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Biscoe resident asks Montgomery County commissioners to review 2020 NAACP agreement, seek quarterly reports and financial transparency
Summary
Pandora Dumas told the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners she and members of the Broomville/Brutonville and Candor communities want the county to review a 2020 agreement with the NAACP, provide copies of inclusion goals and quarterly expenditure reports, confirm transfer of financial accounts and act as a mediator to resolve leadership and by
Pandora Dumas of Biscoe asked the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners at a regular session to review a 2020 agreement with the local NAACP, provide copies of inclusion goals and quarterly expenditure reports, confirm transfer of financial accounts, and serve as a mediator in a board-restructuring dispute.
Dumas told the commissioners the agreement — described in her remarks as a proclamation or collaborative agreement written in October 2020 — included requirements for inclusion goals and regular reporting. “That the expenditure and activity report should be submitted quarterly rather than annually,” she said, and requested that the county make any such reports and the inclusion goals available to the public if they exist. “All I’m asking is accountability, transparency, and responsibility,” she said.
Why it matters: Dumas said the community sought county help because the NAACP contract was tied to public funds and an additional $5,000 the county provided. She asked the board to confirm whether financial instruments (checks, credit cards and financial statements) had been transferred from past to current leadership and asked that legal counsel review the 2020 agreement if the county could not answer the questions at the meeting.
Dumas referenced a July 30 meeting with a district representative she identified as Steve Tedder and asked that any inclusion goals or reporting frequency spelled out in the 2020 agreement be produced. She also asked the county to serve as a neutral mediator between the NAACP’s prior leadership and community members, pointing to community requests for a “fair application process in accordance to the organization's bylaws.”
County response and next steps: A county speaker told Dumas that a name that had concerned the community had been removed from a bank list and handed to current board members; that person said churches were assisting with outreach. A different county representative told Dumas the county had emailed her a memorandum and said staff would respond; Dumas confirmed she had received an email. At the meeting a county representative said a team would be sent to follow up.
No formal action or vote to initiate a contract audit or legal review occurred during public comment. Commissioners did not take a substantive vote on the NAACP agreement at the session; instead staff follow-up was offered.
Background and community context: Dumas identified the affected communities as Broomville/Brutonville and Candor and said the matter concerns people of color and local NAACP membership. She said the community wanted copies of inclusion goals (if they exist), confirmation of reporting frequency (quarterly vs. annual), verification of financial transfers, and a transparent process for board membership selection. Dumas said the county had given an additional $5,000 to the organization and asked that continued funding be tied to performance and reporting requirements in the agreement.
What’s next: County staff indicated they would follow up by email and send a team to meet with the community. Dumas provided contact information during her remarks and the county acknowledged sending a memorandum by email.
