Council delays action on NCDOT 15th Street resolution after conflict questions; Fritz says he will recuse

Washington, North Carolina — The Washington City Council removed a resolution backing NCDOT Project U‑5860/15th Street from its March 9 agenda and deferred formal action until after a scheduled NCDOT work session on March 20.

The amendment to the agenda led to a brief procedural dispute about whether council members should be polled for conflicts of interest. Councilmember Anthony Tyre asked Mayor Ellen Brabo to poll the council; City Attorney Franz Holscher said the matter before the body at the moment was only the addition or removal of agenda items and, in his professional opinion, a conflict of interest does not exist.

Mayor Pro tem Nick Fritz told colleagues that he would recuse himself if the resolution reached a vote: “If the resolution to approve the project goes to a vote of the Council, I will recuse myself at that time,” he said.

Public comment at the meeting included clarification from Brian Alligood of the Mid‑East RPO, who said the project has been widely studied, is fully funded by NCDOT, and would affect about sixteen homes or businesses rather than the larger figure circulating on social media. “This project will reduce crashes by 56%,” Alligood said, and he added that NCDOT is required to pay market value for property in the project area.

Several councilmembers and speakers said they preferred to await the March 20 work session with NCDOT before voting. Max Perreault called it premature to act before that meeting, while others emphasized public safety concerns.

By leaving the resolution off the agenda, the council avoided a vote at the March 9 meeting; no formal resolution vote occurred that night.