Question #1: How do you think the public can be better involved in decisions such as Titan which have such potential effects on the environment?
Berger:
Thampson:The decision to provide $4.2 million in incentives to Titan Americas LLC illustrates misplaced priorities and total disregard for the environment and citizen input in vital decisions affecting our community. The preponderance of evidence suggests that Titan's plans involve major implications for the region's environment, transportation and emergency services infrastructure, as well as risks for the area's most important economic drivers (tourism, retirement, real estate) exceeding the purported economic benefits. Studies show that operations like Titan has planned typically reduce economic growth in the long run.
All of these implications should have been carefully vetted during the past couple years, but never once did the incumbents ask these questions. Decision-making should engage the diverse range of experts we are fortunate to have in New Hanover County, and unfortunately these experts too often are turned down for appointments to "citizen advisory boards" in favor of Realtors and developers, exclusively.
While the misplaced priorities and short-sightedness of those we elect is partly to blame for lack of citizen input, the "economic development" process itself is flawed, outdated, and secretive and until it changes, there will continue to be similar environmentally hazardous projects proposed and the same reactionary responses required.
I'm the only candidate who would bring environmental and economic development processes, perpetually stuck in a 1959 mentality, into the 21st Century. My vision of "economic development" for the Cape Fear region is based on attracting businesses and individuals with an eye toward long-term, sustainable growth, and protecting the environment and quality of life for residents is an inherent part of this model.
The elected officials of NHC must do a better job of communicating their expectations from the various organizations they fund with public dollars. This is a prime example of a simple directive, "find companies to bring jobs to our community", but this directive should have been, "find companies to bring jobs to our community that will reflect our culture and preserve our unique living environment". I will strive to bring that type of leadership and clarity to the NHC Commissioners. While we must grow and diversify our tax base we cannot continue to do so at the expense of our environment. Quality beaches, coastal waters, and public open space will continue to be one of the strongest economic engines in our local economy.Kopp:
When companies are deciding whether to locate in New Hanover County, they usually contact Wilmington Industrial Development (WID). WID is often told that the company wishes for its interest in New Hanover County to remain confidential. The company may be looking at other cities or states and it may not want its competitors or employees to know that it is expanding, relocating or closing a site. A company may want to review a potential site for suitability to its needs, such as training for employees, acreage, taxes. New Hanover County needs to be able to compete with other potential sites by offering incentives that are allowed by North Carolina law. The County does not want competitors to know what incentives are being offered until the deal is consummated. The public is allowed to comment before such action is taken. While the question posed asks about public involvement in companies such as Titan, New Hanover County has also competed for the film industry and companies such as Corning and G.E. When New Hanover County approves an incentive agreement, it is often only the first step in a company being able to locate in New Hanover County. For example, the G.E. expansion has to receive approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Titan must obtain all required environmental permits from the Federal and State government. The public can comment and participate in the permitting process. Finally, it should be pointed out that companies, like Titan and G.E., can as of right under the County zoning ordinance, locate in B-2 area. Thus, a company can, if it receives all the necessary permits, operate in a permitted zone without prior commissioner approval.Davis -- Unanswered
Barfield:
By having forums such as the one last night sponsored by the LWV and CONA. The four panelist provided great insight into the Titan issue, but still left many questions unanswered. It would be great to have these forums with the Titan representatives, the current County Commissioners, as well as representatives from the area environmental agencies present to answer our questions and concerns. Issues such as this need public input at the beginning of the project, when it was known that Titan was considering this location.Question #2: How do you propose to meet the growing demands on the county's infrastructure? (water, sewer, transportation)
Berger:
Thompson:New Hanover County is not the first to experience rapid growth and the stresses brought on by population growth. In fact, other communities have faced these issues long before growth hit Southeastern N.C., and from those experiences a library of workable solutions, failed experiments and "best practices" has emerged. New Hanover County staff are well-versed in these "best practices" and they are retained for their expertise, we would be wise to engage County staff in formulating plans and policy.
Cumulative stress from haphazard property rezonings has taken a toll on infrastructure capacity, resulting in more congested roads, major sewer spills, polluted waterways, and other burdens on citizen's quality of life. The lack of common sense planning has also contributed to increased taxation without improvement in services in both the city and county. Let the planners plan!
The first step toward improvements is committing to infrastructure investments based on visionary, deliberate planning for growth.
Fully support the newly created Cape Fear Public Utility Authority while providing oversight, input, and accountability to their Board of Directors. I will continue to monitor and set in place guiding principles that will ensure quality service delivery while maintaining affordable rates. I will move the County to be proactive with their future land use plans and to act regionally through coordination with the City of Wilmington, and the three beach towns.Kopp:
As a result of the Special Order of Consent (SOC) between the State of North Carolina and the City of Wilmington, long ignored maintenance of the sewer system has begun. Effective July 1, 2008 the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) has sole responsibility for operation of the New Hanover County (NHC) and City of Wilmington sewer systems which is to be managed and operated as a enterprise operation (users paying for service) with statutory authority to borrow funds for infrastructure improvements. Before the merger, the City of Wilmington had begun expansion of the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant surface water operation, and New Hanover County had under contract a new ground water treatment plant with fourteen (14) new wells in Castle Hayne and PeeDee aquifers. It is my opinion that with the merger of these two potable water sources, our county is positioned to take care of the needs of our citizens going forward. As President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC), I am personally in a position to represent New Hanover County at the table when important decisions are going to be made regarding transportation issues in NC. The 21st Century Advisory Commission has been meeting for the past twelve months developing new strategies as it relates to the financial, as well as operational, functions of the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Significant changes are going to be made and counties are going to be required, in my opinion, to participate in the funding of the secondary roads within each county. Counties have not been required to fund roads in NC since the 1930's.Davis -- Unanswered
Barfield:
We need to be more proactive towards growth, such as anticipating the need before it arises by utilizing the local real estate community to see where the next growth hot spots will likely be in the next 2-3 years and then start planning ahead of time to provide water,sewer and roads. We need to work closely with the State DOT to fast track the Hwy 17 connection to the I-140 into Brunswick County and also the Sky Bridge connecting Independence with Hwy 133. This would help alleviate some of the congestion coming into or out of New Hanover County at peak travel times.Question #3: What would be your position on funding a Board of Elections endeavor to purchase more touch screen voting machines?
Berger:
With all the unresolved issues related to touch screen voting machines, such as tally result discrepancies, lack of a voter-verifiable audit trail, and other flaws, it would be irresponsible to support spending substantial funds on any system that fails to meet the highest standards for accuracy, dependability, and usability. Its irresponsible to endorse major expenditures on a system that might require replacement or expensive upgrading in the near future because of deficiencies that effectively disenfranchise some voters. I'm partial to the use of voter-marked paper ballots read by optical scanners as the primary voting mechanism, with touch screen systems available for ADA compliance as mandated by the law and demographic-induced demands. Until the issues can be resolved, mandating massive expenditures of taxpayer funds to acquire flawed machines would be difficult for me to support.Thompson:
In favor because we must continue to update and add to our voting system. The easier and faster we make the voting process the greater the number of citizens that will participate.Kopp:
Over the past two years, NHC has spent $763,000 on new voting machines. The type of machines put into service were recommended by the NHC Board of Elections. Should the BOE request monies to purchase additional machines during the next budget cycle, I will give it serious consideration based on demonstrated needs established by said department.Davis -- Unanswered
Barfield:
For the techno savvy I think the touch screens would speed up the process and I would be in favor of purchasing more.Question #4: Mandatory trash collection including recycling was rejected by the commissioners a few years ago. What do you thinkwe should do about the problem now?
Berger:
I applaud individuals who care enough to recycle, particularly those folks in the unincorporated areas who do so at some inconvenience. Yet, it's not entirely clear how much mandatory curbside pick-up would affect people's recycling habits, and adopting an involuntary fee assessed to property owners raises concerns. I support efforts to take a fresh look at the issues and costs now, since both the consumer attitudes and the economics of recycling have changed a good deal in just the past few years. In tasking a select group of citizens to lead this exploration into trash/recycling options and costs, appointments reflecting a diversity of viewpoints are vital. Typically in New Hanover County, only special interests with a pre-determined agenda are appointed to "citizen advisory" bodies. I would welcome the findings of an independent task group looking at both public and private options, creative approaches to enhancing recycling rates, taking advantage of competition and current market dynamics, but need convincing that taxpayers will not be forced to endure additional fees for a service that is not desired.Thompson:
It was a mistake to reject this in the past and I would move the County to institute mandatory trash pickup and recycling. Recycling is one proven measure that the county can take to decrease the amount of waste that goes to our landfill. This will save airspace and extend the life of our landfill. Solid waste will be one of the biggest problems NHC faces over the next ten years as we reach an end to our landfills capacity and we must address the issue now because in 10 years it will be too lateKopp:
I recently introduced a resolution before the Board of Commissioners which was unanimously approved to appoint a five member citizens Advisory Board to address the entire environmental management operation in NHC. This committee is to evaluate and make recommendations on improvements the County should make as it relates to recycling, WASTEC and the landfill. Everything should, and will be, on the table for discussion including curbside collection in the unincorporated area of the County.Davis -- Unanswered
Barfield:
I believe in recycling, and while many county residents do not mind taking their recyclables to the stations set up throughout the county I feel that with mandatory recycling we would have a much greater response and alleviate the burden on our landfill and assist our residents in going green. We are stewards of this environment and we are entrusted to take care of it. I would be in favor of the County having mandatory recycling.Question #5: Please list your top three priorities if you should be elected or reelected to this office.
Berger:
Thompson:First, real job creation is a top priority, and a fundamental component of job creation is limiting taxation. New Hanover County was one of the few counties in the entire state of North Carolina to raise taxes this year. I will fight for lower taxes and oppose wasteful spending. Low taxation, protecting the environment, excellence in education and infrastructure planning are the keys to sustainable, long-term job creation. Let's reduce the taxes and fees government squeezes out of small businesses so they can hire new employees and increase pay for current employees. Keeping taxes down has other benefits as well, such as making housing and rents more affordable, especially for working class and fixed income citizens.
In order to keep taxes down, hard decisions have to be made about government spending. My priorities are infrastructure, fighting crime, and other basic services like education and emergency services. Therefore, my second priority would focus tax dollars and staff resources on these vital needs and cut down on the wasteful spending and misplaced priorities that have consumed our local government in recent years. If the same energy were put into fighting crime and reducing congestion that the other candidates have devoted to "developer services," we as a community would be better off.
My third priority is broader, but perhaps the most important role facing me as an elected official: promoting a long-term vision for the Cape Fear region based on priorities that are nearly non-existent in Wilmington and New Hanover County government at the moment. Embodied in these priorities is the integrity to stand up to special interests, to promote accountability in government, protect the environment, and fight for reform in areas like forced annexation, law enforcement and social services reform. It won't be easy, but working together, we can change New Hanover County and...influence change in Raleigh and Washington D.C.
Keep a low tax rate for property owners. Coordinated regional policy toward crime reduction and police services. Long range land use planning that encompasses more than just zoning classifications and includes the transportation grid in all growth patterns. Proactive leadership to move NHC toward a more sound and responsible environmental policy with regards to growth and development. I want to be a bridge between the county and the city in a way we have never experienced in this community, my unique city experience will allow me to mend fences and promote a regional approach to government that has been lacking here for decades.Kopp:
Transportation (see answer to question #2). Water and sewer infrastructure for unincorporated areas of NHC. The three critical areas area Marquee Hills, Wrightsboro and Castle Hayne. Brown water reuse for irrigation purposes as well as a major emphasis on developing other green initiatives to save energy.Davis -- Unanswered
Barfield:
My top three priorities would be 1) To work with the State legislature and local School board to find ways to increase our local teachers supplements so that we can attract and retain quality teachers here 2) Address the need for more Workforce\Affordable Housing. There are many County and City employees that work here in New Hanover County but live in Brunswick,Pender or Onslow county and commute here to work because they cannot find affordable housing. 3) Work closely with the State DOT to fast track the Hwy 17 connection to the I-140 into Brunswick County and also the Sky Bridge connecting Independence with Hwy 133. This would help alleviate some of the congestion coming into or out of New Hanover County at peak travel times.Many of the things that have occurred over the past few years (Titan, repeated sewer spills, etc.) leads me to vote against the current incumbents that are running for office, in addition one of the incumbents Ted Davis, Jr., left the survey unanswered of which I find disrespectful of the LWV who is well known as a political debate mediator nationwide.
I found Berger's answered interesting, but I HIGHLY disagree with him on question 4 and am surprised that he talked about the environment as being a main concern, yet does not come out in support for mandatory recycling, other than these I align with his ideas.
With Thompson, I find I am surprised that align with most of his views as well. I have not looked at his record with the city, so I am enticed into looking further at him as a potential vote. I DO disagree with him over touch screen voting. With paper ballots you can get many people voting at once, as long as they have a pencil and a hard surface they can vote, and there is a paper trail to follow. Touch screens are too easily tampered with, and unless they give voters a paper trail then I see no reason to resort to this method. This is hugely controversial nationwide, and I've always been glad we hadn't gone to a computerized voting method.
My opinion on Kopp is pretty low at this point. He is an incumbent who voted for Titan to get economic benefits for moving to our area. His answer to question 1 was a cop out. While he is correct that any corporation can move into the area with appropriate zoning and do their business, he is neglecting to mention that these companies are HEAVILY catered to by MANY communities (obviously as our commissioners did with Titan) to offer them benefits for moving to their area. Without that economic package that we are handing over to Titan so that they can come to our community with LOW-tech jobs that will ruin our environment, they likely would have looked elsewhere. Comparing Titan to GE, who brings a host of high-tech jobs to the area as well as other benefits like partnering with CFCC to create a Nuclear Technician program as well as large swaths of green space on their campus, is insulting to all the GE emplyees and their families.
Barfield is a realtor and I believe that one of the biggest criticisms of County Commissioners is that most are in the pocket book of real estate developers; however, he does seem to align with me on many of the issues. Again, I disagree with using touch screen voting without a paper trail, I think that involving those in the community that have access to information about our growth is good, so long as they don't hold too much sway over the decision making process. The people should.
This race is interesting and there are no clear stand outs to me. I have a good idea, though, of who I will vote for. This is an important race since these people will have a direct impact into our lives.
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