Council members chide mayor over press release – Rocky Mount Telegram

The Political Agitator’s response: This was one of the best meetings I have attended. Now that Mayor Sandy Claus Roberson has had his Special Called Meeting to satisfy the Special Cs in the Rocky Mount Concerned Citizens group they need to wait just like myself for the agencies that Beth Wood NC State Auditor say she has turned had turned her findings over to.

Mayor Sandy Roberson received criticism from the majority of the City Council about his communications via the news media in the aftermath of the recent findings of State Auditor Beth Wood and her team’s probe of the City of Rocky Mount’s finances and operations.

A council special work session was held Tuesday and led by Councilman Andre Knight in his capacity as mayor pro tem. A focus of council discussion was about a press release that Roberson, through a news media contact of his, emailed on May 19.

The press release stated that four council members refused to attend an upcoming emergency meeting of the council.

Of particular issue, as part of the press release, was Roberson and a city police sergeant posed together in a photograph. The photograph showed both holding paperwork of service, apparently in connection with the meeting.

During Tuesday’s work session, Roberson sat quietly. At the end of council discussion of the item, Roberson expressed appreciation for the suggestions and said he would take them under advisement.

During the work session, Councilman T.J. Walker told Roberson, “With the utmost respect that I have for you as an individual, as a businessman and your zeal to be a leader, I believe the way in which you handled this situation was very, very controversial in a time that’s already tense and controversial for our city.” (Read more)

Rocky Mount dealing with state audit’s aftermath: Councilman rebuffs report in TV interview

By Lindell J. Kay | lkay@springhopeenterprise.com | 252-265-8117

ROCKY MOUNT — The city council is set to have dueling meetings Tuesday with two top city officials calling for special sessions to discuss a state audit report that revealed one of them had write-offs of nearly $50,000 in unpaid utility bills.

Mayor Sandy Roberson postponed his Thursday meeting until 2 p.m. Tuesday while Mayor Pro-tem Andre Knight set for a special meeting to begin at 3 p.m., an hour before the regular council workshop is scheduled to start.

Roberson called for Knight to step down after State Auditor Beth Wood released a report revealing Knight has received $47,704 in unpaid utility bill write-offs over a two-decade period.

Roberson also said City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney should reimburse taxpayers for city money she spent on lavish meals including steak and lobster.

Knight told WTVD that black people can eat lobster too. (Read more)

Rocky Mount City Councilman Reuben Blackwell On Mayor Sandy Claus Roberson Briefing On WHIG-TV 17 Thursday 7:00 PM

Tune in to WHIG-TV 17 Rocky Mount Councilman Reuben Blackwell is on Mayor Sandy Claus Roberson Mayor’s Weekly Briefing.

Blackwell and Roberson talking about audit findings and schools along with the state of Rocky Mount.

Visit the following post to get abreast of what is going on in Rocky Mount.

Rocky Mount NC – Beth Wood Completed Audit, Full Council Responded But They Big Mad Because Council Released The Draft Response

Nash GOP calls on Knight, Blackwell to resign Rocky Mount City Council seats

By Lindell J. Kay | lkay@wilsontimes.com | 252-265-8117

NASHVILLE — The Nash County Republican Party is calling on its Democratic counterparts to seek the resignation of two Rocky Mount city councilmen in the aftermath of a critical state report detailing city hall malfeasance.

“Given the information in the state auditor’s report, it is clear that time has now come for the Nash County Democratic Party, the Edgecombe County Democratic Party, the N.C. Democratic Party, Gov. Roy Cooper, Sen. Toby Fitch, Rep. Shelly Willingham and Rep. James Gailliard to call on their fellow Democrats, Andre Knight and Reuben Blackwell, to resign their seats on the Rocky Mount City Council immediately,” Nash GOP Chairman Mark Edwards said in a Friday afternoon news release.

The report issued by N.C. State Auditor Beth Wood includes information on city officials writing off nearly $50,000 in unpaid utility bills for Knight and inappropriate grants and unpaid loans for the Opportunities Industrialization Center, a nonprofit organization headed by Blackwell. (Read more)

Steak, lobster, credit and free utilities: Audit says Rocky Mount misused taxpayer funds

By Lindell J. Kay | lkay@wilsontimes.com | 252-265-8117

ROCKY MOUNT — A scathing state audit report released Friday paints a picture of officials who used City Hall as their personal ATM while bilking taxpayers of thousands of dollars.

The report issued by N.C. State Auditor Beth Wood includes information on a councilman with nearly $50,000 in unpaid utility bills, a city manager who ate lobster and steak on the city’s dime, a former mayor who owes $30,000 in subdivision engineering costs and another councilman’s organization that received inappropriate grant funding and didn’t repay loans.

Rocky Mount City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney failed to comply with city travel policies. Unallowable expenses included meals for city council members’ spouses with the costs for each meal far exceeding the allowable per diem rate. Specifically, Small-Toney used the city’s credit card to charge an average of $95.40 per person for one meal and $50.69 per person for the other meal instead of the allowable $21 per diem dinner rate. (Read more)

2 councilmen, city manager, former mayor implicated in Rocky Mount financial probe

By Lindell J. Kay | lkay@wilsontimes.com | 252-265-8117

ROCKY MOUNT — City officials tried to mislead the public with a press release about an investigation into City Hall’s finances, State Auditor Beth Wood said Thursday.

“The actual report will refute quite a bit of what’s in the city response,” Wood said. “Much of the information in their press release is inaccurate.”

Wood said city officials don’t have the authority to release confidential information from a draft audit report.

The city’s statement, released at noon Thursday, lists five findings in the report along with mitigating explanations.

The press release also fails to name any city officials involved in nonpayment of utility bills, loans and other apparent malfeasance.

“The real story will be released tomorrow,” Wood said Thursday afternoon. The report will be uploaded to the state auditor’s website at 10 a.m. Friday.

According to the press release, the city wrote off a councilman’s unpaid utility bills. (Read More)

Rocky Mount NC Is Ready To Come Out Of The Woods – In Reference To Beth Wood NC State Auditor Councilmen Andre Knight & Reuben Blackwell

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So Special Cs Over At WHIG-TV Feel Reuben Blackwell Should Not Have Responded To Warren Daughtridge LoveRockyMount Founder, Really!

Tell me them Special Cs over at WHIG-TV this morning said Reuben Blackwell should not have responded to Warren Daughtridge LoveRockyMount founder. Really!

So they think they can say what they want and Black Folk suppose to accept it. Oh hell no!

Click On Photo To Watch The Video

Rocky Mount NC – Councilman Reuben Blackwell Checked Warren Daughtridge Founder LoveRockyMount Ass Who Talked About Blackwell’s Son During Meeting

It is a damn shame that this Special C smart ass had the audacity to come to the meeting to go after Councilman Reuben Blackwell about something his 24 year old son Cooper Blackwell said on Warren Daughtridge’s Social Media page LoveRockyMount. Cooper called Warren and some other Special Cs out. What the Special Cs have a problem with is that they think that White Privilege is the order of the day when it comes to communicating directly and indirectly with Black Folk thinking that we ain’t suppose to respond. When we respond they think play victim. Well these Special Cs better recognize and understand that we ain’t the one. It is obvious that these Special Cs are in denial, don’t give a damn or just ignant to the fact that some Black Folk ain’t going to allow them to promote their WSBS and we are going to be silent. Oh hell no! Some Special Cs have been attacking Black Leadership faithfully since the council became a Black Majority in 2003. Check out the timeline how them asses been in the attack mode since December 2018 as they began gearing up to unseat Councilmen Andre Knight and Richard Joyner in the October Election. Visit Timeline: Rocky Mount City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney Under Fire Via Rocky Mount Telegram and read about it for yourself. However my videos don’t lie and you can watch them as well on Youtube.

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Rocky Mount City Council June Meeting “Don’t Blame Me!” Part 2 Councilman Reuben Blackwell

This Video Is A Must See The Public Comments And Then Councilman Reuben Blackwell Put The Gang Conversation In Perspective

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This Guy Right Here Though, Damn He Was Good!

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”Don’t Blame Me!” Part 2

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”Don’t Blame Me!” Part 1

Councilman backs housing over parking – Rocky Mount Telegram

BY LINDELL JOHN KAY
Staff Writer

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Rocky Mount Councilman Reuben Blackwell said he supports housing development on Tarboro Street and if he misspoke about knowledge of parking plans at the site, he’s only human.

Blackwell said in a meeting last week that he was unaware of plans to break a proposed agreement with Edgecombe Community College on downtown parking versus a housing project; but the real issue is the need for such housing.

“I stand by my position, my vote and my constituents on that location as the best site for this affordable, workforce housing development to help build the momentum of a beautiful, vibrant, diverse and economically beneficial downtown Rocky Mount that everyone can enjoy,” said Blackwell, who answered Telegram questions on the matter from Thursday on Friday morning after presstime for a report in today’s edition. (Read more)

Councilman Reuben Blackwell Respond To Lindell Kay Reporter Rocky Mount Telegram Article, “Emails show intent about parking lots”

From: Reuben Blackwell

    To: Lindell Kay

     cc: Kyle Stephens; Gene Metrick; Tameka Norman; David Combs; Curmilus Dancy II

Hi Lindell,

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to address your questions. Thank you for showing me the email. I appreciate that you are trying to help me remember Council discussions and votes.

The email that you have selected to highlight is about present day reality with a live project and not about our original discussion and/or vote on the parking agreement with a past City administration. I asked you to bring any document to my attention that the Council has voted on with the College. Those are the discussions and vote that I do not remember. If they took place, then I’m more than willing to admit that my memory was not exact. I’m human and I do make mistakes as much as everyone else does! As I was making my comments about the “original agreement,” Lige Daughtridge held up a document. I said if I’m wrong about a discussion or vote at that time, then I did not remember. You can check my accuracy of recall on Curmilus’ video. I have not done that because I do not think that my recall is the issue or the crux of what is important.  I also told you when you approached me after the Council meeting, that maybe my memory was faulty, but my stance is still the same.

I think it’s also important to recognize several factors regarding the City Council’s vote about parking at this location and our relationship with Edgecombe Community College:

1. The City of Rocky Mount and Edgecombe Community College have always, at least since my service on the Council, enjoyed a mutually beneficial and supportive relationship. The City has always looked for ways to support the College’s development and success in Downtown Rocky Mount. It was the City of Rocky Mount who enthusiastically embraced Dr. Lamm’s vision of a vibrant health education center in the heart of our City. It was the City of Rocky Mount who encouraged the College to consider tax credit financing to move the stalled project forward because we also recognized the need for health care infrastructure for the present and future growth and development of eastern North Carolina. And it was the City of Rocky Mount that assisted our friends and partners with Edgecombe County and the College with technical assistance and support all the way from concept to construction of the beautiful Lamm facility that our students and region are enjoying right now. In fact, I personally served on the Commission that the County appointed to build that very successful center!
2. As an elected representative of the Rocky Mount City Council, my primary responsibility, loyalty and duty of care belongs to the people who reside in my Ward and the overall health of my City. I will support, advocate and vote for the best interests of the people and community that I serve to the best of my ability and that aligns with the vision that my constituents have and currently articulate.
3. The discussions that you are referencing took place at a time where the needs of our Downtown and surrounding communities were different, as was the approach. Considering practices of equitable development, the City’s approach changed as our City’s needs evolved.  All of our discussion today seems to center around an agreement that was created without the benefit of considering present day context of multiple uses. We did not have the Event Center, we were not enjoying robust development downtown, the real estate market throughout the country was in a slump and we were wrestling in Rocky Mount with the lack of engagement about downtown from owners of properties in and around that area. If we had a project then that was bringing millions of dollars of investment to that location and benefited the people that could be students and employees of the College, then I would have definitely and enthusiastically supported that project then as I do now.
4. Your allegations of “bait and switch” imply some nefarious context of ill will and misrepresentation of intent. That is your term, not my motivation. Not then and not now. You were present at the City Council Retreat in February when DFI presented their options, that this project would be an affordable, workforce housing development. You heard the statistics presented about need and even attested that this development would have been interesting to you if you had that option when you first moved to Rocky Mount. This development addresses the immediate crisis that hard working and retired citizens have in choosing great, affordable options for living and participating in Downtown. We must all be intentional in deeds as well as words in making space for citizens and visitors in an inclusive economy.
5. I am still unclear about the protestations from anyone about why, at that location, affordable workforce housing would be a bad idea. Why wouldn’t anyone want to attract working families and individuals or retired citizens or veterans or struggling families who want to better themselves and live in a vibrant downtown community right across the street from an anchor institution that was designed and funded to benefit them?
6. I’m certain that the City would be more than happy and motivated to help the College address their concern about lack of parking at other close and proximate locations.

I stand by my position, my vote and my constituents on that location as the best site for this affordable, workforce housing development to help build the momentum of a beautiful, vibrant, diverse and economically beneficial Downtown Rocky Mount that everyone can enjoy!

See article In Rocky Mount Telegram

Emails show intent about parking lots

New policy could affect council votes – Rocky Mount Telegram

The Watch Dog response: Wow! I was wondering who had put Lindell on this and then the 1st comment was Elijah Daughtridge. One thing I can say The Community Council and Lige are persistent and consistent with their passion to go after the Rocky Mount City Council. What tickles the hell out of me is that I have been actively engaged in activism since the late 80’s and I used to say to black officials what are you doing to promote jobs and other that benefit black folk and other folk like the white officials were doing. The white officials were on the boards and commissions and obtaining land and creating jobs. Well it appears that when white white businessmen and other were doing things it was ok. It appears that any time the  black man begin to rise up, there is a movement to make it appear he is doing something that is not right.

A new conflict of interest policy under consideration by the Rocky Mount City Council may affect whether some council members will have a vote on certain matters — possibly including the Rocky Mount Event Center.

The proposed policy presented to the council during last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting adds federal guidelines to existing local and state rules. The guidelines apply to sub-recipients and includes apparent conflicts as well as actual conflicts.

Councilman Reuben Blackwell asked city staff about making sure the council signs all the required documents. He said he wants to make sure the council understood the policy and all it entails.

Blackwell is the president and chief executive officer of the Opportunities Industrialization Center, a nonprofit organization that helps residents with health care, job training and other programs. He earned a $141,114 salary from OIC in 2015, according to the most recent IRS tax forms made available by GuideStar, a watchdog organization that provides information on nonprofit groups. (Read more)

Council weighs proposed downtown event center – Rocky Mount Telegram

The Political Agitator response: Councilman Reuben Blackwell was on point. “Perhaps the vocal and vehement naysayers to progress in Downtown and in inner city communities in Rocky Mount have forgotten that our City dollars belong to ALL of our City. That includes ALL residents of Nash and Edgecombe counties who live in the City limits of Rocky Mount. Maybe they have forgotten that those of us who still live and work in the Boddie version of "Dead End" have paid and continue to pay our taxes, our utility bills, shopped in their stores, ate in their restaurants and worked together with them to build and strengthen our entire City on both sides of the track. And like Bill Jones said, we know all the five ways to cross the railroad tracks Downtown because we do business on both sides of the track.” The council can request things go on the agenda at any given time and this is what happened. Blackwell requested that the council move forward on the next phrase of the Event Center and anyone, I repeat anyone that still want to have input can go to the next city council meeting and voice their opinion. Also contact Blackwell about his message at the Monday’s meeting instead of responding in the comments section only.

The Telegram

Rocky Mount Councilman Reuben Blackwell’s reading of a prepared statement in support of a downtown event center Monday afternoon prompted a response from all the other council members despite the topic not being on the meeting agenda ahead of time.

He noted that many of the comments made during the April 21 public meeting on the event center were by those who had come to the council previously asking for city support of projects in the western part of Rocky Mount, which helped to “secure their financial futures and advance their personal growth.” (Source: Read more)

 

Meeting to discuss downtown development, public safety – Rocky Mount Telegram

City Manager Charles Penny and Police Chief James Moore will be the featured speakers at a public meeting about downtown development and public safety Monday at Bread of Life Christian Church and Community Center.

The meeting also will include information about the ongoing negotiations between Duke Energy and the N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency for the sale of the municipal power agency’s ownership shares of power plants. (Source: Read more)