What can we expect from Beaufort County Government until 2024? | Eastern North Carolina Now

It has often been said that “elections have consequences.”  But that is not true in Beaufort County, at least not in Beaufort County Government.  Not only did incumbents get re-elected to the County Commission but a backroom deal resulted in filling the Register of Deeds vacancy.  Thankfully, the Sheriff was replaced by a man who has promised reforming that office.  It remains to be seen how the three new members of the School Board will change things there.  And The Club still has an iron grip on the local judicial system with uncontested seats being the order of the day.

Thus, between now and November 2024 we don’t expect much to change in county government or the local judicial system.  Proof of that expectation could be seen in the first meeting of the “new” board of commissioners.  Hood Richardson’s article in this edition pulls back the curtain on how the officers of the commission were elected as well as their inaugural actions, including awarding a contract to other than the low bidder for an extra cost of $60,000 to the taxpayers.  It was essentially done the same way the communications system was done by the last Sheriff with the complicity of the Ruling Majority on the Commission.  Expect corruption to get worse, not better.  Watch out for the maxim:  “accepting the unacceptable makes the unacceptable acceptable.”  Corruption is acceptable in Beaufort County.

By “corruption” we mean doing things other than the way they are intended by the law and criteria of good government.

The best hope advocates of good government have in Beaufort County right now is Hood Richardson.  Indeed, his first expose of the Ruling Majority means that he will likely continue his role as “whistleblower.”  That role along with the watchdog activity of the Beaufort Citizens for Better Government is about all we have to rely on.

That word (rely) is key.  In a system of republican government reliance means the holders of office can be relied upon to vote according to sound government principles.  They can be relied upon to by open and above board.  To make decisions for the general welfare not to benefit special interests.  They should be relied upon to spend taxpayer money the way they would spend their own.  They themselves should obey the laws and rules that they themselves have established (i.e., follow adopted policies).  And of course, we should be able to rely on them as a group and each individually to be honest and honorable.

The concept of honorable is crucial in a democratic republic.  Our's is not a democracy as Joe Biden and many others say when they claim conservatives (i.e. Donald Trump) are "a threat to democracy."  In a democracy the people vote on the laws.  For example, in some counties in America the school budget must be passed by a vote of the people.  The New England Town Meetings are a prime example of a democracy.  The initiative, recall and referendum via popular petition is yet another example.  But for the most part, in North Carolina we have a republican form of government at both the state and local levels.  That is, the people elect representatives to carry out the functions of government.

That system requires that the people know what their representatives stand for and how they stand on any given issue.  If the candidate runs on one platform and then votes along the other platform you can say they did not honor the republican system that elected them.  The trouble is that most politicians are not committed to honoring what they say.  They say what they think whomever they're talking to want them to say. Once elected they become elitists drunk on power who believe they know what is best for whomever.  No Beaufort County Commission meeting happens without this corruption of republicanism being exhibited.  The system is not supposed to work that way and that is why we call it corruption

The concept of honor has in recent years fallen by the wayside across governments.  But our Founders believed it to be of paramount importance for an elected official.  In the Declaration of Independence, they pledged “…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”  Honor was important to these leaders.  Even Tenderfoot Boy Scouts learn that concept as included in their pledge, which begins: “On my honor…”

Someone has said, “honor is doing the right thing even if no one will ever know…”  Thus, we ask you, can you rely on each of these seven officials to be honorable in all their actions as commissioners.  If you do believe that, let us offer you a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.

So, what are we left with between now and November 2024?  The answer is:  Hood Richardson.

You may not like Hood and certainly those he calls out don’t like him, but he is our best hope that if this new Board of Commissioners continues its corruption that it will be exposed and they called out on it.

And while we’re at it, we will say unabashedly that for those of us who work with Hood here at the Observer know full well that he is an honorable man.  Moreso than any other modern politician we know.  Hood makes no bones about where he stands.  You know what his principles are and if you look closely, you see that those principles never change.  We may not know what decisions he will participate in in the coming months but this we do know:  You can rely on him to approach each of those decisions with the same set of conservative principles that he has always done. 

What many do not know about Hood that those of us who work closely with him know about him is that he is not only a conservative, but a Christian conservative.  Yet, he does not wear his religion on his vest.  But you can trust that his Christian values will be embedded in his positions on any issue that comes before him.

So what’s our point?  Simply this:  We beg Hood to persevere in exposing corruption in local government.  We trust him to do so.  Hopefully the example he sets will “rub off” on the Ruling Majority and they will come to see the light.

But, don’t count on it.