ONLY ON 3: DBA leaders tight lipped on misuse of public funds

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Downtown Business Alliance has three board members on a task force to help market Downtown Wilmington with the Bring It! Downtown campaign.

Last month, the group held a party to premier a promotional video of Downtown Wilmington and spent more than $1,000 of public money on alcohol, according to a member of a board overseeing the group.

WWAY attempted to get answers as to why public money was misused by leaders behind Bring It! Downtown during the Downtown Business Alliance’s meeting Monday night. The organization’s board members in attendance refused to speak to us.

Tom Harris, owner of Front Street Brewery, said he thought DBA board members felt targeted by WWAY.

“They feel like you went on a witch hunt,” Harris said.

Mayor Bill Saffo said Bring It! Downtown’s misuse of public money has been addressed.

“I think that when it was brought to the attention of the folks of Bring It! Downtown, they understood what the problem was and they felt like a significant mistake had been made, and they were willing to correct that. I don’t think it was done maliciously. They just weren’t used to this type of a process,” Saffo said.

WWAY invited Harris to appear on our newscast Tuesday evening and talk about DBA. Harris declined saying he would be out of town.