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HERTFORD NO
March 8, 2001
Vol. 69, No. 10 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
DMANS
!a,Y
Snug Harbor wants compensation for tax collection
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The Snug Harbor
Property Owners
Association is trying to
clean up the subdivision. In
the process, they are col
lecting county taxes and
putting non-income-pro
ducing property back on
county tax books. And
they’d like to get some com
pensation for their efforts.
Two property owners
association representatives
told commissioners
Monday that the associa
tion is trying to clean up
abandoned and delapidated
properties in Snug Harbor.
The foreclosure process is
time-consuming and
involves legal fees and
often other expenses.
Because the county gets its
back taxes out of these
foreclosures, but the associ
ation bears aU the expense
and sometimes loses
money, association officers
want compensation.
“It occurs to me that ya’ll
are doing some of the coun
ty’s work,’’ commissioner
Ben Hobbs said.
“That’s what our attor
ney said,’’ one representa
tive answered.
One example cited was a
foreclosure involving a
delapidated house and lot.
The association got its fore
closure, but actually lost
money after paying county
taxes and tearing down the
structure on the property
Last year, the associa
tion filed foreclosures on
six properties, collecting
about $3,000 in taxes. This
year, they said, they are
moving to smaller proper
ties, which whl mean they
will probably lose money
on the foreclosures.
The first suggestion
from association represen
tative James Greer was
that the county agree to
accept 25 cents on the dol
lar for all taxes collected.
But Tax Administrator
Cheryl Phillips and county
attorney John Matthews
said the measure was
unlawful.
“There has to be some
way to get around it,”
Greer said.
Commissioners
Chairman Charles Ward
said perhaps the county
could consider paying a
commission or contingency
fee on taxes collected by
Snug Harbor.
Commissioner Wallace
Nelson said he thought the
county ought to work with
any group trying to collect
taxes.
While others were look
ing at Snug Harbor’s collec
tion efforts, commissioner
Mack Nixon was more
focused on the county’s col
lection efforts.
“We need to be more
aggressive in our tax collec
tion,” Nixon said several
times during the discus
Fun fund raisers
Participants enjoyed
fund raisers held in
February by
Perquimans
Heritage, Inc. and
the Antique Dealers
Association of
Perquimans County.
Perquimans Heritage
sponsored a
Sweethearts Dance
Cruise (above), while
ADAPC chose a
silent auction and
champagne brunch.
Proceeds went to
Perquimans
Restoration and the
Main Street
Program.
February fund raisers net funds, fun
Perquimans Heritage, Inc. and
the Antique Dealers Association of
Perquimans were real sweethearts
in February. Both groups held fund
raisers to benefit county non-profit
organizations.
Perquimans Heritage, Inc., a
group committed to preserving and
enhancing Hertford and
Perquimans County by responsibi-
ly utilizing the community’s abun
dant water resources, sponsored a
Sweethearts Dance Cruise. The
American Legion Building was
turned into a cruise ship for an
evening of fun. Proceeds from the
evening were donated to the
Perquimans County Restoration
Association for their use in promot
ing and developing heritage
tourism, including support for and
operation of the Newbold-White
House.
A two-day silent auction, com
plete with Sunday champagne
brunch, kept Hertfordshire
Antiques busy for a weekend.
Antique dealers donated items for
the auction and organized the
brunch to benefit the Main Street
Program.
“The antique dealers have .been
my largest contributors to the pro
gram,” said Main Street Program
Manager Belinda Washlesky
Hertford earned its Main Street
designation last spring. The non
profit organization is overseen by a
board. Its purpose is to revitalize
the downtown area.
At present. Main Street and the
Chamber of Commerce share a
budding at 118 W. Market St. which
is undergoing renovations to make
it a visitors center. The budding
was donated to serve as a visitors
center by Dr. and Mrs. Robert Earl
Lane.
sion. “If you have to con
tract it out, contract it out.”
Nixon said in 1996 the
county hired an employee
and sent another to school
so that tax codections could
be improved.
Phdlips said her office is
working on some collec
tions. Now they are work
ing on some larger tracts.
Matthews said some of
the delinquent taxes are
due on heired property,
which can be more time-
consuming to take
throughthe foreclosure
process. It can also take 12-
18 months to actuady sed a
foreclosed property by the
time ad the legal work is
complete.
The attorney also told
commissioners that they
must consider throwing
“good money after bad.” In
some cases, he said, the
county could actuady lose
money on a foreclosure.
The topic wdl likely be
discussed when the com
missioners meet for a work
session on Monday, March
19 at 7 p.m. Hobbs request
ed a session to adow com
missioners to more fully
discuss issues.
Ward agreed that the
meeting was needed.
Topics suggested for dis
cussion at the meeting
included hunting, the
recreation grant, taxes,
radio towers, and the
mobde home ordinance.
Cooke tapped as
chamber director
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The Perquimans
Chamber of Commerce
once again has a part-time
executive director.
Larry Cooke, 55, a New
Hope resident, signed on to
help lead the chamber in
January.
Cooke comes to the posi
tion with chamber experi
ence. In the 1970s, he served
as director of public affairs
and membership for the
Chesapeake, Va., chamber.
He worked as a committee
member with chambers of
commerce in Atlanta, Ga.,
Columbia, S.C., and
Raleigh. He is also a found
ing member of the
Currituck Chamber of
Commerce.
In addition, Cooke’s
bachelor’s degree in jour
nalism and communica
tions and master’s degree
in urban studies and eco
nomics give him an under
standing of business and
economic development. He
focused on the impacts of
growth in geographic areas
in his master’s work.
That, he said, “...laid the
academic foundation for
understanding, accessment
and implementing econom
ic development, job cre
ation and planned growth
in an area,” Cooke said.
He has also done doctor
al work in higher educa
tion administration.
He is presently also an
instructor at COA, where
he teaches developmental
English writing, basic
skills and in the learning
lab.
Cooke sees tremendous
benefits for businesses in a
community with an active
chamber.
“I think most important
ly, (the chamber) provides
continuity for the business
community to have a voice
in the future decisions of
their area with the inten
tions of each individual
member prospering from
the organized efforts of a
chamber of commerce,”
Cooke said.
His first focus will be on
providing the membership
with the types of services
that will provide a return
on their investment in the
chamber. He said he is com
mitted to strengthening
and expanding the existing
membership base, which
includes some second- and
third-generation business
es. And it’s not just grow
ing the chamber he wants:
Cooke also wants to sup
port the growth of existing
businesses, as well as
pulling in new ones.
He said it is important
for a chamber to play an
active role in local and
regional decision-making
processes, particularly in
the areas of economic
development and tourism.
“Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce is
in a position that we must
engage ourselves as an
active participant in
Northeastern North
Carolina,” he said. “We
have to actively participate
in the information
exchange and ideas that
our neighboring chambers
of commerce currently
participant in. We haven’t
been heard from and it’s up
to us to attend, participate
and be a player.”
He said the chamber has
a forward-thinking board
poised to development
strength from the inside
out, and become partners
in the areas of economic
development and tourism.
Board members are
Becky Winslow, president;
Jack Taylor, vice president;
Margie Nixon, treasurer;
Susan Harris, secretary;
Gay Murray, immediate
past president; Brenda
Lassiter; Carson White;
Douglas Layden; Randy
Park and LuAnne
Pendergraft.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 54
Low: 38
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 56
Low: 38
Rain
Saturday
High: 55
Low: 36
Partly Cloudy