Highlights from the December 2 Dare County Board of Commissioners Meeting
The following is a summary of the December 2 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting and does not include all items that were discussed. To view the full video of the meeting on Dare County’s YouTube channel, click here. To read the official minutes, click here.
During his opening remarks, Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard presented Dare County Sheriff J.D. “Doug” Doughtie with the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, which is considered to be North Carolina’s highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor.
Since its creation in 1963, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine has been awarded to individuals whose exemplary service, extraordinary achievements and substantial contributions to both their communities and the state of North Carolina go above and beyond the call of duty, making a significant impact and ultimately strengthening the state as a whole.
A native of Hertford, North Carolina, Sheriff Doughtie was elected to serve as Dare County Sheriff on November 2, 2010. His distinguished law enforcement career spans 49 years—25 of which have been spent serving the residents and visitors of Dare County in numerous capacities, including as a patrol deputy, narcotics officer, school resource officer at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills and Lieutenant of Investigations, prior to running for election in 2010.
Throughout his tenure as Dare County Sheriff, Sheriff Doughtie has prioritized accessibility, making himself available by phone day and night—and also frequently responding to the scene of important calls for service to ensure the community’s needs are being met by his office. In addition to encouraging citizens to provide suggestions for improving service and being accountable to all those he serves, Sheriff Doughtie is committed to maintaining Dare County as a place where people want to raise their families and visitors want to return to each year.
The Dare County Board of Commissioners adopted the Schedule of Values, Standards, and Rules for Real Property Appraisal to be used for the 2025 countywide property revaluation that becomes effective January 1, 2025. This document was first submitted to the Dare County Board of Commissioners on Monday, October 7, 2024, and a public hearing was held on Monday, November 4, 2024.
For more information about revaluation—including a comprehensive overview of the process, a timeline for its completion, a comparable sales search tool and the answers to an assortment of frequently asked questions—please visit DareNC.gov/Revaluation. To view the Schedules, Standards, and Rules for Real Property Appraisal, click here.
Dare County Early College
The Dare County Board of Commissioners approved the capital project ordinance for the Dare County Early College and authorized Dare County Manager Bobby Outten to sign the pre-construction contract with Barnhill Contracting Company, which was selected as the construction manager at risk for the project at the board’s November 4 meeting.
Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division Building
The Dare County Board of Commissioners also approved the capital project ordinance and authorized the county manager to sign the design contract with Oakley Collier Architects for architectural and engineering services for an evidence storage and office space building for the Dare County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. This project is included in the Capital Improvements Plan. The initial plan for the project considers locating the building at the Dare County Detention Center site; however, Dare County Manager Bobby Outten indicated that he intends to ask the architects to evaluate the former Dare MedFlight pilot housing site on Driftwood Drive in Manteo. This alternative location, which was made available after the completion of the new Dare MedFlight hangar earlier this year, would preserve the option to expand the Dare County Detention Center in the future, if needed. For more information about all of Dare County’s current projects, visit DareNC.gov/Projects.
The Dare County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with McGuireWoods Consulting for lobbying and government relations services to represent the interests of the county before the North Carolina General Assembly. The fixed fee for McGuireWood’s services is $5,000 per month and has not increased since they were initially hired.
The firm will serve as a legislative advocate for Dare County, meticulously reviewing the thousands of pieces of legislation that are filed each year and identifying any provisions that may impact Dare County. Should any potential impacts be found, McGuireWoods Consulting will evaluate them and report back to the county, enabling informed decision-making on the appropriate response.
The firm’s expertise ensures that Dare County has vigilant legislative representation and provides access to resources the county would not otherwise have. Commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance recommended that they assist Dare County with commercial fishing-related issues affecting Dare County.
The Dare County Board of Commissioners has officially approved the 2025 meeting schedule, as follows, with each meeting scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
- Monday, January 6, 2025
- Monday, February 3, 2025
- Monday, March 3, 2025
- Monday, April 7, 2025
- Monday, May 5, 2025
- Monday, June 2, 2025
- Monday, July 14, 2025
- Monday, August 4, 2025
- Tuesday, September 2, 2025
- Monday, October 6, 2025
- Monday, November 3, 2025
- Monday, December 1, 2025
The Dare County Board of Commissioners conducts regularly scheduled meetings throughout the year. These meetings are generally held on the first Monday of the month at 9 a.m., although this schedule is occasionally adjusted in order to accommodate holidays. Meetings are held in the Board of Commissioners meeting room adjacent to the Dare County Administration Building, which is located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo.
The following is a list of Dare County advisory boards and committees with terms expiring during the next three months:
January 2025
- Juvenile Crime Prevention Council
- Older Adult Services Advisory Council
- Working Watermen Commission
February 2025
- Aging Advisory Council
- Planning Board
- Senior Tar Heel Legislature Delegates
March 2025
- Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
- Working Watermen Commission
The Dare County Board of Commissioners welcomes citizen participation on advisory boards and committees. This type of grassroots public involvement is the foundation of democracy and a vital part of maintaining Dare County as a quality place to live. For a full listing of current vacancies, and to access the online application, please click here.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and once an application is submitted to the Clerk to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, it will remain on file for three years. For more information, please contact Clerk to the Dare County Board of Commissioners Skyler Foley at Skyler.Foley@DareNC.gov or 252-475-5700.
