Effort to oust Fayetteville councilman underway

The long process to remove Fayetteville City Councilman Tyrone Williams from office began in earnest Wednesday.

Posted 10:06 p.m. Apr 18, 2018 — Updated 10:53 p.m. Apr 18, 2018

Gilbert Baez

, WRAL reporter

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The long process to remove Fayetteville City Councilman Tyrone Williams from office began in earnest Wednesday.

Williams was caught on tape asking for money from a developer, but he refused a request last week by Mayor Mitch Colvin and the other eight council members to step down, saying he had done nothing wrong.

So, the council voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of a resolution for an amotion procedure against Williams.

The procedure, which has been used only twice in North Carolina since 1935, allows the council to force Williams out by a simple majority vote after a public hearing.

Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner said the process is difficult. She was part of an amotion procedure in 2013 against Commissioner Tonzie Collins following a series of sexual harassment and intimidation complaints from town workers.

"There was always the hope in our case there would be a resignation, there would be a way of getting through it without having to go there," Warner said Wednesday of the procedure. "But it didn't happen. There was no resignation coming."

City Attorney Karen McDonald said she would have the amotion petition ready for the council by next Monday night's meeting.

Meanwhile, the city's Ethics Commission has tabled its investigation into Williams, who insists he has no conflict of interest over redevelopment of the former Prince Charles Hotel.

Jordan Jones, the project manager handling the hotel redevelopment, recorded a Dec. 21 meeting he had with Williams and businessman T.J. Jenkins over a purported "cloud on the title" to the downtown property.

Williams had invested in a previous attempt to redevelop the hotel, but the New York developer behind that effort eventually filed for bankruptcy.

"I don’t know if there is any kind of way I can make it a smooth transition for you and what you’re trying to do, because I want the project to go, and I don’t want there to be no hiccups down the road," Williams said at the December meeting.

"I think I would just feel good if we just worked together some way to make it all go away," he said. "I’m not looking for a large amount of money. I’m just looking for a smooth transition, you know what I mean?"

He then suggested $15,000 to "sign off" on the deal.

Jordan has said that he recorded interactions with Williams as part of a federal investigation.

An FBI spokeswoman on Monday refused to confirm that any investigation had taken place.

Colvin said that the FBI has indeed investigated the case, but he believes the case has been closed.

Williams says "key facts" have been ignored in the case, alleging that Jones called him and offered $15,000 in cash on Feb. 13. He said he declined the offer and told Jones to send a proposal to his attorney and the city attorney for review.

He has called for an independent investigation, saying his fellow council members have already deemed him guilty.

The amotion process will give Williams a chance to defend himself during a hearing with his peers.

If the council approves the petition next week, it needs to be served on Williams by a law enforcement officer. A hearing would then be set up, evidence presented and witnesses called before a final vote is taken.

If Williams is voted out, he has the right to appeal.

Warner offered the Fayetteville council a bit of advice as members move through the process.

"Take yourself out of this," she said. "Put yourself in the role of being the judge and jury and what would you want to happen if this were something that you weren't a part of. In other words, you have to remove yourself from it."

Suggest A Correction