Sunday, November 10, 2024

Commissioners clash on travel expenses, county fiscal policies

As promised, New Hanover County Commissioner and former chairman Woody White issued a video response to current chairman Jonathan Barfield’s “State of the County” address, marking the latest chapter in a continuing back-and-forth on fiscal policies, county debt and commissioner travel expenses.

The video, released Thursday on the county’s YouTube channel, summarizes White’s disagreement with Barfield on those topics and others, such as spending by commissioners and an expected tax increase—issues that White contends were not adequately addressed in Barfield’s speech.

White urges the board to consider alternatives to a tax increase, which County Manager Chris Coudriet has said will be needed next fiscal year and which Barfield has said is long overdue. White also emphasizes the county’s growing debt, which he said has far outpaced the county’s population growth in the past 20 years.

“That’s a frightening trend,” White says in the video, “and we need to do everything we can to rein it in.”

Commissioner Woody White in his video response to Chairman Jonathan Barfield's 'State of the County Address.' Image courtesy New Hanover County.
Commissioner Woody White in his video response to Chairman Jonathan Barfield’s ‘State of the County Address.’ The video can be viewed on the county’s YouTube page. Image courtesy New Hanover County.

The video, which can be viewed here, also includes comments regarding the county’s travel policy and commissioner spending on county-related trips—topics that Barfield addressed when pressed by White at the end of Monday’s meeting, hours after his address.

White had urged discussion of the travel policy, which had been revised to include all county employees, including senior management, but does not include commissioners. Earlier that day, White had also issued a statement—likewise through the county—that criticized the use of taxpayer funds for expenses related to Barfield’s speech, such as printed invitations and private catering. White said those expenses totaled approximately $1,000.

Related story: Chairman delivers ‘State of the County’ address amid criticism from commissioner

When White asked why commissioners “would not be subject to a rule that they are passing onto their employees,” Barfield responded: “I can answer that question.”

Barfield went on to say the board sets policy for the county as a whole and updated the travel policy three years ago with a provision regarding expense reimbursements. He also noted board members had agreed the previous week that they would aim to abide by the policy voluntarily. White was not present when that agreement was discussed.

Noting a conference he’s attended—and would do so again this month—at a Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., Barfield told the board there is only one restaurant—a Ruth’s Chris Steak House—where attendees can purchase meals without driving miles away—a scenario he described as inconvenient for attending meetings at a conference.

Jonathan Barfield
Jonathan Barfield

“There is no way you can go to a conference—and I know that you’ve never gone to any of these conferences, Mr. White, so you would not know,” Barfield said, “—but there’s no way you can attend a conference…(and) be able to work within the confines of that with the things that we attend.

“My goal is to work within the confines as much as I can,” Barfield said. “My goal is to always be as good of a steward as I can with county resources.”

Commissioners Beth Dawson and Rob Zapple made similar pledges, contending that some situations call for flexibility. But White maintained that the board should be included in the policy revision, and made a motion to that effect. Skip Watkins seconded the motion, but it failed 2-3, with Barfield, Dawson and Zapple opposing.

Three days later, White issued his video response, which included a justification for his attention to the policy.

“If commissioners are going to use your tax dollars to buy expensive meals for themselves and attend local charity galas and cocktail parties, or go on trip after trip to conferences in large cities, it demonstrates a larger disregard for fiscal restraint,” White says.

Contending that commissioners can get the information they need from the Internet or county staff, White adds: “I’m not saying that we should never go to conferences; there are times when it’s reasonable to do so. But the accumulation by one commissioner of travel expenses that is more than all the other commissioners combined is alarming.

“If we do not watch the pennies,” he adds, “the dollars will not take care of themselves.”

Earlier this year, White scrutinized and opposed the issuance of up to $40 million in voter-approved debt for new facilities for Cape Fear Community College, contending the buildings were no longer necessary and the additional debt would hinder the county’s ability to maintain a low tax rate.

At a meeting last month to decide the debt, Barfield noted a recent audit showed the county’s fund balance is 2 percent higher than the county’s own requirement, which is nearly three times higher—21 percent—than the state’s recommendation of 8 percent. He also confirmed with staff that the additional debt would not violate the county’s debt management policy—a policy that Barfield would later note in his address was requested by White, whom he credited for it.

State of the County
Barfield delivered his ‘State of the County’ address to an overflow crowd at Monday’s commission meeting. File photo.

“Since I’ve been on this board of commissioners, since December of 2008, to my knowledge, we have not raised taxes one time to cover the bonded debt that we’ve let out for Cape Fear Community College,” Barfield said in that meeting. “Every year, I’ve encouraged my board of commissioners to raise your tax rate, to compensate for the debt that we’re letting out for the community college.

“I’m a big supporter of the community college, but I’m also a big supporter for paying for what you’re buying,” Barfield said. “And every year, the board of commissioners, with its fiscal conservative mindset, felt it not right to raise taxes, but it felt right to let the bonded debt go forth.

“Eventually, you have to pay for what you’re spending,” he said, “and I think we’re going to see that down the road.”

The county’s property tax rate currently stands at 55.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. County Manager Coudriet has said that rate is 5 cents lower than it needs to be for the county to satisfy debt payments over the next several years, without impacting its current level of services and programs.

Coudriet has said such a rate adjustment would be needed for fiscal year 2015-16 to satisfy payments specific to voter-approved and board-issued debt since 2006, including bonds issued for county parks projects and Cape Fear Community College.

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Jonathan Spiers is a reporter for Port City Daily. He can be reached at (910) 772-6313 or jonathan.s@portcitydaily.com. On Twitter: @jrspiers

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