Highlights from the January 2025 Dare County Board of Commissioners Meeting
The following is a summary of the January 6 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.
The Dare County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize Dare County Finance Director David Clawson to sign the Designation of Applicant’s Agent (DAA) and State-Applicant Disaster Assistance Agreement (SAA). These agreements are necessary to apply to receive federal and state funding following loss of sand in the project area in Buxton during Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 last September.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared Dare County eligible for disaster assistance due to the storm’s impacts, which resulted in approximately 175,000 cubic yards of sand loss in Buxton. A post-storm survey conducted by Coastal Science and Engineering placed the cost of replacing this sand at $10.2 million. If the funding is approved, the county plans to integrate this effort into its larger 2026 maintenance project, leveraging efficiencies and cost savings.
For more information about beach nourishment projects in Dare County, visit MoreBeachToLove.com.
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Dare County Finance Director David Clawson and Dan Morrow, partner at Potter and Company, presented Dare County’s June 30, 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and audit. An Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and audit is a detailed review of a county government’s financial activities and condition.
Per North Carolina General Statute, each unit of local government is required to have its accounts audited each fiscal year—and to submit a copy of the audit report to the secretary of the Local Government Commission. Dare County was one of only 28 counties in North Carolina that submitted its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report by the December 1, 2024 deadline.
During his presentation, Clawson noted that there were no audit findings, no grant audit findings and no grant questioned costs. This clean audit underscores Dare County’s commitment to sound financial management and its adherence to stringent accounting and grant compliance standards.
Clawson also noted that Dare County, which is self-insured, has implemented a series of changes over the past number of years to address rising health insurance costs. These changes include the establishment of an Employee Wellness Program, partnering with Outer Banks Health for the creation of a Wellness Center for county employees, switching health insurance providers from Blue Cross Blue Shield to MedCost, offering dual plan options (PPO or HSA), and increasing pre-age 65 retiree health insurance funding to 100 percent, among others. Reviewing the numbers during the presentation makes it clear that these efforts have been successful with reduced service costs each year.
Dare County has a strong track record of excellence in financial reporting, with the Finance Department having received numerous prestigious awards over the past three decades, including being recipient of the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for the past 33 years.
To view Dare County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, click here.
Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard announced the new board and committee appointments for each of the Dare County commissioners, which are as follows:
Vice Chairman Steve House:
Capital Improvements Planning Committee and First Flight Society
Commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance:
5 on 5 Committee, Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County Board of Directors, Dare County Waterways Commission, Working Watermen Commission, Buxton Woods Advisory Board and Fessenden Center Advisory Board
Commissioner Carson Creef:
Dare County Public Facilities Corporation, Older Adult Services Advisory Council, Dare County Waterways Commission and Working Watermen Commission
Commissioner Mike Burrus:
Government – Education Access Channels Committee and Dare County Arts Council
Commissioner Rob Ross:
Trillium Health Board of Directors (commissioner seat)
Commissioner Ervin Bateman:
Dare County Airport Authority (commissioner seat)
Dare County Board of Commissioners Vice Chairman and OBX Jeep Charities President Steve House, along with Dare County Register of Deeds and OBX Jeep Invasion Executive Committee member Cheryl House, announced that OBX Jeep Charities—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides various resources, programs and activities that are designed to enhance the lives of Dare County citizens—raised $40,000 from the 2024 OBX Jeep Invasion to benefit multiple local charities. During the meeting, House presented the following three checks for some of the funds raised:
- $3,500 to Dare County Special Olympics (presented to Dare County Special Olympics coordinator Sandy Pace)
- $3,500 to the Outer Banks SPCA (presented to Outer Banks SPCA Executive Director Bill Coleman)
- $6,000 to Wounded Warriors in Action
In addition to the funds that were presented to these three charities at the meeting, OBX Jeep Charities also collected an assortment of toys during the OBX Jeep Invasion last fall to be donated to local underprivileged children via the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center’s Annual Toy Drive that took place in December.
Held from September 20, 2024 to September 22, 2024, the fourth annual OBX Jeep Invasion brought more than 640 Jeeps to the Outer Banks to attend the three-day event, which also featured multiple vendors, a fun run, vendor bingo, live music, raffles, food trucks and more at the Soundside Event Site in Nags Head. The 2025 OBX Jeep Invasion will be held in September. For more information as details about the event become available, visit OBXJeepInvasion.com.
The Dare County Board of Commissioners discussed the proposed resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly to enact a standalone bill banning the over-the-counter sale of kratom statewide. The resolution highlighted concerns over kratom, an unregulated substance that is marketed as an herbal or dietary supplement but has been linked to a variety of serious health risks, including addiction, respiratory issues and fatal overdoses.
The board received comments from individuals who shared their thoughts and experiences regarding the availability and use of the currently unregulated substance. Those in favor of banning the over-the-counter sale of kratom emphasized that this measure is necessary to protect public health and prevent misuse, particularly among vulnerable populations. By contrast, proponents of kratom use point to its various purported benefits, which include pain relief, enhanced energy, mood improvement and the alleviation of opioid withdrawal symptoms, among others.
Following a lengthy discussion—including the difference between pure kratom and that which has been adulterated or processed—the Dare County Board of Commissioners made the decision to revise the original resolution to state the board’s support of banning the over-the-counter sale of processed kratom in North Carolina, as well as to advocate for the proper regulation and oversight of pure, unprocessed kratom.
A modified version of the resolution will be presented at the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting, which will be held at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 3, 2025.
The Dare County Board of Commissioners approved an increase in compensation for members of the Dare County Board of Education. In a December 2024 letter to Dare County Manager Bobby Outten, Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight asked the board to consider funding an increase in compensation for Dare County Board of Education members from $4,200 per year to $13,000 per year. Additionally, Basnight requested an increase for the Board of Education Chair position from $5,400 to $14,200 annually. Basnight pointed out that the last time the compensation for these board members was increased was over 25 years ago and proposed that the annual increases begin July 1, 2025.
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. Following is a list of Dare County advisory boards and committees with terms expiring during the next three months:
February 2025
- Aging Advisory Council
- Dare County Planning Board
- Senior Tar Heel Legislature Delegates
March 2025
- Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
- Working Watermen Commission
April 2025
- Manns Harbor Marina Commission
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 a full listing of current vacancies, and to access the online application, click here. For more information, contact Clerk to the Dare County Board of Commissioners Skyler Foley at Skyler.Foley@DareNC.gov or 252-475-5700.
