Dare will explore special tax for Buxton beach nourishment
Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard announced at this morning’s meeting that he had asked county officials to advise the board on the steps necessary to establish a special tax district to pay for nourishing the beach in north Buxton to protect Highway 12 on Hatteras Island.
County manager Bobby Outten said he would bring a proposal to the commissioners at the next meeting on Monday, Nov. 16, at 5 p.m.
Woodard asked county officials to look at the options for a special tax district for Buxton and/or other Hatteras Island villages, “taking into consideration what the towns have done.”
The town of Nags Head has already nourished its beaches and paid for part of the cost with both town-wide and special district taxes. Kill Devils Hills, Kitty Hawk, and Duck all plan nourishment projects for 2016 and also plan to partly finance them with varying amounts of additional taxes.
All of the projects are receiving some financing from the Dare County Shoreline Management Fund, which is funded by 2 percent of the occupancy tax.
The county has asked for a special use permit from the National Park Service to restore about 2.5 miles of the beach in the area of north Buxton to stop ocean overwash that threatens Highway 12. The project is expected to cost $20 to $25 million.
A joint environmental assessment by both the Park Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is underway before the permit can be issued.
If the county gets the permit, work in Buxton is expected to begin in June and finish in August of next year.
Woodard distributed a chart to the commissioners that shows the tax rate in the incorporated cities and towns and the unincorporated communities in the county. The chart reflects the amount of tax paid — or that will be paid — to finance beach nourishment.
