The Northport Exposé: The Full Picture of Power, Profits, and a City's Silence: Northport's Unfolding Crisis of Integrity

NORTHPORT, AL

Northport, Alabama stands at a crossroads of accountability. What began as a seemingly mundane city council election has unraveled into a case study in governance failure, ethical breaches, and systemic complicity. This is not a story about politics; it is a story about the fragility of local democracy when its stewards choose silence over action.

Councilman Woodrow Washington III’s candidacy was flawed from inception. Northport ordinances require that candidates reside in the district they seek to represent. Washington did not. He listed his barbecue restaurant as his residence on official candidacy filings, despite simultaneously claiming a homestead exemption, which has since been removed retroactively, on a property located in District 4. 

Under Alabama law, this is not a clerical error—it is a violation of Ala. Code § 36-2-2, which criminalizes entering public office while legally disqualified. Furthermore, Ala. Code § 17-17-5 categorically states that any false entry or fraudulent certification on election documents is a Class C felony.

Rather than address this residency fraud, Northport’s leadership chose to redraw the district lines after the fact, folding Washington’s actual residence into the district he illegally claimed. This maneuver, known as incumbent gerrymandering, undermines the democratic process and violates the spirit of equal representation enshrined in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And it is rumored that the City Administrator and two councilmembers were involved in the redistricting process. If Councilman Washington was involved in any way with the redistricting, this would be a blatant and appalling conflict of interest, and an even deeper violation of the public’s trust.

Adding to the insult is the city’s blatant voter access neglect. District 2′s polling site is effectively barricaded by ongoing road construction, detours, and inaccessible routes. No accommodations were made for elderly or disabled voters. District 4′s polling location endangers voters by being located at a highly used fire station with a small parking lot that includes an alternative parking location that is separated by a unpassable field that is in no way ADA compliant and that runs along a busy and dangerous highway.  No alternative polling sites were offered. This obstruction—whether through willful neglect or gross indifference—presents a potential violation of federal law.

Meanwhile, Washington’s influence over Northport’s council votes has proven personally profitable. Through his entity, MKW Holdings, he has acquired strategic parcels along MLK Boulevard. Votes on road widening, access management, and infrastructure enhancements directly benefit his holdings. Despite clear conflict-of-interest concerns under Ala. Code § 36-25-5(a) (Ethics Act), no disclosures were found to appear in city records.

Equally concerning is Washington’s abuse of the homestead exemption. While operating an Airbnb rental, he continues to claim a homestead exemption on that property—a violation of Alabama Department of Revenue guidelines that mandate primary, owner-occupied use for such tax benefits. If this address has also been attempted to be used as his new declared residence on his most recent Statement of Candidacy, that may present another issue, since this address is the address of a regularly used Airbnb, according to the website.

The legal ramifications are staggering. Each vote cast by Washington while ineligible taints city projects, contracts, and public trust. Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, these actions expose The City of Northport to civil suits for constitutional rights violations. Furthermore, the city’s failure to enforce its own laws raises potential claims of regulatory takings, as property owners impacted by skewed infrastructure votes may seek restitution.

This is not a case of isolated oversights. This is a pattern:

• False residency declarations.
• Fraudulent homestead exemptions.
• Self-serving council votes.
• Systematic failures by city leadership to uphold the law.

Northport’s government has allowed a councilman to profit from the very office he unlawfully holds. And while city officials may hope that silence will make the problem go away, the residents of Northport are documenting every step.

The choice before Northport is clear: Uphold the laws designed to protect its citizens, or stand complicit in their erosion.

The reckoning is not speculative. It is inevitable. Northport’s citizens are watching. They are preparing. And they will not be silenced. This is not a single voice complaining or bringing attention. This is a community resolute to right the ship while being rife with political harms that are weary and disgruntled, that are tired of inaction, misconduct, ethical violations, and a city that seems to have lost its moral compass. The momentum of righting this ship is growing as a community of dedicated people from all walks of life, determined to see Northport emerge from this dark chapter, is rising. We are watching. We are investigating. We are monitoring. We are recording what we see. We are researching, deeply researching. And we are exposing all until the transparency restores our beloved city.