Monroe Mayor Pro Tem Surluta Anthony, who is running for mayor, is under renewed ethics scrutiny after she helped review city funding requests that included a nonprofit where she serves in a leadership role. Critics say she should have publicly disclosed the overlap or formally recused herself before the committee’s recommendation moved on to the full city council.
Committee recommendation and budget figures
The General Services Committee voted to recommend funding for Community Health Services of Union County and sent that recommendation to the full council, according to The Charlotte Observer. City budget records show Community Health Services was allocated $30,000 in the adopted FY2026 budget and is listed as a recommended outside-agency recipient in staff materials, per the City of Monroe FY26 budget book. The full council still has to sign off before any grant dollars are actually released.
Nonprofit ties
Community Health Services’ board roster identifies Anthony as vice president, and the clinic’s website describes its work providing volunteer-driven primary care to county residents, according to Community Health Services of Union County. The clinic’s public materials show it operating in Monroe and teaming up with local volunteers and providers to run its clinics.
What state law requires
State law in North Carolina bars local public officials from knowingly taking part in “making or administering a contract, including the award of money in the form of a grant” with a nonprofit whose board they serve on, and says anyone who knowingly violates that rule commits a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to the statute. Guidance from the UNC School of Government states that the duty to recuse applies to volunteer officers and explains that “participating” includes both discussing and voting on funding decisions, which are the actions at issue in Monroe.
Anthony's response and local reaction
Anthony told The Charlotte Observer she has served on the CHSUC board for more than ten years, does not receive any financial benefit from the clinic, and that the city attorney told her she did not knowingly break the law. Mayor Robert Burns told the paper the overlap raised concerns about how the city manages potential conflicts of interest, and some residents are now pushing for clearer disclosures or a formal recusal record before final council votes.
What happens next
The General Services Committee’s recommendation still needs full council approval before any outside-agency grants are paid. The city’s public calendar shows the committee met in March to review applications and funding requests, and the March 23, 2026 notice cites “review and discussion of Outside Agency applications and funding requests.” State ethics guidance from the North Carolina Ethics Commission urges officials who may have conflicts to document recusals with the clerk or seek an advisory opinion to lower legal and procedural risk. Local watchdogs say they are watching to see whether the council records any recusal or requests a formal written opinion from the city attorney before taking a final vote.
