NORTH CAROLINA'S EASTERN REGION- 2 Oct 2012
This report is limited to just one issue. It is extremely important that all CCTA members, and indeed all taxpayers, understand the importance of this issue.
The utter failure of North Carolina's Eastern Region and the Global TransPark to do anything significant except waste millions of taxpayer dollars has primarily come to light by two sources. The first is by CCTA member, Bill Harper's consistent demand that our Board of Commissioners remove the county from these organizations and any association with them and the second is by an honest evaluation of North Carolina's Eastern Region by our Board of Commissioner's appointed representative to the organization, Mark Griffin, also a former member of CCTA.
Bill's major arguments have been: 1) that the highway signs indicating the entering and departure from the "Global TransPark Zone" are offence to him (and should be to all taxpayers) because of the squandering of huge sums of taxpayer dollars on schemes promoted as providing huge numbers of jobs (55,000 or so) that have simply never materialized, and 2) That Carolina's Eastern Region is obligated to promote the Global TransPark.
his written report to the Board of Commissioners on North Carolina's Eastern Region, Mark Griffin stated the following: "After having now served for over 18 months as an Active NCER board member for Craven County, it is my opinion that our county would be better served by developing its own economic development board and exiting the NCER. I believe that Craven County is underserved with the regional approach because: 1) of the charge that the NCER has to promote the Global TransPark and 2) other member counties have the ability to entice projects to their county more easily due to the relative poorer economic condition, while at the same time using Craven County as leverage."
Importantly, Mark goes on the say, " I would also suggest that a better process for determining economic development projects would be by allowing county commissioners, rather than the NCER Board, to direct final decisions for funding of projects. This would allow for accountability from those elected rather than appointed."
This last gets to the heart of the problem with all these regional authorities, boards and commissions. They have the ability to waste vast sums of taxpayer money without accountability to the taxpayers!
To his great credit, Mark Griffin goes on the explain three options for withdrawing from the NCER:
The NCER commission may dissolve at any time. Dissolving would take a majority of the board and is unlikely to take place.
Craven County could withdraw but the trust fund monies would stay in place. I believe this would be a poor choice, as Craven County would have money invested but no voice on the NCER board. (These are Mark's exact words, but I think the general taxpayers of Craven County have about as much chance of benefiting from this money as a snowball's chances in hell. I would rather that the Craven County Board of Commissioners take a bold stand for taxpayers and disavow the whole mess by unilaterally pulling out).
New legislation giving counties the ability to withdraw WITH county paid funds. I believe this is the best option and should be explored (Mark's exact words).
OK. If the Board of Commissioners wants to take the advice of its representative on North Carolina's Eastern Region, then let's see some action in that direction. Prepare a resolution to be voted on at the November Board of Commissioner's meeting requesting such legislation from the General Assembly. We at CCTA are optimistic that we will have a strong voice in the North Carolina Senate in Norman Sanderson and in the North Carolina House by Michael Speciale. Let's all work together to get that legislation passed and put the taxpayer support of the Global TransPark and North Carolina's Eastern Region in our past!
Respectfully Submitted:
Hal James
CCTA
Issues & Watchdog Committee Chairman
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