Several Beaufort County Commissioners are hung up on some Bad Ideas | Eastern NC Now

By:  Hood Richardson

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The entire seven-member Board of Commissioners met with Senator Brinson on Wednesday September 18 at the Agriculture Building near the Airport. Notice was given on the “sunshine” list although this was not a called meeting. It was ad hoc and open to the public. Senator Brinson asked questions about issues he thought may be coming up in the Legislature and Commissioners presented some of their ideas.

Senator Brinson asked how we felt about relaxing laws that have to do with cities and towns “extra territorial jurisdictions” also known as ETJs. Commissioners had no strong opinions because Beaufort County is not zoned.  That reduces ETJ’s to areas immediately surrounding cities and towns. Such action would have no impact on Beaufort County Government because the County has no zoning.

The idea of ETJ’s is based on the concept of those territories immediately adjacent to municipalities having to meet the zoning requirements of the municipalities to accommodate annexation.  Ultimately it is a property-rights issue that often results in municipalities imposing zoning on non-municipal property for years before the area benefits from municipal services. Typically, there is no popular vote on extending ETJ’s like there is on extending municipal limits.

The people of Beaufort County have a long history of opposing county zoning. In a county that has experienced little growth, even in areas adjacent to municipalities, there is less justification for imposing municipal zoning on areas outside the municipal limits.   

Ed Booth and several commissioners indicated they would support County wide zoning. I believe county-wide zoning would accomplish nothing in this sparsely populated, declining population county. It was interesting how uninformed some commissioners are. Some thought zoning would allow the county to force people to clean up their property and would keep owners from using their property in ways the neighbors did not approve of. Both opinions are wrong but appealing to those who believe they should be in control. Zoning would create a planning department and staff and provide significant work for lawyers.

There are estimates that the cost to taxpayers would be about one million dollars per year.

This is an election year.  That means it would be a good idea for you to ask the candidates running for County Commissioner how they feel about ETJ’s and municipal zoning and annexation.  I, for one, am opposed to county-wide zoning and therefore see no need for expanding ETJ’s.  In fact, I am opposed to forced annexation (without a vote of the property owners).