Beaufort County Commissioners Race, Proposal for a Landscape Change | Eastern North Carolina Now

    After one gets past the personality issues it is easy to see that major changes in the way Beaufort County handles money could happen if a conservative board were to be elected. Electing a conservative board will set the stage for financing of the estimated 30 million dollar jail without raising taxes, doing a property revaluation, using money more effectively in the school system, and reducing expense at the Economic Development Council. Providing oversight to several departments is desperately needed. The hospital was lost because the commissioners did not provide oversight. The Sheriff's and Health Departments are now at risk. We cannot afford to continue to do business as the gang of Five has done during the past 8 years.

    Having a conservative board dealing with issues brings about significant savings. Financing the jail will cost a minimum 2 million dollars each year. Many taxpayers are paying more than their fair share of taxes because the last revaluation was distorted. The school system simply needs more oversight to reduce waste and focus on class room teaching. The Economic Development Council is a financial disaster and the Gang of Five does not intend to make any changes.

    Ideally, the best election results would be for Jay McRoy to not get re elected, and for Hood Richardson, Donald Dixon and Gary Brinn to get elected. It is both sand and disappointing that Gary Brinn has chosen to attrack Hood Richardson and Donald Dixon. He seems to be joining up with Jay McRoy. McRoy has voted with the Democrats on important issues such as tax and spend increases 84 percent of the time. He claims to be a conservative but his behavior proves he is not. Gary Brinn's campaign behavior is similar to both liberals McRoy and Al Klemm. Brinn openly states his opponent is Hood Richardson and by default Donald Dixon. He has nowhere to go politically except into the political arms of the liberal Jay McRoy.

    We believe couples desiring to vote for conservative candidates should divide their votes with either the husband or wife voting for Hood Richardson and the other voting for Donald Dixon.

    With Brinn shooting himself in both his Republican feet and Jay McRoy not getting re elected the door is open for two Democrats to win. Jerry Langley is a sure winner with the black block vote.

    Hopefully the voters will realize that Carolyn Harding's one term as a Beaufort County Commissioner was a disaster for the County and for the part of the county she is from. Harding voted along with Jay McRoy to build the Highway 17 By-Pass on the west side of Washington. This is now the road to nowhere as far as Beaufort County residents are concerned. Had the road been built as far to the east as possible, we would have a bridge across the Pamlico River, the Aurora area would have good transportation, the school system, sheriff's department and our citizens would save hundreds of thousands of dolars in gasoline costs each year. Our inability to use the Highway 17 By-Pass alone is sufficient reason not to vote for Carolyn Harding.

    Now comes Democrat Robert Belcher, a disgruntled school board member. Belcher, as Chairman of he School Board, punished Beaufort County (he thought) by resigning his chairmanship when the board refused to sue the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners for more money. This happened as soon as the Chickengate agreement ended. That was the agreement that saved several commissioners when the Gang of Five entered into a guaranteed four year funding agreement that gave the school board more than an additional 2 million dollars each year. When the agreement was approved by the Gang of Five the SBI stopped investigating Chickengate. Belcher has gone from wanting to sue the commissioners to wanting to be one. It is hard to figure where Belchers's values are.

    The remaining Democrat is Wayne Sawyer a resident of the Blounts Creek area. Sawyer is an employee of PCS Phosphate and a board member of Tideland EMC. His property ownership, employee status and responsible position on a board of directors are indicators that he has the self discipline, personal responsibility and intellect to make sound decisions as are needed to be a commissioner. Sawyer should t be the elected Democrat Commissioner.

    So, to put all of the above together into one understandable package, electing Donald Dixon, Hood Richardson, and Wayne Sawyer to the Beaufort County Board of County Commissioners is the best combination to provide us with the talent need to reduce taxes, and break up the liberal Gang of Five. Our seven commissioners would then be: Wayne Langley Ed booth, Al Klemm, Wayne Sawyer, Stan Deatherage, Donald Dixon and Hood Richardson.