Sales Tax Hike to be on November ballot

Authored by: News Spider onTuesday, April 06 2010 @ 09:57 PM EDT

Comments posted at the Daily Advance website:

Nothing Fair about More Tax
Submitted by SpinSpin on Wed, 03/10/2010 - 12:03.
The citizens of our community are not the ones who created the problem, yet we are the ones who must become the beast of burden. When Peter Rascoe became the County Manager did he remain the County Attorney? Maybe I missed something but who filled those shoes, is he double dipping? Also, when he became county manager, why did he have the same salary as Copeland? In private industry usually the new-kid-on-the-block comes in at a substantially lower salary than the one whom they are replacing. Edenton has become stagnant. It’s biting its nose to save its face. I don’t shop in Edenton except for groceries. You go to find something here and you can’t so why bother to waste time looking. We have stores in this town in shopping centers that are like stepping way back in time. Twenty seven years ago Edenton was a better thriving community with a better way of life. Oh, let’s develop a new sub-division so more people will come.......come to what? Oh, let’s build some more low incoming housing. Then we have the waterfront that no one can use except for those that can afford to own a waterfront home. There sure is not a pubic beach but there is a massive amount of waterfront. We have ballparks but no place to swim unless you can afford a membership to the country club. Edenton caters to the wealthy that can afford to go elsewhere for basic necessities while those that can’t are forced to shop at nasty Roses. Ha! I wrote to Roses about their lack of improvements in the Edenton store. Their answer was we improved the bathroom. Well, I don’t make a point of visiting public restrooms if I can help it so I would not know if this is true. The downtown is sadly lacking…..we have lots of banks, insurance and real estate offices, places to eat but shopping is a joke so the restaurants must suffer. We’ve put all our eggs into one basket and now that basket has a hole. Tax, tax, tax.....that is all we seem to hear anymore, how we can rob Peter to pay Paul. Keep on taxing us and denying us a better way of life and allow stores to come here but then why would they come now since we are in a recession. When the opportunities presented themselves, the red flags came out and some people acted like it was 2012!

might be better to say.....
Submitted by CurtisCalls on Fri, 03/19/2010 - 16:00.
robbing paul to pay peter ? since we have the highest paid county manager in the north east, and some of the lowest paid employees

be careful
Submitted by CurtisCalls on Wed, 03/10/2010 - 21:29.
be careful spin spin. if you start to question the county manager salary, Otis will come after you in song. the county contracted with the Morrison gentleman for the attorney. Who knows how much that is costing? And you are right about starting at a high salary for the manager. It is very high for a first time county manager, and exceeds most managers of 20 years experience or more in the state. And on top of that, his salary will go up even more apparently in July due to the contract the former board signed. as for sales tax, i agree we don't need more tax but it is the fairer tax. and yes, you are so right that we have missed the bus for development. now in a nationwide recession, i'll see you at the wal-mart i guess. now we are going to get it from Otis, so be prepared, although he hasn't been around. maybe he got muzzled by someone?

exhausting
Submitted by CurtisCalls on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 20:44.
Who is dogging Mr. Rascoe? I think Mr. Rascoe has done an overall fine job and has done what he has done. The only critique I have provided is that he accepted pay raises while other employees were force pay cuts. But you defend it, so that is your choice. You almost seem obsessed with me. I think you need some new hobbies and quit worrying about things here and who I am. How you have even come to think I am a Bertie resident is comical, but hey, I guess it gets you through the day to obsess over someone who writes some comments. I'm exhausted, I can only imagine you are, but it seems to be all you have. So have at it Have you contacted papers about this Republic deal? lets get that story rolling!!!!!

Wouldn't it be nice...
Submitted by applejacks on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 18:56.
It'd be great if Edenton would make a 180 and go back to being the thriving community and tourist attraction that it once was. But, we can't rely on tourism as the entire world is in recession. As for the yankees that keep infiltrating the South...they're coming down to escape from the same CRAP that they're voting FOR in Chowan. It's ridiculous. The Yankees are taking over all of the advisory positions in Chowan and turning it into the chaotic and ridiculously expensive communities that they experienced in the North. Yes, the situation with Copeland was catastrophic...but we're not helping to pull ourselves out. Everyone shops outside of the town...so what good is a sales tax increase going to do?

Dag-gone yankees!
Submitted by for the people on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 16:21.
They come from the North with their big fat retirements and expect to live a life from the north on nothing. Look at my big historic house isn't it POSH?! I don't want my little private town to get bigger than me. Wal-mart would have been good for Edenton but when they (the town of Edenton) voted to keep businesses out that would require large spaced structures in excess of 60,000Sft that also pushed other businesses out. Cut off your nose to spite your face. Suffer Edenton. Or you can vote those wan-a-bees southerners out of office and start growing.

I am Fed up
Submitted by Fed up on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 15:38.
The county does not need to raise the sales tax. Money needs to be saved. If the county is now running with it's employees working 37 1/2 hours per week, let's try another reduction to 32 hours. If enough money is not saved, look at replacing management with more cost effective personnel.

most expensive
Submitted by CurtisCalls on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 22:03.
the most expensive management is the manager at $118,000 a year plus perks. Everyone else was cut, let go, or retired. I think letting employees back to 40 hours is fair. They were not the cause of this problem, the former manager was.

Chowan tax increase
Submitted by bcoog on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 14:33.
I have only live in Chowan for less than 5 yrs. having moved here from the middle part of the state after being involved in two plant closings in 3 yrs. Pillowtex & Colortex. I now have a great job with a local company. I feel the powers that be have kept out business for the sake of downtown. I lived in a community of 30,000 that has a vibrant downtown. In fact it has a downtown hardware much like Byrum's and a Lowe's about a mile away it works. We had alot of manufacturing and when there was(is) a layoff it would 300-4500+ people losing their jobs. I was one of those 4,500 at Pillowtex it was struggle to pay mortgage much less a property tax increase and as property owner I prefer a sales tax increase over another property tax increase. How much more tax could the Edenton Commons property be generating if it had been developed as planned? Too much catering to downtown goes on here.

Maybe
Submitted by Linebacker28 on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 19:11.
Maybe if Chowan/Edenton had not fought so hard to keep Walmart and other retailers out of the county this wouldn't be a issue. Everytime something wants to come into chowan the old guard fight like rabid dogs. Nobody shops in Edenton, there isn't any stores to brag about, few resturants to brag about. Everyone drives to other communities. It's a fact and nobody cares.Why buy gas in Edenton when you can get it 15 cent cheaper in Eliabeth City from the same chain? Why go to Mcdonalds in Edenton when the same value meal costs a buck or more less in Hertford? Are people in Chowan clueless??

retail will fail
Submitted by hometown on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 00:39.
Linebacker, you need to read the facts about Walmart coming to a new community. It does not save a community. Retail, except for in rare cases when that becomes the tourist draw, never saves a community. Edenton needs industry to bring steady paychecks so that it can support what we already have. Each retail brought in requires on average 6 times as many shoppers as employees to break even. Those few paychecks cannot spend enough to keep a store open. We need a business that offers, but does not require more money from locals to stay open. It's called industry, not retail. Industry draws more retail. More retail without industry just kills previous retail. I know some people in this town will not be happy until the only ones making money are HQ in some other state. Petty minds can't stand the idea that their neighbor might get their dollar when they shop. They don't care if everyone goes broke, as long as the neighbor gets brought down to their level. Walgreens is coming, a good move, but you can bet Blounts or CVS will not survive. We do not have the population to support all three. I have been heartbroken over the gleeful few that can't wait for it to be Blounts, just to "show" downtown. It's sad when you'd rather keep pour money into a chain than a neighbor that has been here for its citizens for years

Ref: Retail will fail
Submitted by Linebacker28 on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 18:16.
Walmart was a example. Your missed the point. Edenton/Chowan has no where to shop and very few (nice) places to eat. I have lived in Chowan for 40 yrs. Few people buy clothes in Edenton,food or anything. Roses is a dump, the fast food restuants charge more than surrounding towns. Gas costs more than the exact same businesses in other towns. Will retail fail?? Maybe but people now drive 30 miles for groceries and clothes because Edenton don't have anything to offer. Kids don't have a single thing to do in edenton. The theater is a joke, no hang out places. Retail may fail but right now edenton is turning into a ghost town !

you prove my point
Submitted by hometown on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 00:20.
We have retail, and many people I know shop here, but without industry there is no money to spend. I don't eat fast food so I cannot comment there, but we have some fine restaurants here, there is nothing better in EC food wise. Yes, gas is more expensive, but Walmart nor Lowes (who by the way, never fully confirmed, it was an EC developers double talk that had all believing they were) can solve that problem. And the theater is no joke, try getting ANY other theater to work hard to get the movie that you personally request. It doesn't happen, Taylor Theater is a jewel for this town! Kids not having anything to do will not be solved by bringing in 1 Big Box store to shut down 2 other independently owned stores. Sales tax is a start, but we do not have the citizens to pay for the new buildings that the county has to fund. It's not lack of Walmart that has us broke, it's spending money for things we never voted on and couldn't afford. Industry would lighten our load, and no one, yankee nor southerner has turned them away. They just aren't expanding, there's a reccesion out there for all. Edenton was not a ghost town when boat builders were strong, and there were more jobs (we should all be thankful to the peanut industry that is here). And Bojangles is not a job to hold your youth. Good company, but it's not their HQ, it's just a fast food joint that will run on a skeleton staff as much as possible.

clothing
Submitted by hometown on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 00:29.
Also, let me address driving 30 miles to shop for clothing. 30 miles away has nothing new. I have to drive to Greenville or Va to buy things not offered here, and those stores aren't coming here no matter what until we are a large city, and if thats what you want, I'm not sure why you're in Edenton. EC has Belk, and if you haven't noticed, your local Peebles carries the exact same brands, but with better prices. Catos carries more fashionable clothing than Pennys ever had. Shoes are not to be found anymore in EC except Belk or Pennys and Sound Feet offers the same brands plus more. Maybe if you tried to shop downtown you would see it has much to offer. I went to three anchor stores in VA looking for a pair of boots in my size, called Sound Feet, they had them and for $5.00 less!

Ref: Clothing
Submitted by bcoog on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 02:51.
I try to shop local,but that is not always the case. I have had to go out of town in the past to buy a light bulb, a woman's belt,shoes for my daughter,pet supplies etc. I went to Byrums,MG Brown,Rose's,Cato's,Dollar General,Sound Feet Shoes before going outside the county. The results were that it could be ordered,not in stock,too large,too small,did not carry that item,or the stores were closed. I have our cars serviced here on occasion,Gone to the theater,and eat at some downtown/in town restaurants. I work fulltime so I am not always able to get to downtown to shop before the stores close,but on the rare times I was able to go found the selection was lacking. It is almost like if we don't have it you don't need it. I agree we need jobs here.Our local government needs to bend over backwards to entice businesses of all types to relocate or to setup shop here.Don't make it difficult for them to do so.Use Highways 17/32 to our advantage

someone is blind
Submitted by Linebacker28 on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 21:05.
I live in northern Chowan. I can be in Suffolk or EC in 30 mins. The only real resturants in Edenton is Seans and Watermans. The rest is fast food jokes. You can't buy a real pair of levi's in edenton. Gas is 15 cent a gallon more. Roses is a nasty joke of a store. Foodlion is nice and well kept. The mexican resturants bathroom is worse than a outhouse. Seriously...dont drink the cool aid. Edenton is suffering..just ask Kathy how it felt to close her resturant after over 20 yrs.

good analysis linebacker
Submitted by CurtisCalls on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 22:47.
Rose's never has what you want either! Waterman's is the only really good restaurant. I do enjoy Byrum's and my coffee downtown. But we do live in a small town and we do have more than places like Hertford or Columbia, but they have a good thing going downtown now! I believe Chowan missed the gravy train back in the 90's and then in the 2000's. We never really grew the job base. We relied on textile jobs that went poof and never were had success getting new industry here. Tourism is great but you can't live off it, especially when Edenton is a weekend getaway at best and it shuts down on Sunday. The time got by and now we are in a recession when nobody is expanding anything, except maybe Republic Service expanding tipping fees, and we missed that too according to Otis, who had inside info and could have got that for us!!!!! We are now a retirement community who don't have kids in schools or want anything but low taxes and no growth.

you make a fair point Skip.
Submitted by CurtisCalls on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 21:41.
you make a fair point Skip. Edenton is different and special in so many ways. But are your children going to live and work here? Is there anything for them? Until we grow the job base, it will be us old retirees only. And I am not talking about a Walmart , I am talking about any growth in the job base, retail, industrial, whatever we could get. I can go to walmart in Eliz. City , do it often and always see Edenton folks.

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