Days after New Hanover County Commission Chairman Jonathan Barfield Jr. detailed county efforts to foster economic growth and support education and public safety in a State of the County address, commissioner Woody White released a response focused on other issues he finds important to the county’s future.
White commended Barfield for his discussion of county accomplishments in the response released on the county’s YouTube channel on Feb. 5 before he outlined worries about county spending, growing debt and potential property tax increases. He compared the county’s population growth over the last 20 years, 61 percent, to a 700 percent growth in debt during the same time.
“That’s a frightening trend, and we need to do everything we can to rein it in,” White said. To reverse the trend, White said commissioners should pursue policies that help the county provide the best basic services, like education and public health and safety, at the lowest cost, which he said in turn allows the private sector to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
As the county plans to prepare a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, White said he will fight to prevent a property tax increase proposed to offset mounting debt service obligations.
White’s comments should be part of the discussion while the county prepares a budget, Barfield said, but that is the appropriate time to have the conversation — not during the State of the County address. Barfield said controversy stirred up by White’s announcement prior to Barfield’s address that he would release a videoed response clouded an important message he was trying to convey to citizens.
“Unfortunately, the media never picked up on the importance of that. [Journalists] were only concerned with the controversy surrounding it as opposed to the true content of what was said, which I think is a disservice to the public,” Barfield said, citing accomplishments like the county’s partnership with Wilmington Business Development to keep CastleBranch in the area and collaboration with the city to request and implement parts of an economic development report prepared by Atlanta-based Garner Economics.
White acknowledged some people believe he should not have released a response or detracted from Barfield’s message, but said he feels all viewpoints are important and relevant.
“We’re all part of the fabric of this community. Your opinion, the chairman’s opinions, everyone’s views are of equal importance,” White said. “Speaking up when it matters is important.”
Further discussing what the county can do to reduce a trend toward growing debt, White defended his stance against the catered reception that followed Barfield’s address and his requests that the county travel policy apply to commissioners.
“If commissioners are going to use your tax dollars to buy expensive meals for themselves and attend local charity galas and cocktail parties, or go on trip after trip to conferences in large cities, it demonstrates a larger disregard of fiscal restraint,” White said.
email [email protected]
