THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601180464
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Sixteen counties are hitched to the Northeastern North Carolina Economic Development Commission and Wednesday, the panel found out that a mule-skinner may be needed to help the area pull in harness.
More than 80 Albemarle community and political leaders attended a work-luncheon at the Kermit-White Center to hear a report from experts that the Economic Commission hired to find out how individual Albemarle counties want to boost local business.
The poll showed that while ``regionalism'' in the 16 Albemarle counties is a buzzword for the Development Commission, the aims of different areas of the northeast are often shaped by local heritage as well as geography.
The counties were grouped into four contiguous geographical sub-regions for the study, which was prepared by the Raleigh polling firm Leak-Goforth/Pace Group.
All of the subregions agreed on a few proposals:
Build better roads.
Stabilize Oregon Inlet.
Create better water supplies and waste disposal facilities.
A diversity of goals, however, showed up as the county groups became more separated.
Dare and Currituck Counties in SubRegion 1 along the coast listed stabilization of Oregon Inlet as a top priority. Currituck urged speedy construction of the mid-sound bridge across Currituck Sound. The two counties also sought ``an unbiased objective analysis of existing economic development agencies.''
SubRegion 2, including Chowan, Camden, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans Counties, wanted creation of a regional tax revenue sharing plan and improvement of U.S. Highway 17. The counties also urged that natural gas be brought to the area along with a regional water authority and a high-tech training facility.
SubRegion 3, including Beafort, Washington, Martin, Hyde and Tyrrell counties, suggested legislation that would promote marketing incentives as well as more county infrastructures.
SubRegion 4, composed of Bertie, Hertford, Halifax and Northampton counties, asked for more infrastructure development in the largely rural areas on or close to the Virginia border. The counties also urged better schools and a regional industrial park with tax sharing across county lines.
Robert Goforth and Robert Leak, directors of the Leak-Goforth group, prepared the report with John Lovern, who is associated with the Pace agency that works with Leak-Goforth. The firm initially was paid $126,000 last year by the Economic Commission. It is scheduled to issue a second report in April.
Pasquotank County Commissioner Jimmy Dixon, chairman of the Development Commission, said the commissioners will talk about implementing some of the survey proposals at a regular meeting Jan. 24 at the Edenton Campus of the College of the Albemarle.
The unusually large turnout at Elizabeth City State University Wednesday included many county commissioners and municipal officers from the area served by the Economic Development Commission.
State Secretary of Commerce Davis Phillips was fog-bound in Raleigh and his state aircraft did not reach Elizabeth City for the meeting. Phillips is a major advocate of the concept of ``regionalism'' as a means to better business growth. by CNB