Mayor's Powers Stripped After DWI Charges

0:00It's April 22nd. Welcome in. This is Durham News Today, where local news meets AI. Creed Moore Mayor Antoine Downey got elected back in November, but now, just six months in, the city board stripped of most of his powers after his fifth. Driving while impaired charge, this small town of nearly 5,000 folks in Granville County saw commissioners vote unanimously on Tuesday to limit him big time. He had four prior DWI convictions, stretching from 2004 to 2019, all before he took office. Then in February, he faced that fifth charge, leading the board to first demand his resignation back in March. At the meeting, Downey apologized to residents, saying he finished a 30-day treatment program in outpatient care. He insists his commitment to the community stays strong and wants to keep serving. But commissioners pushed back hard, with one calling out his track record, and sharing his own 35 years of sobriety. They banned him from representing the city at events, entering city hall, except for public

1:03meetings, using the mayor's office, or accessing town, iPads, phones, emails, and business cards. He can still show up to meetings and break tie votes thanks to state law. Meanwhile, the board kicked off a legal push called a motion to boot him out for good, though it might drag on for months and run up 41,000. Members in legal fees, the mayor didn't respond to outreach, and the town's keeping a close eye as this plays out.