Following Resignations, EHA Commission Effectively Dissolved By JACK GROVE A series of Town Council meetings over the past week have resulted in the abolition of the Eden ton Housing Authority and the resignation of its Executive Director, Bruce White. The authority, established to provide low-coat housing for Edenton’s lower income popula tion, has come under fire recent ly from town officials due to a critical occupancy and financial audit. The report, authored by the Greensboro regional office of the U.S. Dept, of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) listed 15 discrepancies, many of which it said were repeat violations of its regulations. At an Aug. 12 council meeting, a motion was passed to draw up a resolution to abolish the EHA and set a meeting for last Friday to consider the resolution. The Friday meeting, with only two spectators (the press and a town employee) saw the resolution and an ordinance to abolish the authority passed unanimously. Another resolution asked for the immediate resignation of White and offered him 90 days severance pay in return for the waiver of his right to institute legal proceedings against the town. Immeidate resignations were also asked of the five commissioners of the EHA, Gerald Lassiter, Haywood Harrell, Ken Lowe, Daisey Bern bry and Odessa Collins. Town Man&ger Sam Noble told the council that he and Coun cilmen E.N. Manning and Willis Privott had met in his office with HUD officials. He said that the federal officials called White’s of fice to meet with him that day and review EHA records. The HUD staffers were reportedly told that White was not at work that day and that no one was to be permitted access to his office. A federal statute requires access to public housing nsrtwri ty records. The Town Council also unanimously passed a measure providing that letters be sent to the U.S. Congressional delegation (Sen. Jesse Helms, Sen. James Broyhill and Cong. Walter B. Jones) requesting that they ask for a General Accounting Office investigation of the EHA. This is to clear the way for the town’s of ficial takeover of the authority on November 17, 1986. Mayor John Dowd said, “They will conduct a thorough audit from day one.” Also at the Friday meeting, council discussed the subject of school crossing guards. Noble told the council, “The school system doesn’t want the responsibility” for administration of the pro gram. School Superintendent John Dunn suggested that the town assume all costs of the pro gram and the schools would con sider assuming the responsibility and liability for the program, the council was told. No decision was made to find out how their crossing guard pro . grams were administered. Another special council meeting was held Tuesday at 1 p.m. Noble told the council that authority director White had balked at sign ing away his right to sue the town. A unanimous vote of council deleted this stricture and Town Attorney C. Christopher Bean an nounced that he had the resigna tions of White, and commissioners Harrell, Lowe and Lassiter. He said that with three resignations, the EHA Commission was effec tively dissolved since there could no longer be a quorum. Councilmen approved the im mediate placement of the authori ty responsibilities under Stella Brothers, head of the town’s Com munity Development Office. She will divide her time equally bet Continued On Page 4 THE CHOWAN HERALD Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast Volume ill • No. 33 Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, August 21, 1986 Single Copies 25 Cents The PACs Vs The People Common Cause, in launching its campaign against Political Action Committees (PACs), says the more than $100,000,000 they poured into congressional cam paigns during 1984 is a threat to our system of representative government. And now, as a first step, the U.S. Senate has passed a bill limiting the amount congressional can didates may receive from this source—$100,000 for house can didates and $175,000 to $750,000 for senate candidates, the total vary ing according to the population of the state. The limit for North Carolina would be $385,000. It’s too bad this legislation, if concurred in by the house, will not go into effect until the UBS round of elections. Already the upper limits are being passed in the cur rent campaigns and the big spen ding days are still ahead. Up in the Ninth District, Rep. Alex McMillan, the darling of the PACs, continues to rake in the money from these special interest groups, as does Senator James Broyhill, who, although a freshman in the upper house, is an old hand at taking money from the PACs while condemning “special interests.” As of June 30, Rep. McMillan Continued On Page 4 Board Approves Additional Funding The state Board of Transporta tion has approved an ad