Beginning a Bold New Experiment in Governing: Part VI | Eastern North Carolina Now

"The more things change, the more they remain the same."

    This well worn cliche is especially true in governing Beaufort County over the last 18 years; the years that Beaufort County had a Republican or pseudo Republican majority. Staying true to the "change" component of this aforementioned hackneyed phrase: When I was first elected as a Beaufort County commissioner in 1994, I was the only Republican sitting upon that dais, with a fully Democrat board. While this board was by no means a conservative board, if one uses the metric of my understanding of governing by Conservative principles, it was at least a deliberate board of some moderate Democrats, some true Liberals, that, remarkably, made decisions bordering on reasonable fiscal restraint of the public's treasury.

    Current County Commissioner Hood Richardson joined the board in 1996, and very slowly, these Beaufort County Commissioners moderated their governing positions toward a more reasonable, more prudent governing posture; however, still not near the governing whims of Conservatives Hood Richardson and myself.

    Fast forward to now, December 2018, where the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners is comprised of 5 Republicans, 2 Democrats, including The Hood and myself as the still, real Conservative members. So now I offer the "remain the same" component of this aforementioned hackneyed phrase: If the Democrat boards of commissioners, in Beaufort County's mid 1990's past, had to be pushed toward reasonable, prudent governing postures, why should a board of 5 governing Republicans, two minority Democrats have a far greater need for Conservatives Hood Richardson and Stan Deatherage (now elected in November, 2018) to push them toward better governing practices right now.

    Why?

    Simply, because 4 of these 5 Republicans (Conservative Commissioner Richardson excepted) comprise the most liberal board of county commissioners in modern history, engaging in unprecedented spending and subsequent taxing. So much imprudence in governing by this board of merry "Republicans", I sincerely felt called to run for office again, even after not campaigning in a general election in 8 years, and having very little time and money to do so.

    By winning this election to do what I know so well to do, I am projected upon a path to help restore whatever vestiges of good fiscal management that once reared its infrequent head here in Beaufort County government. And if a Conservative majority is ever gained on this board of commissioners, to egregiously reshape the governing zeitgeist of Beaufort County to fully achieve the Limited Government inherent within the Conservative Principals that dictate my vision of government, which is the backbone of my constituents' wishes for me as their representative.

    To that end, I have submitted my first agenda item, which is intended to provide me information to make immediate policy, oversight and budgetary decisions. In fact, it is not only my intention to gain this information for myself, but to enable a path for my fellow commissioners to have complete access to that same information as well. Here below is that first agenda item for that first general meeting on December 3rd:

Item One; Agenda item: All Commissioners Need Budgetary Evidence for Fiscal 2017/2018

    Explanation in summary: All county commissioners, should they so desire the unabridged version of all public money spent on behalf of their constituents, will be supplied: 1) a complete line item budget report, in the most complete detail available (not the abridged version), for all public money spent for fiscal 2017/2018; 2) a line item summary of all contracts let, to whom they were let, and all requisite bid information available.