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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Beach leaders invite county, state to share in sand solutions

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After working together to uncover a reliable source of money for beach renourishment and inlet dredging, leaders from New Hanover County’s three beach towns are welcoming county and state participation in the process.

Mayors and boards from Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach were joined by Reps. Ted Davis, Jr., R-New Hanover, and Susi Hamilton, D-New Hanover; Sen. Michael Lee, R-District 9; and New Hanover County Commissioner candidate Rob Zapple for an Oct. 17 breakfast meeting in Carolina Beach.

Funding mechanisms are in place for renourishment and dredging, but with no steady stream of county support and the future of federal funding growing increasingly uncertain, beach town officials want to proactively address potential funding shortfalls.

Carolina Beach Mayor Dan Wilcox said the beach towns have been working together to find solutions that benefit everyone before hardship becomes an issue.

“We’ve got a little window of opportunity here to get started on a mindset of trying to find sustained funding for our beach renourishment and inlet dredging, so we’re not scrambling every time,” Wilcox said.

A handful of possible long-term funding sources have been discussed, including an increase or reallocation of room occupancy tax, implementing a prepared food and beverage tax, or raising sales tax or property tax.

Wrightsville Beach Mayor Bill Blair said it is important to include county and state leaders in the discussion, as all options will ultimately need support from county commissioners and state lawmakers.

“We need to figure out as a beach group what are the most likely avenues to pursue funding sources, then partner with the county and our local state representation to find out what it takes to get that done,” Blair said.
Davis warned that he is unlikely to support any tax increase, urging beach officials to look for creative solutions at the local level.

“I’ll be up front. I’m going to have a problem raising taxes. I’ll be glad to listen and all that, but I’m just telling you,” Davis said.

Davis inquired about revenue from raised parking fees reaped by the town of Wrightsville Beach, framing that as an example of a creative local solution.

Blair confirmed that the town is funneling about $350,000 into an emergency sand fund each year.

“We’ve started putting money away for three or four years. Theoretically, it’s being set aside for whatever’s coming. We just don’t know what it is. We know we’re looking for millions,” Blair said.

Carolina Beach officials noted a recent raise in the price of Freeman Park passes as a way to generate $300,000 a year for their own emergency sand fund.

Wilcox said beach towns are prepared to take on some, but not total, funding responsibility for beaches that benefit county and state residents as well as locals.

“There’s not anybody in this room that’s not willing to pay their share. A county revenue source means we’re all paying our share. We pay our county taxes, but when it’s only the beach towns raising that extra revenue and the unincorporated and incorporated areas are not raising any revenue in terms of that fund, there’s a big gap in the process that we’re trying to address,” Wilcox said.

The county finds money to help when times are tough, Wilcox added, but he said the communities need a reliable funding source, like a line item in the county budget.

Beach town leaders invited candidates for two open seats on the county commission for a Sept. 17 roundtable discussion on coastal issues in Kure Beach. Wilcox said the event laid a foundation for future cooperation.

“I think it was a landmark-type event, getting out ahead of the curve and having open dialogue with [future] county commissioners on the two issues that we continue to struggle with,” Wilcox said.

The next beach towns breakfast meeting is tentatively scheduled for January in Wrightsville Beach.

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