DATE: Saturday, April 26, 1997              TAG: 9704260267

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: CURRITUCK                         LENGTH:   70 lines

CURRITUCK SEEKS TO QUIT ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP

Contending it is treated like an unwanted stepchild, Currituck County wants to secede from the Northeast Economic Commission/Partnership.

County commissioners on Friday sent a blunt letter to state Rep. William C. Owens, with a copy to Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., saying they want to withdraw from the 16-county business-boosting organization.

They also want Currituck's cut of the $1 million the General Assembly gave the commission to prime economic pumps in the Albemarle this year.

``That's a little more than $62,000 per county, and in Currituck we think we can spend the money with more wisdom and with better effect than the Northeast Economic Commission,'' said Paul O'Neal, the 35-year-old chairman of the Currituck County board.

``And that's why we want to secede,'' O'Neal added.

Copies of the letter to Owens, a Pasquotank Democrat who would have to originate legislation in the House to remove Currituck from the commission, were sent to state House and Senate leaders.

The Currituck board members want to sit down with Owens - and Hunt, if possible - and explain why they think the economic panel should be ``dissolved.''

Speaking for the Currituck board members, O'Neal's letter to Owens said: ``During our meeting held on April 21, 1997, the board again expressed concerns with the county's lack of representation on the Northeast Partnership. Recent news articles state that some representatives on the Northeast Partnership board feel there is no need to increase the membership to include representation by all counties even though some counties have multiple members.

``The Board of Commissioners is very concerned about these statements and feels the county would be better served by separation from the Partnership.

``Should the county withdraw from the Partnership, we would request our pro-rata share of state funding, which we feel should be better utilized for local economic development and marketing.

``One additional possibility discussed was the introduction of legislation to dissolve the Partnership and then start over with one member from each county. We are interested in discussing our options with you. . . . ''

When the legislature created the commission four years ago, the lawmakers that the members be selected, five each, by the governor, the speaker of the House and the President Pro Tem of the Senate.

But when the three Raleigh leaders duly staffed the new organization, several of the 16 counties, were not represented - including Currituck and neighboring Camden county.

Last week Economic Commission Chairman Jimmy Dixon, sensing a coming whiff of grapeshot, tried to soothe unrepresented counties. At a regular meeting of the commission, he moved to increase the number of authorized commission members to 25.

``We thought the proposal would be quickly approved and we could then see that all of our 16 counties, including Currituck, would be represented by voting members,'' said Dixon, an Elizabeth City bottling executive.

But Dixon failed to take into consideration a move by George ``Buffy'' Warner, an Ocracoke Island restaurant operator who rarely declines an opportunity to enliven commission meetings.

Warner is one of the younger members of the panel, and the prospect of 25 members on a commission that sometimes has trouble handling 15 talkers was more than Warner said he could endure.

``It's obscene,'' Warner said, and the motion was tabled, adding insult to Currituck's injury.

O'Neal, a Currituck Republican who is an insurance executive, said the commissioners decided earlier this week to resolve the county's misgivings about the commission.

``State Rep. Owens tried to get a bill through the House that would increase the commission membership but it disappeared down the black hole of one of the legislative committees,'' O'Neal said Friday.

``That's when we decided to let our feelings be known.''

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu