Beaufort Observer Editorial Team's Entries

The Beaufort County Commissioners, at their regular monthly meeting May 7, 2012, discussed reorganizing the Economic Development Commission and its Committee of 100.
At the May 7, 2012, meeting we saw one of the most significant displays of bad government we have ever seen. The item on the agenda was simply: "Resolution to End Corporate Welfare In North Carolina and Beaufort County."
Beaufort County Manager Randell Woodruff present his proposed budget for FY 2013 to the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night (5-7-12). It could be characterized as a "hold the line" budget with the resulting property tax rate being the same as this past year ($.53 per $100 in property value).
Those of us at the Beaufort Observer have spent more time reporting on the Beaufort Hospital than any other single story in the last three years. It is, as we have learned, a sordid tale, with many angles.
But since the building has sat empty, the maintenance expense for the county has skyrocketed. Thus, Mr. Richardson suggested that by selling the building it would eliminate future maintenance expense, having to pay the debt service on the loans and put the building on the tax roles.
Beaufort County continues to suffer from the Blind Mice making up the Gang of Five on our County Commission.
The people of Beaufort County were treated to an amazing scene in the reaction of some commissioners to a recent request from Dr. Don Phipps that the County fund a population study of the students in the school system.
What is wrong with government, at all levels, was on full display Monday night (4-2-12) at the Beaufort County Board of Commissioner's meeting.
he session was essentially divisible into two parts. The first was a more or less roundtable discussion of "what do you see the needs to be" and the second part was a presentation by Todd Davis with Mosley Architects.
The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners heard a report from the Director of the Economic Development Commission Monday night (3-19-12). It was pretty much the same as those made in the past.
In this report you will find video of public comments offered to the board by Warren Smith. The subject is, again, the economic development program in Beaufort County.
Hood Richardson offered a motion to freeze the property tax rate of 51.5 cent per hundred dollar of assessed value. The motion, seconded by Stan Deatherage was defeated 4-3 with Jay McRoy voting for the motion along with Richardson and Deatherage and Langley, Cayton, Booth and Klemm voting against.
Perdue, as had Democrat leaders in the Legislature, particularly Sen. President Pro Tem Marc Basnight (D-Beaufort), opposed natural gas drilling known as "fracking."
Monday's (3-12-12) Beaufort County Board of Commissioners meeting was phenomenal. We'll report on it in a series of articles. There was way too much, both obvious and not so obvious, to report on to give it short shrift.
The Washington City Council, in its regular monthly meeting Monday (3-12-12) approved a lease agreement with the owners of the Schooner Jeanie B to dock on the city's waterfront and operate a charter business from Washington.
The issue has come before the Town Board several times in recent months but the School Board does not currently have funds to replace the unit with permanent construction.
The Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that the Department of Transportation has issued its new schedule of ferry tolls but is delaying enforcing them until the Governor tells them to do so.
The Chocowinity Town Board, meeting in its regularly monthly meeting Tuesday night (3-7-12) voted to borrow $2,896,000 to upgrade the sewer line running from the existing Bragaw Lane pump station to Cypress Landing.
At Monday's (2-27-12) Washington City Council meeting City Manager Josh Kay made a presentation to the council and public for a reorganization of Washington city government.
The Washington City Council, meeting February 27, 2012 in the Committee of the Whole, among other things, heard the City Manager give a mid-year financial report.
Jimmy Hite, a Greenville architect, formally presented the School Facilities Study to the Beaufort County Board of Education. We have previously reported what the study shows; and that is that the School Board wasted over $24 million in the most recent bond building program.
The Beaufort County Board of Education met for its regular monthly meeting on February 21. We have video from much of the meeting below.
We recently commended our County Manager and Board of Commissioners for an improved planning process as seen in the board's recent retreat. But at the same time we suggested that the session was missing some very critical planning elements.
It was encouraging because for the first time in recent memory we saw the board getting good solid information....data if you will. Much of that data centered on building a new jail and we will have more on that later after we complete our research.
Judge Wilton "Rusty" Duke, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for District 3A, was the keynote speaker at the Beaufort Patriot TEA Party Thursday (2-16-12).
Traditionally, the individual campuses have exhibited a fixation that "more money is necessary." They don't have it within their DNA to reduce spending, no matter how unjustified prior spending was.
The "Godfather of the Chocowinity Recreation Program," Jeff Haddock tendered notice of his resignation as Director of Recreation at the regular monthly meeting of the Chocowinity Town Board.
At their regular monthly meeting Monday (2-6-12) the Beaufort County Commissioners discussed an interim property tax revaluation.
At their regular monthly meeting February 6, 2012 the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to support a resolution offered by Robert Cayton opposing the imposition of ferry tolls on the Bayview/Aurora ferry.
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