DATE: Thursday, March 6, 1997               TAG: 9703060328

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: MANTEO                            LENGTH:   73 lines

DIVIDED BOARD SENDS SCHOOL BOND ON AFTER MONTHS OF CONTENTION, DARE VOTERS WILL GET TO HAVE THEIR SAY.

The school bond is on its way to the voters, sent by a divided Dare County Board of Commissioners Wednesday after approval of three resolutions authorizing a referendum.

Passage of each measure virtually assured that the $59.5 million bond will be on the ballot by May 20, the date targeted by the Board of Education.

``These are just the statutory hoops we have to jump through in order to get a referendum the public can vote on,'' said Commissioner Douglas Langford.

The vote was not unanimous, and even board members who approved it grumbled about the bond. Commissioners Joseph ``Mac'' Midgett and Cheryl Byrd, who voted against the motions, said they oppose the way the Board of Education has pushed the bond.

``I don't approve of it going forward at this time at the pace it's going forward,'' Byrd said.

After months of contention, the board voted 4-3 last week to put the matter squarely in the lap of voters, and approved placing a bond on the ballot. Commissioners had openly expressed anger and skepticism toward educators about the issue.

``I am really through with this,'' Chairman Robert V. ``Bobby''

Owens Jr. said Wednesday, reiterating his prior sentiments expressed at the emergency meeting last week. ``I have no preferences - I just think it's time to take it to the people.''

The resolutions direct the publication of a notice about the bond application to the state, authorize County Finance Director David Clawson to apply to the state for the bond and approve five statements of fact on the bond.

To the five findings - that the bonds are necessary, the estimated amount is adequate, the county has capable debt management, the county has complied with fiscal management laws, and the tax increase required will not be excessive - the board decided to add a disclaimer that the facts were based on information received from the Board of Education.

``Thank goodness it's done,'' Owens said after the vote. ``Now it's up to the voters.''

Clawson said that because he has not yet received a construction schedule from the school district, he cannot tabulate the exact amount of the tax increase.

The next step in the bond process will be a public hearing April 7. Also Wednesday, the board directed County Attorney Al Cole to draft a resolution stating the county's opposition to a net ban bill that was introduced recently in the state House of Representatives.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Frank Mitchell of Iredell County, would ban the use of commercial fishing nets in the state's internal waters.

``I don't know what someone in Iredell County - which doesn't have a stream in it any bigger than this table - would know about net fishing,'' said Commissioner Geneva Perry.

The board was responding to earlier public comments by fish dealer William Etheridge III, who asked the panel to take some action against the proposal.

``When they're saying it's just nets in the sound, that's a large part of the fishing industry in Dare County,'' he told the board, adding, ``I don't believe that this bill will become law as long as we have Marc in Raleigh.''

State Sen. Marc Basnight's spokeswoman Julia White said the senator is ``generally opposed to the net ban,'' although he would be open to discussing regulating the net size. Basnight, a Dare Democrat, said the law unfairly targets the people who make a living from net fishing, White said.

In other business, commissioners:

Approved putting $35,000 for a Youth Football program in the recreation budget proposal.

Agreed to ask the state Department of Transportation to incorporate pipe allowances on the Midway design plans in case the county needs to run water or sewer lines to or from the mainland.

Appointed Joseph Thompson to the Planning Board to represent Hatteras Island. Wayne Midgett, who was appointed earlier, declined to accept the post.

Approved a plan to lease, rather than purchase, copy machines. The plan is a better, less expensive alternative, the finance director said.

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