THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603020253
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
A Republican candidate for the county commission has accused Chairman R.V ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. of improperly using county stationery to cultivate votes from teachers.
``We all know it's an election year, and it's nice to give teachers something in an election year,'' said Cheryl Byrd, who is seeking a seat on the Dare County Board of Commissioners in District 3. ``As far as I'm concerned he's trying to win some votes for him and lose some for me.''
Owens denied that a letter he sent to teachers on county stationery was a campaign ploy.
``If it was meant to be political, I would truly apologize,'' Owens said. ``That's just as far from the truth as it's ever been.''
The letter written Feb. 16 by Owens, a Democrat running for re-election in District 2, went to all 346 teachers in the county. He wrote that he has always supported higher salaries for teachers and had done so at a recent meeting of the commissioners. He enclosed a copy of a statement Byrd issued at the Jan. 16 meeting. In the statement, Byrd questioned the propriety of Owens' proposal to provide a $1,000 supplement to teachers' pay, saying it should originate from the Board of Education.
Owens asked the teachers to reply in writing to the supplement issue.
``If we left everything to the Board of Education, it probably wouldn't get done,'' Owens said. ``You've got to have decent wages to attract decent people.''
Byrd said she supports supplements, but that the school district should determine the needs of the teachers, not the commissioners. She said she believes Owens is trying to undermine her chances of winning a commissioner's seat. All seven members are Democrats.
``He has very strong control of the current board and he likes that board,'' Byrd said. ``Maybe he doesn't want to deal with me if I'm elected.''
Owens said he sent the letter without consulting other members of the board.
``I told them it was my own thinking and my own actions,'' Owens said Thursday of the board.
Commissioner Shirley Hassell said Owens should not represent the entire board in his position or send mail on county stationery without the authorization of the commission.
``As far as I see this, this is just a way to solicit votes,'' Hassell said Thursday. ``But to try to demean Ms. Byrd in his quest for re-election at taxpayers expense is appalling.''
Responded Owens: ``She's just trying to make political hay. I just don't have a problem with what I did.''
While conceding he ``probably should not have'' used the stationery, Owens said he paid $112 for the stamps and $18 for the envelopes used in the mailing to the teachers out of his own pocket.
``I was acting in an official capacity . . . (but) maybe it was bad judgment,'' the chairman said.
Teachers have not had an increase in their supplements in about 11 years, said Mike Finnegan, president of Dare County Association of Educators. Out of 119 school districts statewide, Dare County teachers rank 43rd in the amount of supplements, but live in a county with one of the highest costs of living. Supplements in Guilford County are the highest, at $2,080. The lowest is Allegheny County, which gives no supplement. Dare County supplements range from about $400 to $675 per year.
Finnegan said $1,000 for every teacher would pull the ranking up to 7th for a new teacher, and 13th for a teacher with an advanced degree. Teacher salaries, established by the state, range from $20,620 to $37,310, the 39th lowest in the nation, Finnegan said.
Virginia Tillett, county Board of Education chairwoman, said most counties supplement salaries to attract and keep competent teachers. She also supported the district's current policy of supplementing every school employee's wages, including nonprofessionals.
``When you have trained folk to work for you, you want to keep them, right?'' Tillett said. ``Then the little bit of supplement they receive is a way of saying thanks. I think everyone who is employed with us should get a decent salary.''
Teacher Christine Walker, a Spanish instructor at First Flight Middle School, said at least 25 of her peers signed her recent letter in support of Owens' proposal, and she believes other schools are conducting similar efforts.
``Most of our teachers are not from this area,'' Walker said. ``A lot of them come here . . . and take incredible cuts in their salary and most are working harder than we ever did. And the expectations are higher.''
Calling it a matter of morale and equity, Walker said teachers here outperform most districts, resulting in students who rank among the finest in the state.
``We should be paid equally here,'' she said.
Owens said school officials have not specifically asked him for the $1,000 raise, but he believes it's necessary to attract good teachers. by CNB