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Public commenters accuse developers of influence and allege improper use of church mailing list; mayor responds
Summary
Two public commenters alleged coordination between developers and candidates and that a church mailing list was used for political endorsements without consent; Mayor John Higdon acknowledged the clip circulating online is heavily edited and said Commissioner John Urban will have an opportunity to respond at a future meeting.
During the public‑comment period on Nov. 10, two residents raised allegations about the recent election and local campaign conduct and urged the board to provide more information.
Alex Freeman accused developers and "former mayors, sitting officials, and private developers" of coordinating to funnel money to select candidates and said the current board is now the "most developer‑friendly board Matthews has ever seen." Freeman also alleged that a church mailing list was used to send political endorsements without informing list members and asked whether the town would seek school security footage related to an election‑day altercation.
"Anytime former mayors, sitting officials, and private developers coordinate to funnel money towards select candidates, that's not democracy. That's a business deal," Freeman said. He also asked whether the town would request school security footage that he said might contradict a widely shared edited clip of the incident.
Brandon Mills urged the public and the board to "tell the rest of the story," called for fuller video and witness statements, and asked for transparency about what portion of campaign financing came from development‑related endorsements. Mills said he supports downtown small businesses and urged the town to protect walkability and historic character while planning for responsible growth.
Mayor Higdon acknowledged the public allegations, described the circulating clip as "heavily edited," and said he looked forward to Commissioner John Urban returning to the meeting so Urban "can defend himself to the accusations that have been levied tonight." Commissioner Renee Garner said she believed there are documents that explain the "rest of the story" but that she was not sure it was worth responding in detail during public comment.
Status: Allegations were raised during public comment; the board did not take formal investigatory action at this meeting beyond public acknowledgment and requests for documentation and fuller evidence.
