I have been a member of the East Biloxi community for most of my life. I have had the opportunity on several occasions to do business with Hope Community Development Agency and I've been involved in city government functions with its Executive Director, Bill Stallworth. Through business and on a social level, I have come to know many people who work and have worked in this agency. There is a rising toll of people who have been victims of this agency's dishonest and unlawful business practices, both internally and externally. I find it interesting that there seems to be a growing number of private rental properties belonging to the Executive Director. That, combined with the fact that there also seems to be a revolving door over there when it comes to people being hired and fired, only solidifies the fact that something shady and unlawful is going on, especially after talking with the victims of this agency. I have advised them to seek legal counsel throughout the years. This agency is, in part, government funded. Large sums of money were handed to this agency when Katrina struck, but there is very little tangible evidence to show, in terms of building and benefit for the community, to reflect the investment of that large sum of money. Where was it spent and into whose pockets did it go? A large portion of those funds appear to fall directly into the pockets of its Executive Director rather than in projects to benefit this community, our community. He has benefited on a personal level and has the rental properties in his name to show for it, as well as a number of other personal assets, including being elected to City Council with a campaign funded by this agency's dollars. I would be very interested to see what a government audit would turn up. The agency's reputation within the community only gets worse with time and I know of many businesses, mine included, that will not be conducting business with Hope Community Development Agency or its Executive Director, Bill Stallworth, in the future.
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