District 1, city attorney Ron Lawrence said.
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice attorneys claim in the letter sent to the city that Williams has lived in District 1, since 2012. The letter says Williams did not provide an address because he feels threatened by people knowing where he lives.
The letter states that Williams moved from the Wilmington Avenue address due to concerns for his safety following a homicide next door and an increase in crime in the neighborhood. Also singled out in the letter is Goldsboro Police Chief Mike West. The letter alleges that West, after receiving safety complaints from Williams, failed to provide "meaningful assistance or support."
Williams also alleges through his attorneys that, because in an unrelated matter he suggested the police chief resign, he "believes the police chief is biased against him, will not act to protect him and may act in a manner that may create an unsafe physical environment for Mr. Williams and his family," according to the letter.
Reached for comment on Saturday, West said that he talked with Williams on at least two occasions when he lived on Wilmington Avenue and took action to increase patrols. West said he handled Williams' concerns as he would for any other city resident.
"The police department responded appropriately," West said. "We increased our presence in that area. We do it until we feel we've solved the problem or the threat. I'm not aware of Mr. Williams being in fear of his safety. Any citizen in Goldsboro that has any concerns for their safety, I and the department will act to quell the concerns that the citizens have."
Williams claims that he does not want to reveal his current address due to other concerns about his safety, including residents of District 1 who were behind the initial letter sent to the city council this month.
The letter states that Williams is living with relatives and that he does not want to reveal his whereabouts. Allen said the letter only further confirms that Williams could potentially be living out of his district.
According to the State Board of Elections, candidates filing to run for public office are required to file a certificate that verifies where they are registered to vote at their current residential address in the county where they live.
Allen maintains the council is within its rights to enforce the mandate that an elected official must reside in the district he or she represents.
"If he's going to sue, he's going to sue," Allen said.
Williams is full of ****, IMO. I hope he does get booted from the council and I also hope the city wins if this really does go to court.
Meanwhile in unrelated (but better) news, the Three Eagles Beer Festival is being held downtown next Saturday.
The fourth annual Three Eagles Beer Festival will be held downtown next weekend, featuring entertainment, food trucks and the opportunity to learn more about craft beers and sample 50 different ones. Sponsored by the Goldsboro Three Eagles Rotary Club, a non-profit civic club, it will take place on Saturday, May 5, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Cornerstone Commons.
It is a fundraising effort to benefit such local organizations as Boys and Girls Clubs of Wayne County, HGDC Community Crisis Center, Arts Council of Wayne County, Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation, Wayne Opportunity Center, the Family Y and Hurricane Matthew Relief. Funds also support the international Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio, support clean water and strengthen local economies, said Tom Bradshaw, event coordinator.
"Beer festivals have become increasingly popular as the craft beer market has grown exponentially in the last decade," he said, explaining the term craft beer simply means they use the best ingredients. The occasion provides a good opportunity to learn about the different flavors and tastes and styles, he said.
"There are over 230 breweries in North Carolina alone -- we have two coming from the state of Virginia -- but the other breweries are all N.C. breweries," he said. "We have about 14 breweries that are coming that day."
Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased from any Three Eagles Rotarian or at Well Traveled Beer, Goldsboro Brew Works and Brew Masters, or online for $35. They can also be purchased the day of the event. Designated drivers can also attend for a special ticket price of $5.
The way it works is very simple, Bradshaw said. Upon arrival, there will be an ID check to ensure each person meets the appropriate legal alcohol consumption age, then issued a wristband and signature four-ounce glass for tasting. They will move from station to station, given two-ounce samples of the various beers.
Representatives from the breweries or distributors will also on hand to answer questions or provide literature. The event is actually an educational one as well, Bradshaw said.
"Now it's more about the taste and drinking responsibly so this is a great time to learn about the different styles of beer and what you like and don't like," he said. "And (patrons) will have a card given when they come in, with a list of all the beers. They can mark what they like and what they don't like."
Two food trucks will be on site at the event, from Brewmasters and What's the Dilla?
Shuttle services will be available for local transportation, specifically for residents of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Headlining entertainer is Donna Hughes, an Americana country bluegrass singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and animal rights activities. She has recorded several albums and written more than 200 songs, Bradshaw said, including one recorded by country artist Alison Krauss.
"I equate it to a spring Saturday afternoon garden party," he said. "We encourage people to bring their children, bring their dogs."
For more information on the event, visit www.ThreeEaglesBeer.com or follow on Facebook at 3 Eagles Beer Festival.
One of the festival documentaries, "The Imaginary Village of Allan Gurganus," is also generating excitement due to local efforts to secure the documentary about the noted author, known for his novel "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All."
The documentary will take viewers into Gurganus' eccentric, historic home in Hillsborough, where he generates ideas for his novels, short stories and plays.
"It is a gorgeous film," said local writer Margaret Boothe Baddour. Baddour and members of the Goldsboro Writers Group, who saw the documentary at the N.C. Writers Conference last summer, worked to make it a part of this year's Praxis Film Festival. "We are hoping Wayne County book clubs, artists and writers will attend," she said.
The documentary is scheduled to show at 10 a.m. Saturday. The producer, Wil Weldon, with Growler Productions in Durham, will be at the festival and will speak after the showing.
Some of the producers, actors and others involved in creating the films and documentaries will be at the festival to talk about their productions and answer questions.
After each showing, the audience will be able to vote on each film or documentary. Audience awards will be presented for the best narrative feature, narrative short, documentary feature, documentary short, animation short and student film.
Tickets to the festival are on sale at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets are $15 per day or $25 for both days.
VIP tickets are also available for $50 and include access to the festival both days and a Friday night reception, with festival directors and actors. The reception is from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Waynesborough House, on Center Street in downtown Goldsboro. The event includes heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks.
The Praxis Film Festival first started at Wayne Community College and has continued to grow in popularity and attendance each year. The festival has become a regional attraction and its downtown location is expected to increase visitor activity to area restaurants and shops.
"It's developed into a regional film festival," he said. "This is the first time we're doing it in May. Now, our whole objective is to bring people to Goldsboro to make Goldsboro a place, a destination."
Attorneys representing Councilman Antonio Williams and the city of Goldsboro will meet this week to seek a resolution regarding the councilman's residency that could have unseated Williams from the council as early as this morning.
The residency of Williams, who represents District 1, recently came under question and led to a council vote requiring he provide proof that he resides in the district he represents. Instead of verifying his residency, attorneys with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice sent the council a letter last week stating Williams is concerned for his safety and did not want to publicly disclose his home address. He is also threatening to sue the city if he loses his seat.
During this morning's meeting, Mayor Chuck Allen asked Williams if he had anything to substantiate that he lives in District 1.
"I'm going to allow my lawyer to speak to you," Williams said.
His attorney, Jeff Loperfido, with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, told the council that Williams has due-process rights as an elected official. Loperfido also said he is interested in working with city officials to provide residency information, but in a way that addresses Williams' safety concerns. Williams has said he does not want residents to know where he lives for concern regarding his safety.
Williams has said, through his attorney, that he is living in District 1, with relatives.
"We'd like to find a way where we can reach a mutually agreeable solution wherein the information is provided to the satisfaction of the council and the mayor, while recognizing the legitimate safety concerns of my client and the individuals he's staying with," Loperfido said.
The city's attorney, Ron Lawrence, said Williams' address is a matter of public record.
"I am of the opinion that information is not something that can be kept confidential," Lawrence told the council. "We've got the Board of Elections. To be a registered voter, you have to provide proof of address and any person in the city can go down and ask for the address of another voter, not just a elected official but another voter as well."
Allen told Williams he is well-known in the community and people can already easily contact him, including at his downtown business, the Ice Storm.
"Councilman Williams, I will to say this to you -- personally, you're putting us in a really bad spot," Allen said. "You either live in the district or you don't, and we don't want to be here. Nobody wants to be here doing this. If you're worried about your safety, you're at the Ice Storm every day. I mean, people know who you are. You're a very prominent figure in town. I don't understand that, and I think the citizens ought to know where you live."
Attorneys plan to meet during the next several days and could reach a conclusion within a week, Loperfido said.
If Williams' residency is not verified, the council could decide to seek resolution through the Wayne County Board of Elections, which can investigate the residency of Williams. The process would include a hearing prior to the board determining if Williams' voter registration lines up with his address.
The council also has the ability to instead pursue an a motion proceeding, a quasi-judicial process, to verify Williams' address, Lawrence said.
Chuck Allen hit the nail on the head. If on the slim chance that Williams really is living in his district, and if he’s that damn scared of the people he’s supposed to be representing, then he has absolutely NO business being on the city council. BS like this is why the council can’t get anything done. The city has bigger issues to contend with other than this crap. Goldsboro has come a good ways in recent years with new businesses and the downtown revitalization, but it gets overshadowed by crap like this. It’s embarrassing.
As I’ve said before, Williams is full of **** and needs to go.
The Goldsboro City Council remains in the dark on Councilman Antonio Williams' residency as details regarding his District 1 address are still under wraps.
Councilman David Ham, during a Monday council work session, asked for an update on the disclosure of Williams' residency.
Attorneys for the city of Goldsboro and Williams have been in discussions during the past week in an effort to verify Williams' address.
The matter recently became a concern of the council after it learned Williams is not living at the address listed on his voting record at the county Board of Elections office.
N.C. General Statute 160A-59 requires a council member live in the district he or she represents. N.C. General Statute 128-6 also protects elected officials, who are provided with due process, such as a judicial proceeding, before being removed from office.
The council has been focused on the home address of Williams, which would verify if he is living in District 1.
Ron Lawrence, city attorney, provided the council with a sworn affidavit from Williams that states he is living in District 1, with elderly relatives, and does not want to share his address due to safety and "potential harassment" concerns. He also states he sees no reason why others should demand to know where he lives.
"I do not wish to subject my elderly relatives to potential harassment and/or jeopardize their safety by disclosing their address, which I do not consider to be my permanent residence, and I do not believe there is a valid basis for the mayor, the city council or any private citizen to demand its disclosure," Williams said in the affidavit.
In order to hold public office, an elected official is required to be a registered voter. Registered voters are required to provide their address -- a matter of public record -- at the county Board of Elections office.
Williams' voter registration lists 304 Wilmington Ave. as his address. In the affidavit, Williams confirmed that he moved from the Wilmington Avenue home in 2016.
Lawrence told the council that Williams is holding office legally, until a proceeding such as a Board of Elections investigation, is held that proves he lives outside of District 1. Lawrence also said there is no concern for the council regarding the voting power of Williams.
"At this point, because there's not been some sort of proceeding that's made a determination, Councilman Williams is legally holding office, pursuant to that statute, so there's not an issue in regard to his votes," Lawrence said.
Mayor Chuck Allen said the council has no other action to take on the matter, unless it decides to pursue a motion proceeding, a quasi-judicial process that could take months, to determine Williams' residency.
"I think the general consensus is and it's my belief . . . this is really not a matter for us at this point," Allen said. "This is a matter of the Board of Elections or someone with governmental authority. I think we've done all we should do or were supposed to do by law."
Any Wayne County registered voter can challenge Williams' residency by submitting a challenge in writing, after the election and the canvass of the votes on May 19, said Dane Beavers, director of the Wayne County Board of Elections.
Councilman Gene Aycock said the affidavit didn't offer the council any information than they've already been told by Williams.
"He's not being upfront and that's all he has to be is upfront," Aycock said. "He gave us nothing. It's just as worthless as him saying nothing."
Ham said Williams' address should be disclosed and he remains concerned about whether Williams is holding office legally.
"I'm concerned about the fact, as I mentioned, that he has not disclosed his address," Ham said. "That's a requirement that the address be public knowledge. And so at this point and time, in my opinion, he still is not in compliance with the statute."
Wow LM...this is crazy. All of this talk and threats of removing this councilman because he doesn't live in the district that he represents (a valid requirement, IMO)...
He literally says that the address he has provided is not his permanent address...
Quote:
"I do not wish to subject my elderly relatives to potential harassment and/or jeopardize their safety by disclosing their address, which I do not consider to be my permanent residence, and I do not believe there is a valid basis for the mayor, the city council or any private citizen to demand its disclosure," Williams said in the affidavit.
And with all of that and the council making this a big deal, they're now going to say "it's someone else's problem" ???
Sounds like half the council needs to go as well. This is ridiculous.
Wow LM...this is crazy. All of this talk and threats of removing this councilman because he doesn't live in the district that he represents (a valid requirement, IMO)...
He literally says that the address he has provided is not his permanent address...
And with all of that and the council making this a big deal, they're now going to say "it's someone else's problem" ???
Sounds like half the council needs to go as well. This is ridiculous.
Work continues on Downtown Goldsboro’s revitalization.
During a recent interview with Jeff Farrow on Goldsboro’s Greatest Hits 1150 and 98.3, City Manager Scott Stevens said he hopes the buzz about downtown continues locally and across the state.
Stevens says there’s still a person wanting to invest about $10 million for redeveloping one of the downtown’s tallest structures into apartments.
The City Manager also says there’s still $5 million to spend from another TIGER Grant for redesign the downtown’s streetscape.
The next phase of the downtown streetscape project includes wayfinding signage, Cornerstone Commons, and the construction of a GWTA concourse.
Stevens hopes there will be more information on the new TIGER Grant streetscape project in the August/September timeframe.
The Malpass Brothers have played their music all over the world and with some famous musicians, but they never forgot where they came from -- Wayne County.
Because they have kept the hometown ties that have taken them where they are today, they will be featured in a documentary "Heading Home" June 7 at 8 p.m. on UNC-TV.
A crew with Minnow Media, which produces programs for UNC-TV statewide, followed the Malpass Brothers around Wayne County and Goldsboro, filming various influences on their lives. The crew also filmed some of their concerts, which will be included in the documentary.
"We had heard of the Malpass Brothers, but I had never seen them perform," producer Donna Campbell said. "We were invited to come to Goldsboro and meet them. One show and we were hooked. We met their whole family and lots of people in town who wanted to tell their story."
The film crew discovered that the Malpass Brothers were the first act to perform in the Paramount Theatre after it was rebuilt and opened following a devastating fire.
"We were told that that the Malpass Brothers sell out every time they play in Goldsboro," Campbell said. "That's pretty interesting in this day and time. We felt there must be more to them than just their music."
The one-hour documentary will be a mix of concert footage and documentary. It will feature interviews with the Malpass Brothers' family, fans, friends and other people in town who know them. There will also be interviews with their former teachers and people who watched them grow up in Goldsboro.
Campbell said the film crew was amazed by the fact that so many people here have supported these young musicians and the Paramount Theatre and how both are such a strong part of the community.
"This is a story we want the rest of the state to know about," Campbell said.
Stephanie Slusser, Paramount service coordinator, said the documentary is a story of preservation because it's about preserving downtown Goldsboro, as well as preserving the style of music the Malpass Brothers play.
The brothers return to the Paramount frequently to play their music because it's their home, said Christopher Malpass.
"It's a good chance to play in our hometown and show the people around town how much we appreciate their support, and it's just sort of our home base."
When the brothers first heard about the documentary, they said they felt unworthy of it. But they were excited that people were interested enough in what they're doing to do a documentary about them and their hometown.
"We never thought it would go to this point where people would actually pay to come hear us," Christopher said. "I just think we're two guys who love what we do and are trying to plug away. This is big time for us."
Visitors to Wayne County will have their pick of events next April when the N.C. Pickle Festival and Conference Carolinas baseball tournament and the Wings Over Wayne Air Show at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base are all held at the same time.
"Next year is going to be interesting," Pickle Festival Co-chairman Julie Beck said."Our festival is going to be April 27. That is also the same weekend of the Wings Over Wayne Air Show ... that is also the weekend that the University of Mount Olive is going to host the Conference Carolinas baseball tournament. That means in Wayne County we have all of the Conference Carolinas baseball players coming. We have all of the people coming to the Pickle Festival, and we have all of the people coming from the air show.”
Beck made her comments during a recent Pickle Festival Committee wrap-up session to review the 32nd annual festival held this past April 27 and 28.
Beck said she has had long conversations with air show organizers and Ashlin Glatthar, director of travel and tourism for Goldsboro and Wayne County, suggesting a committee made up of representatives of all of the events.
Beck said her and Co-chairman Lynn Williams' approach is to tell people to come to Wayne County for the whole weekend because they can attend the festival, baseball games and the air show. Also, Beck said she and Williams would like to see all of the events cross market everything.
Beck said she has spoken with Glatthar about talking with officials in Wilson, Smithfield, Kinston and Warsaw because there are not enough hotel rooms locally for all of the people who will be attending the events.
"We need to get these people on board now, and work with them as well," Beck said. "Between Ashlin and I, we know all of the tourism directors from all of those areas and we need to make sure that they are also part of this plan because we have got to have those hotel rooms."
That is going to be a win-win for those communities because Wayne County hotels will fill up quickly, she said.
It is the second time in 10 years that the air show has fallen on the same weekend as the Pickle Festival, she said.
When it happened the first time Beck said she and Williams thought it was going to be the worst thing that could happen.
Instead it turned into what was probably the best thing that could happen, she said.
All of the Pickle Festival information was also on the Wings Over Wayne website, she said.
"So when people clicked on that to find out about the air show, 'Oh, there is a festival that weekend,'" Beck said. "And that is when we saw our attendance numbers start to increase. It has remained there ever since then. So we look at this as a positive thing. But it is going to take a lot of coordinating the county."
It also means that festival is going to have to tweak the helicopter rides that take off and land at the university and the free shuttle staged there as well, she said.
It is a challenge, but is doable, and organizers have a year in advance to plan, she said.
There are a lot of logistics to work through, Williams said.
Also, the university has a five-year deal for hosting the tournament, she said.
"So we have to figure out for the next five years," Williams said. "So we have to figure out where we can send everybody to park."
Beck said she and Williams had talked about the warehouses located along the Old Mount Olive Highway just north of downtown.
She asked Town Manager Charles Brown and Mayor Joe Scott if the helicopter rides could possibly be staged at the airport located across the highway from the town's industrial park on the Old Mount Olive Highway.
Brown and Scott said that probably could be worked out and that they did not think it would be an issue.
With parking at the industrial park, shuttle buses would have a straight route to downtown, Beck said.
"One thing, too, is getting the directional signs up where people can go and park," Scott said.
The university was a central location so the drawback to using the industrial park for parking is directing people to it, Williams said.
During the lunch meeting held at Pizza Village, committee members also talked about what worked or didn't work at the recent festival.
The consensus was it was a near-flawless event with only a few minor glitches.
"It just went like clockwork," Beck said. "It was probably the smoothest running festival that we have ever had. The only thing that we know that went awry is that at one point we had about 200 people at UMO waiting to get the shuttle."
But that is a good problem to have -- to have more people attend the festival than ever before, she said.
Also, they followed instructions to take the shuttle, Beck said.
The festival did more marketing than in prior years, and it worked, she said.
Beck said people told her they had seen festival billboards and an article in Our State magazine.
"I don't know why it went so well, but I think it is because we have such amazing people," she said. "We have done this enough times, 32 years. So the first thing I want to do is say thanks to each of you because the reason it was so perfect was because of what you all did before the festival and during the festival. It was just amazing."
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