Mayoral candidates square off at Washington High School

This article was written by Clark Curtis for The Washington Daily News.

Published Sept. 19, 2025.

In commemoration of Constitution Day, members of the Student Government Association and the AP Government class at Washington High School hosted a mayoral forum on Wednesday, September 17, at the school’s Performing Arts Center. Students met with the candidates, Mayor Donald Sadler and Ellen Brabo before the forum, and then prepared a list of questions based on those conversations. They covered a range of topics to help the citizens of Washington better understand the candidates’ visions for the future. 

And as one would expect, there were a few heated exchanges and finger-pointing throughout the course of the forum.

When asked about economic concerns, Brabo immediately mentioned the recent property tax increase. “We hear that housing and affordable housing are a priority for us, yet our property taxes have been raised,” said Brabo. “When presented with the opportunity to ensure that property taxes went revenue neutral after the reevaluation was conducted, the city council unfortunately did not go revenue neutral. So those property tax bills that you received could have looked a little different after the reevaluation. So when I think about the economy and the economic concerns, we are pricing our residents out of living here. This includes those on fixed incomes and young professionals. Increased property taxes not only impact homeowners, but renters as well. How do you expect to attract new college graduates, a young professional, or a Washington High School graduate to come to or stay in Washington if they can’t afford to live here?”

In response, Mayor Sadler said, “I would remind everyone that property reevaluation is done by the county commissioners every eight years by law. In response, the city council reduced our current city tax rate from 58 to 48.5 percent to save our citizens some money. We are all feeling the pinch, and the city council sought to give our citizens some relief.”

In rebuttal, Brabo said, “While there may have been a reduction in the city tax, there still was no revenue-neutral reduction in your property taxes. Therefore, there are additional funds for the budget as a result.”

When posed with the question about the city budget and what is or is not being funded, Mayor Sadler shared a bit about the process. “In May or April of every year, the city manager meets with staff and goes through every line item of requests for the city department. Council then holds two to three public budget workshops, reviews the request, and generally sends them back, indicating it is too much and makes some cutbacks. A public meeting is held before final approval of the budget. Do you know how many people attend those hearings? One at each meeting. But once approved, the complaints start coming in, even though they had a chance to speak during the process.”

In response, Brabo said as mayor, she would make it a point to become intimately familiar with the budget and each line item. “It is important to know if we are being fiscally responsible and fiscally conservative, which is important when you hold the trust of the residents in your hands. It took me by surprise when digging into the current budget that the city debt has skyrocketed in the last 33 months from $1.4 million to $22 million. Perhaps if we were a little more fiscally responsible with how we are spending our money, and where we are taking out debt, we wouldn’t be raising property taxes to fund new police officers and paramedics.”

Sadler was quick to jump in with his rebuttal. “The city is not $22 million in debt. Whoever told you that lied to you. Call me, and I will sit down with you and show you how to read the budget, before you start putting misinformation out into the community.’

When the candidates were asked about pedestrian and driver safety, the issue of the 15th Street expansion became a hot topic. “We didn’t even have sidewalks in the center city area in the 70s, until public housing was built, and HUD required them to be installed. I know it because I grew up there. I’m proud to say that we have 36 miles of sidewalks throughout the city. The 15th Street Safety and Infrastructure Plan will add even more sidewalks and multi-use paths for those who ride bikes. The state will take care of the $8 to $9 million for stormwater improvement as well. The North Carolina Department of Transportation will pay the entire $40 million for the project at zero cost to Washington residents. I know some of you don’t like it, but I stand behind it. It is good for our city.”

In response, Brabo went on to express the concerns of the 15th Street Coalition. She pointed out that the NCDOT doesn’t include a standalone bike lane, nor does it require an adequate amount of pedestrian crossings as outlined by the Federal Highway Administration. “We have to be willing to hold the NCDOT accountable and demand best practices. Even though we are rural, we deserve best practices. We need city representatives who demand better. People who are willing to go out and seek resources to make sure that what is being offered is the best solution for the city. I will fight for you and ensure you. I will look you in the eye before I take your home or business, and tell you I did everything I possibly could before doing something. And the current proposal is not the best solution.”

In his rebuttal, Sadler said, “15th Street is the property of North Carolina. The city can’t go in and take over the expansion and do whatever it wants to. We have to follow the state plan and make suggestions along the way. I have been meeting with and hearing the concerns of residents about 15th Street ever since being elected as mayor in 2019. And there are those who are not going to be happy with any NCDOT plan, regardless of what it is. So, Ms. Brabo, you have been working on this since 2023, when you first got here, and my work started six years ago.”

The candidates addressed a host of other questions posed by the student leaders, which included addressing those living in government-funded housing and food allowances, waterfront access along the boardwalk for both pedestrians and boaters, to how to attract new businesses, and provide the necessary housing for people should they want to come to Washington to live. And both candidates concurred on the importance of being available to hear the concerns of their constituents.

“Facebook, email, my phone, or write me a letter,” said Brabo. “My door will always be open. I also think it is important to hold quarterly town hall meetings so constituents can express their concerns on an ongoing basis, rather than the short amount of time given at city council meetings. And it will be important to remain as transparent as possible so our citizens are aware of what is going on and why.”

Mayor Sadler said he can always be reached by connecting with his secretary. “Many of you already have my personal cell phone and can call me. I’m on Facebook Messenger every day and regardless of the time or day, I will respond to your concern. I also like to meet with people at their homes. I guess you could call it good old southern hospitality. I like to sit with them and hear what they are going through. I feel I’m more approachable than any other mayor who has come before me.”

Read more at: https://www.thewashingtondailynews.com/2025/09/19/watch-mayoral-candidates-square-off-at-washington-high-school/