All New Hanover County residents have a vested interest in replenishing beach sand, and should share the cost, say officials with the three beach towns.
The future of beach renourishment in Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville beaches — and who pays for it — was the only topic discussed during the May13 meeting of the Wilmington-New Hanover County Port, Waterway and Beach Commission.
“The beach towns feel that renourishment of the beaches is a county issue,” Carolina Beach Mayor Dan Wilcox said. “Before anyone starts talking about finances, it’s important to have an agreement in which all parties are equal partners with an equal burden for seeing the projects through.”
Periodic sand replenishment helps protect coastal property as well as a tourism industry that is vital to the economy of the Cape Fear region. But the federal government has, in recent years, signaled the substantial pot of money it contributes to North Carolina’s program may dry up.
Under the current funding formula, the federal government pays 65 percent of the cost of approved sand replenishment programs, while the state puts up 17.5 percent. An interlocal agreement states the beach towns will pay the remaining share, but that amount is covered by a portion of the tax charged on accommodations.
The agreement is set to expire June 30, and Carolina Beach and Kure Beach have notified the county they will not sign a new agreement if the terms are the same. It’s not that the towns oppose contributing, Wilcox said, but they believe the county — as well as the city of Wilmington — should be a more active partner.
Wilcox said the three beach towns generate a large percentage of the room tax and also pay for services and facilities used by visitors. They think the county should pick up some of the cost. Their residents pay county and municipal property taxes, he said.
“There is zero contribution from the county,” he added.
New funding requests are often unpopular, especially if it involves charging local residents more. In this case, the local share of renourishment costs are covered by a tax paid mostly by tourists. But if the federal government were to withhold its share, it could put all or most of the burden on the local governments.
Kure Beach Mayor Dean Lambeth said some county officials have rebuffed efforts to bring up the issue of funding for sand pumping. But representatives in Raleigh and Washington want to know how much the county is contributing, he said.
Beach officials have met individually with several of the New Hanover County Commissioners, but one they missed was Woody White — the only commissioner on the port and waterway board.
White told the commission he doesn’t see this as a necessarily divisive issue, even if there is some disagreement on the specifics. He also said the commissioners understand the importance of the beaches to county residents.
“I do not want to be on the national news for having our road to Kure Beach in the ocean,” he said.
Meanwhile, the county has hired former state GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer to lobby in Raleigh on beach-related issues. It’s important to have a representative working on the county’s behalf, and Fetzer also is talking with other coastal counties. That would add to coastal clout, White said.
White said he thinks there is consensus on the main points, including the importance of the beaches to all county residents and the need to split costs fairly. But what would that look like? Some of the ideas that came up Wednesday included a prepared meals tax, local-option sales taxes and other types of user fees.
Commission members also agreed there is time to work out the details.
Federal and state money looks secure through at least the 2017-18 fiscal year, said Layton Bedsole, the county’s shore protection coordinator.
White said the county commissioners have been willing to work with the beach towns in the past. In 2011, as the state faced a budget shortfall, the county agreed to pay $2.8 million to cover the state’s share of renourishment costs if necessary — provided the money was repaid.
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