The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-09-12
BEACH VOTERS REACH OUT
TURN OFF ALARM, PUT OFF
WATER JOB TIL LATER DAY
About Two Thirds of Voters in Sanitary District
Conclude This Is Bad Time To Consider Big
Projects and More Taxes; Won't Be Any Mil
lion Dollar Water and Fire Projection System


and the security of their health,
the alarm wasn't set for the right
time, and some two-thirds of the
voters of the Dare Beaches SAM
tary District on Saturday abruptly
reached up and turned off the
alarm, and said "no, not this time,
the job of building a waterworks
and fire fighting unit will have
to wait until another day.
The issue for a $1,140,OO0 water
bond issue lost by a vote of 1856 to
1O5. The issue for a fire protec-
ton system lost by vote of 1T
to 108. A number of ballots being
defaced had to be voided. Of the
312 voters registered, 294 cast bal
lots. 1t was really about the heav-
lest voting ever done by the same
group of citizens.
The proposed bond issue for fire
fighting was for $4,000.
When the Dare County Commits
sioners a year ago, without close
investigation or scrutiny of what
they were doing, bargained to give
some New Jersey newcomers $22,-
600 to value the property of Dare
County taxpayers, they didn't
know it of course, but they sealed
the fate of Saturdays election on
tho 1yota,xuorIyc
The uproar that followed the
bungling, discrepancy and stupid
ity of the tax appraisal job re-
suited in great distrust and lack
of faith in the stability of the
county government. The people in
the beach areas had just voted
favorably for a half million dol
lars in school bonds.
They found themselves unfairly
valued, assessed without any
sense or system, and facing the
prospect of paying two or three
times the taxes of neighbors in
other localities or which had the
favor of the County Commission
ers.
They were sore and perplexed
and Disguised, and they were
afraid of sanctioning further tax
es, in view of the raid they had
just suffered.
They didn't take seriously the
warnings of health officials, of
engineers and their neighbors who
are really afraid about the water
situation.
The Commissioners of the SAM
tary District put a lot of time and
sincere effort into working up the
program to submit to the voters.
They got all the advice and infor-
nation they could, but they didn't
get quite enough. They tried to
get information to the people but
they didn't get this out soon
enough. No doubt they figured the
public in general would see the
situation as they saw it. Under
normal conditions perhaps they
might have done so. But these are
not normal times. The public was
in a bad mood; it was still plenty
sore about the ridiculous New Jer-
sey job, and the raw deal it at
tempted to give the people of the
beaches.
The people were ready to slash
at anything. Clearly it was a most
unfavorable climate in which to
launch any new venture; too arid
and hot indeed to attempt to grow
even water plant. Many seasoned
observers predicted the failure of
the issue in big way Saturday.
There just wasn't enough of any
thing that could be done to allay
the suspicious, fears and preju-
dices that had gotten too much
Roadway before an effort was
made toward a public relations
program for this project.
All the good work of the Dis
trict Commissioners was burned
up in the determined mood of the
people to take an interest in their
public affairs. Just as the people
became so incensed over the waste
full Jersey tax farce that they
threw out in the primary, the en-
tire Board who put it over on them
they decided to continue their in
terest in public affairs, and re-
fused to permit themselves to &c
further in debt.
If the waterworks project is to
succeed on the Dare Beaches, il
must wait until the public has re-
gained some confidence in the
safety and stability Of the county
Government. There must be re.
stored the belief that long con
tinued effort has been made e
operate public affairs, and Il
spend money sensibly and econo-
mically.
The Dare County Commissioner.
last year, although they didnh
know it, signed the death warrant
/ for this years waterworks project
when they attempted TO shift al
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