A heated campaign between Republicans for the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will conclude next Tuesday, March 15, when voters go to the polls for the primary election. While there have been some sharp attacks in the campaign, the candidates have mainly sounded a similar note when it comes to funding coastal storm damage reduction efforts, including beach sand replenishment.
“The county has to continue with its lobbying efforts and keep focusing on the whole state legislature to make sure we have a place at the table,” said candidate Patricia Kusek, a local financial advisor, who is also the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County joint appointee to the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, where she serves a chairperson. Her term ends June 2017. “Everyone, Democrats and Republicans, from what I’ve heard, agrees on this,” Kusek said.
Politicians at the federal, state and local level have all expressed worries that federal government will allow beach renourishment funding to lapse, leaving it to the state, county and local government to fund the multi-million dollar projects. Until the time comes when the board of commissioners may have to consider a new funding model, candidates for the board generally agreed that promoting the importance of the region’s beaches to the statewide economy was the board’s primary role.
Commissioner Woody White, one of seven Republican candidates running for three open seats on the board, said the most important role for the county board was to help promote the importance of beach sand funding to the state legislature, as the board isn’t likely to be faced with any sort of vote on the issue in the near future. A current interlocal agreement between the county and the beach towns, including Wrightsville Beach, would have the towns contribute 17.5 percent of the funding for beach renourishment projects in future cycles, though there are discussions about developing a new financial arrangement.
“The general consensus is that it has to be a collaborative approach by everybody,” said White, who added that he serves on the Port, Waterway and Beaches Commission, which also works to promote the economic benefits of the beaches and waterway. “We’ve seen tremendous progress in recent months on educating the folks in Raleigh on why they need to be helping us” on beach sand funding. White also serves on the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority with a term expiring in 2018, as does Commissioner Rob Zapple.
Campbell Dodd, who is making his second run at a county commission seat, also agreed that the board’s mission will be to educate state legislators on the “shared benefits” that the beach brings to the state economy. Another candidate, Derrick Hickey, a Wilmington surgeon, said while there may not be disagreement, there’s also not a plan for beach renourishment funding, and that should be more of a priority for the board.
However, White said one area where there may be disagreement on the board in the near future is how funding for the Tourism Development Authority is allocated.
Republican candidates for the board said the economy was the issue that most voters wanted to discuss.
For Dodd, an insurance and real estate broker, one of the best ways to improve the economy would be to change county zoning laws that require special use permits for industrial development, which he said can drive away manufacturing jobs. He also said the county needs to accelerate infrastructure improvements in the U.S. 421 corridor, where the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority recently extended water and sewer lines.
“How can you attract business there when we don’t have the infrastructure set up,” Dodd said.
For Kusek, finding ways to cut spending would be another priority for her on the board of commissioners.
“We must broaden our tax base, look at the budget more closely, and find a way to do more with less,” she said.
For candidate and board chair Beth Dawson, her goal is to demonstrate her fiscal record over the past four years.
“I think a lot of folks that are independent will see I have a fiscally responsible record,” Dawson said.
For Hickey, the CFPUA itself is an issue. He said the authority hasn’t been able to lower water bills and the county board should break it up and return it to the control of New Hanover County. Hickey also said the board of commissioners should improve its working relationship with the New Hanover County Board of Education.
John Babb and Jim Brumit are also Republican candidates for the board of commissioners. Brumit serves as vice chair of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, his term expires this year.
Voting on March 15 is scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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