Split Nags Head board scrambles to pass budget

| June 28, 2012

It took two votes and two split decisions Wednesday night, but Nags Head adopted a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

The latest town budget weighs in at $20.9 million, and taxpayers will not see any increases in their rates.

But Commissioner Anna Sadler warned of potentially severe tax increases ahead as Dare County continues its evaluation of property, where oceanfront and soundside homes are expected to lose significant appraisal value.

Resident Richard Murphy was the only person to speak during public comments, and he expressed concerns over the proposed town budget and certain expense items.

Because of Dare County’s method of distributing sales tax revenues, Nags Head will receive a $1.6 million windfall this year as a result of increasing property taxes to pay for their beach nourishment program.

Other towns have now raised their tax rates in order to offset the distribution loss from Nags Head, so by fiscal year 2014, Nags Head will no longer receive the extra county revenue.

Murphy expressed concern over proposals to fund long-term salaries of new and existing employees from a one-time windfall and also questioned the amount of salary increases proposed in the budget.

“Just because you have a windfall doesn’t mean you have to spend it” Murphy told the commissioners.

During discussion on the budget, Mayor Bob Oakes echoed Murphy’s concerns, saying he was in favor of using the windfall for one-time capital expenditures but not-long term salary funding.

Commissioner Renee Cahoon said the budget was “top-heavy in executive positions and jumps in pay grades and steps.”

Commissioner Anna Salder stated the budget was “out of synch,” using temporary funds for long-term payment of salaries.

The only commissioner to speak in favor of the proposed budget was Doug Remaley, who said “we have been passing budgets with too little money for too many things for too long,” a theme he has repeated over the past five years.

Remaley also expressed frustration that Oakes had called him before the meeting and told how the vote was going to come out, questioning why the board even bothered to debate it.

The proposed budget failed by a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Remaley and Susie Walters supporting the budget with Oakes, Cahoon and Sadler voting no.

Town Manager Cliff Ogburn called for a five-minute recess and returned with a new budget. Ogburn eliminated the proposed new positions for a deputy fire chief and a police lieutenant, and agreed to restrict salary/grade increases for the human resources director and senior accountant to 7.5 percent.

A new position of town engineer remained in the budget since the salary will be partially offset by a budget line item currently dedicated to outsourcing engineering work.

Cahoon proposed an amendment to reduce the total salary increases for the human resources director and the project manager to 5 percent.

The Cahoon amended budget passed by a 3-2 vote with Remaley and Sadler dissenting.

In other items, the town agreed to look into ways the public and builders can be educated on the use of fill and managing storm-water runoff. The recent hard rains have led to new complaints about runoff into streets and neighboring yards.

Fire Chief Kevin Zorc announced the 4th of July fireworks celebration, which he called a “cornerstone event” for the town each year. The fireworks will be launched from the end of Nags Head Pier at milepost 11.5 on the Beach Road.

Zorc said that Nags Head police will be directing traffic before and after the event and advised attendees to use the northernmost beach accesses in the town or Jockey’s Ridge State Park, which will be open late on July 4 for the event.

Zorc reminded the public that personal fireworks are illegal. Sadler thanked the town employees who will be working the night of the event as well as Andy and Lovey McCann, who own Nags Head Pier.

If there is inclement weather, the event will be held on July 5.

The McCann’s must close their pier for business before and after the event due to regulations governing fireworks and their proximity to the public.

Cahoon inquired about “mobile billboards,” specifically one truck that travels from Corolla to Manteo with rotating advertisements on four panels around the truck.

Ogburn and Town Attorney John Leidy said they felt the truck violated town ordinances and a notice of violation had been served on the owner. The owner indicated to the town he was going to retain counsel and challenge the notice. Remaley said he felt pursuing the driver “was a waste of town money and resources.”

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See what people are saying:

  • KHer says:

    It doesn’t appear Ms. Sadler can be pleased at all, voting “Nay” both times.

    • on June 28, 2012 @ 5:16 pm

  • KHer says:

    “Cahoon inquired about “mobile billboards,” specifically one truck that travels from Corolla to Manteo with rotating advertisements on four panels at the rear of the truck.”

    Sounds like more regulations are coming from the fun folks at Nags Head!

    Do they not understand that every commercial vehicle with a sign, logo, phone # or web address painted or otherwise affixed constitutes a “mobile sign”? Are they going to ban all commercial traffic?

    Remaley is right. They’re wasting time and money chasing this truck down.

    • on June 28, 2012 @ 5:21 pm

  • Kittyhawk says:

    What these towns fail to realize is. The supreme court has already ruled in cases like this. “No town can permit at will the use of a highway. Nor can it convert a civil right into a crime. See :bonita media enterprises v. Collier co. Florida. Trying to prohibit that truck is a violation of the first, fifth, and fourteenth amendments. No towns advertising ordinance will withstand constitutional scrutiny. I wish the little black truck the best. They have my 100% support. Keep up the good work.

    • on June 29, 2012 @ 12:00 am

  • bob says:

    I saw the rolling billboard truck in nags head yesterday it was driving through a parking lot of a coffee shop, one of its billboards on the truck was for another coffee shop. Legal or not, that is just wrong to go advertise on a competitors property. That action speaks great volumes about the truck operators integrity. That wasn’t the first time i have seen the truck advertising on competitors private property.

    • on June 29, 2012 @ 2:12 pm

  • Kittyhawk says:

    Hey bob. Did you ever think that maybe that other coffee shop is a client on truck as well? Quick to judge.. or driver might still have an ounce of free will left and likes to drink coffee from where ever the heck he likes. Hmmm

    • on June 29, 2012 @ 3:14 pm

  • bob says:

    Hey kittyhawk, not quick to judge since I had observed this behavior before at another business with a competitor advertised on the truck. And the driver didnt stop to patronize the coffee shop, he was just driving through the parking lot to advertise a competitor.

    thanks for your input on what i observed and commented on but as always opinions may vary.

    • on June 29, 2012 @ 4:19 pm

  • Kittyhawk says:

    Thanks for input bob. Hey next time your by “morningview” ask the owners. They purchased an ad on truck. And yes there is a ad for another coffee shop on there. Its only 40 freaking miles away. No harm to her. Sad, sad man……

    • on June 29, 2012 @ 5:09 pm

  • Bob O says:

    The mobile message board issue centers around offsite advertising. It’s not about delivery trucks with signage, it’s focused on trucks that are rolling billboards, whose only purpose is to advertise. Nags Head went to the Supreme Court many years ago to get rid of billboards in our community, seems like a very similar issue.

    Just an FYI, I apologized to Mayor Pro Tem Remaley, and the 3-2 vote that happened was not the one I expected. So much for predicting votes.

    • on June 30, 2012 @ 8:07 am

  • Kittyhawk says:

    It doesn’t matter if nags head, kill devil hills or who ever goes to the supreme court. The supreme court has already ruled that billboard trucks, such as the one operating on the outer banks are covered by the constitution. Its free speech. And it enjoys egual protection under the constitution. Collier co. Florida brought a suit against a billboard truck. Guess what? They settled with owner of truck for $250,000.00 after supreme court ruled that town codes do not stand up to constitutional scrutiny. So, Try as they might, the constitution will prevail.

    • on June 30, 2012 @ 9:37 am

  • free world says:

    I have been watching threads. Nags head does have a strict policy about off premises advertising. So answer this. Beach 104, a business in nags head goes to sugar shack and does a live remote. Parks its truck at the road. Aren’t they advertising there business “off their premises. What makes them exempt from the law? I vote for the truck. Stand your ground. Never give up!

    • on June 30, 2012 @ 10:00 am

  • Southern shores73 says:

    The funny thing is. I’ve been watching that very large Mc Donalds billboard truck run a consistent route down thru obx for about 6a yrs. Now. I wonder if any town has cited them. Probably not. No balls to pick on the multi-million dollar companies. Just the struggling local trying to feed his family. You go mobile truck. Drive your message home.

    • on June 30, 2012 @ 10:05 am

  • ekim says:

    The real problem is that NH cant TAX IT !!!

    • on June 30, 2012 @ 2:48 pm

  • Just Sayin says:

    Thank you to Mayor Oakes, Ms Cahoon and Ms. Walters for voting to limit the salary increase for the human resource director and project manager to 5% and to eliminate the proposed new positions for a deputy fire chief and a police lieutenant.

    • on July 1, 2012 @ 11:12 am

  • JustAReader says:

    So it looks like Nags Head rewards executives with pay increases and does nothing for their front line workers, typical greedy government – get a few extra dollars and spend it on the exec ~ nice.

    • on July 1, 2012 @ 11:53 am

  • Bob O says:

    The 5% increase was for human resources director and senior accountant, both of whom have shouldered additional responsibilities without additional pay.

    Read a little more, and you see a 2% COLA for all staff – except the Town Manager. Not really what I would call nothing for frontline.

    • on July 2, 2012 @ 10:05 am

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