On December 31, 2020, City of Chesapeake Treasurer Barbara Carraway quietly allowed the contract with Wells Fargo to lapse for the automated lockbox service. This is a critical service that allows for batch processing of mail-in tax payments. As a result, a small handful of employees were tasked with processing tens of thousands of payments each week by hand. This continued for 6 months before Carraway suddenly revealed she signed a new contract with TowneBank that would take effect June 1, 2021.
Less than two weeks later, on June 12, 2021, Carraway publicly posted the following on her Facebook:
Since the senior class did not have prom this year, we held a prom for 10 students, one my great neice. Local bank sponsored the food which was great, pretty decorations , thanks to niece Susan for getting the club house. Thanks to neighbor, Ben for picking up the food, thanks to neighbor, Pam for helping me decorate and taking it down , sister Janice for being the official photographer and everyone for helping clean up.
https://www.facebook.com/barbara.o.carraway/posts/10219974427977858 — Carraway deleted this Facebook post the following day after this article was published but screenshots can still be viewed here: Barbara Carraway's Deleted Facebook Post (PDF)
In the following days Barbara proudfully asked numerous employees in the office if they heard that TowneBank sponsored her grand niece’s private event by paying for the food from Olive Garden. A concerned employee questioned Nanette Cartwright, Chief Deputy Treasurer to Carraway, about what she thought of Carraway’s statements. Cartwright responded, after a long pause, “the optics are not good...”
It should be noted that Carraway owns stock in TowneBank as divulged here in her STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS — It is still unclear if this was a contributing factor in Carraway awarding a contract to TowneBank.
Pictured below is a copy of the Olive Garden receipt (PDF) dated the same day as Carraway’s Facebook post from June 12, 2021 (pictured above.)
Corrie Cring is currently on the campaign trail to unseat Carraway who has ran mostly unopposed for the last 30 years. Corrie Cring wants to bring fiscal and ethical responsibility back to the Treasurer’s office but needs your help.