THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512060434
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Eldon Miller Jr. began the second year of his first term on the Currituck County Board of Commissioners by being named chairman.
Miller, a retired shipyard worker who represents Moyock, was elected 3-2 Monday night to succeed Ernie Bowden.
He did not say anything before or after he was voted in by commissioners Paul O'Neal, Owen Etheridge and himself.
Bowden, who began his 12th year on the board this week, gave a brief speech before the vote. He mentioned his 19 years in local government and his distinction as the only commissioner to have served with every county manager.
Bowden, who represents Fruitville Township, was nominated by Gene Gregory of Shawboro.
Paul O'Neal of Waterlily, the county's first Republican commissioner in recent memory, was unanimously named vice chairman.
In other business, Miller again cast the lone vote against an expanded dog restraint ordinance that will require that pets be kept on a household's property within the county's 124 established subdivisions.
The original ordinance included only a handful of subdivisions that had expressed a problem with vicious or mischievous dogs running loose in neighborhoods.
``I'd still like to see a countywide ordinance,'' Miller said before voting against the measure.
Hunting dogs, including those in training, are exempt from the regulation that will become effective Jan. 1.
Owners who fail to erect fences, chains or otherwise contain wandering dogs will be subject to a maximum fine of $500 and 30 days in jail.
Also at Monday's regular board meeting, a county ordinance amendment that established criteria for rezoning land from agriculture to other designations was shot down.
A number of mainland residents spoke against the measure and the 3-acre minimum lot sizes for agriculturally zoned land approved earlier this year.
``You've not been fair. You discriminate,'' said Margaret Garrett of Moyock, who suggested that the 3-acre provision be repealed.
Local developer Fletcher Humphries said he has advertised the larger lots outside the area for a couple of weeks but had yet to receive a call.
``I don't think you're gonna get the response on 3-acre lots that you're expecting,'' Humphries said.
``Basically, this is a way to block development,'' farmer and former commissioner Jerry Wright said.
O'Neal responded that he and the other newest commissioners were elected last year to control growth in the county. ``The citizens of Currituck County called for this,'' he said.
Etheridge, who initiated the measure, and Miller voted for the proposed amendment. They were outnumbered by dissenters O'Neal, Gregory and Bowden. by CNB