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Beach town officials pose sand scenarios to candidates

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Representatives from New Hanover County’s three beach towns had a chance to share concerns and stake out a partnership with four New Hanover County Commissioner candidates.

Beach town representatives at the Sept. 17 discussion included the mayor and mayor pro tem of each municipality plus council members and aldermen.

Finding a long-term, equitable funding source for beach renourishment is one of the biggest challenges facing the beach towns, and Wrightsville Beach Mayor Bill Blair said it is important for all stakeholders to work together to find the right solution.

“We’re working to come together and find common ground, trying to approach it as one entity to be more effective,” Blair said. “As a unified group, we’ll get the attention that these issues deserve, because they’re at the foundation of what drives a lot of the economic engine in the county, and it can’t be overlooked anymore.”

As beach town and county officials try to prepare for the possibility of lost federal and state support for beach renourishment, Blair asked candidates how they would approach the challenge if elected. He mentioned an emergency plan outlined in a 2011 interlocal agreement, set to expire June 2015, which states the sand fund, a pool of room occupancy tax (ROT) dollars earmarked for beach renourishment, will pick up 82.5 percent of the tab if federal and state funding fail, leaving the beach receiving sand to pay the remaining 17.5 percent.

All four county commissioner candidates agreed the county should help beach towns pay for sand if federal and state funding is lost, but suggested different paths to find a viable long-term source of funding.

Republican candidates Skip Watkins and Dr. Derrick Hickey and Democratic candidate Rob Zapple all shied away from the prospect of raising taxes.

Watkins said he would consider reallocation of existing ROT revenue first. Zapple said he would rely on the sand fund while searching for a solution.

Democratic candidate Patricia Spear said she would work in Raleigh to get support from state legislators.

Beach town leaders have discussed a bump in ROT, sales tax or property tax as a way to generate needed funds for renourishment. Another option is implementing a prepared food and beverage tax.

Pressed by Carolina Beach Mayor Pro Tem LeAnn Pierce to pick which option sounds best, Watkins leaned toward a small raise in the sales tax. Hickey favored a food and beverage tax, which he said could generate $6 million a year based on 2010 data. Spear also favored a food and beverage tax.

Zapple stood by his earlier plan to rely on existing ROT funds before deciding.

As of June 30, 2013, the sand fund contained $36.6 million.

Blair said if the food and beverage tax pulled in $6 million each year, it would offset most of the cost to renourish the county’s beaches. Carolina and Kure beaches are renourished every three years, and Wrightsville Beach is renourished every four years. The 2013 renourishment for Carolina and Kure beaches totaled $12.5 million. The estimated cost of the 2014 Wrightsville Beach renourishment is $8 million.

With no clear answer available, Carolina Beach Mayor Dan Wilcox said it is important to create a culture of cooperation to find a solution that benefits everyone. Wilcox said the opportunity to meet the candidates and talk about the issues puts everyone on the right track.

“This puts us ahead of the curve. We’re having this dialogue before they’re ever elected. Quite often what happens is, the commissioners get elected and then we have to build a relationship and have a dialogue with them. So we’re out in front of these issues, and I think that’s good for everybody,” Wilcox said.

The Pleasure Island Foundation for a Sustainable Community organized the discussion.

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