Wrightsville Beach Mayor Bill Blair was re-elected Nov. 3 after running unopposed for a second term he did not originally intend on seeking.
He first ran in 2013 with ambitious goals for his two-year term, like fixing the town’s aging water and sewer system and securing funding for beach renourishment.
“I thought I could get all this done in two years,” he said, “but there are too many things we’re involved with now that I felt like I needed to finish.”
He knew the water and sewer repairs weren’t going to be a quick fix. The town didn’t have the funds to complete the work in one budget cycle without significantly raising residents’ taxes, but fixing the well system was — and still is — one of Blair’s top priorities.
“It’s terrible,” he said of the town’s drinking water. Several of the wells recently tested near the legal limit for chloride. Not only does the salt and organic material in the aquifer give the drinking water a distinct taste, but last year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned the town its water contained a potential carcinogen called trihalomethane.
A project that started as simple repairs to the existing water and sewer system “morphed into the track we’re on now, with an ad hoc water committee to explore our long-term water needs,” Blair said.
Whether the town ultimately decides to filter its water using reverse osmosis, buy clean water to pump into the aquifer, or simply sell the system to Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, Blair and his board will be faced with a major decision with long-term implications.
But one of his goals as mayor is to take on the difficult issues that have been overlooked in years past.
“It’s easy not to fix stuff,” he said.
He and his board also took a closer look at the town’s beach renourishment contract and realized the millions the federal government currently pays to pipe sand onto Wrightsville’s beach strand might run out soon, leaving local governments to fund their own projects.
“You have to put sand on your beach, because if you lose your beach, it has a pretty dramatic effect on all your income streams,” Blair said.
The board is currently working with Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., to lobby the federal government for more money, but Blair has a backup plan if that falls through. He approved a parking rate increase in 2014 to bolster the town’s sand fund, a pot of money earmarked for beach renourishment, and in 2014 the sand fund doubled to nearly $1 million.
In addition to taking on several long-term projects, the mayor and his board have cast votes on contentious issues, like upholding the town’s 40-foot height limit for commercial structures, that affect the future of commercial development at the beach.
Blair said his board strives for consistency above all else when faced with such decisions, creating a precedent for his board and future boards. Once that model is established, he said, decisions become much easier.
One of his greatest frustrations during his years serving on the planning board and board of aldermen was that votes were made based on the project presented rather than a long-term vision for the beach.
Blair credits his fellow board members, all of whom will retain their seats, with committing to his long-term vision. Some people run for office because “they just like the job,” Blair said, but actually making a difference in office takes time and effort.
“You need to be prepared to spend a lot more time than you might think,” he said. “It’s been un-fun, real work kind of stuff. We’re not kissing babies and cutting ribbons.”
email [email protected]
