Dare school board members to get compensation increase

Published 4:04 pm Saturday, January 18, 2025

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On Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, Dare County Board of Commissioners increased the compensation for the county’s Board of Education members.

By letter dated Dec. 17, 2024, Dare County Superintendent of Schools Steve Basnight requested that the commissioners increase Board of Education members’ compensation from $2,400 to $13,000 and the Board of Education chairman from $5,400 to $14,200.

Basnight wrote: “the last increase in the BOE compensation was more than 25 years ago.”

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Two sections of the state’s General Statutes address the issue of compensation for elected board members. The first section G.S. 115C‑38 states the “tax-levying authority for local school administration unit may, under the procedures of G.S. 153A‑92, fix the compensation and expense allowances paid members of the board of education of that local school administrative unit.”

The second section, G.S. 153A-92, directs, using the word “shall,” the board of commissioners to “fix or approve the schedule of pay, expense allowances, and other compensation of all county officers and employees, whether elected or appointed, and may adopt position classification plans.”

The increase in compensation will start July 1, 2025, as requested by Basnight.

Several other financial moves were made during this first meeting of the New Year.

The new Nags Head Emergency Medical Services building moves into the design phase with the approval of an increase to the station’s capital project ordinance by adding $987,500 to the 2025A limited obligation bond for design and construction administration services. In a second move, the commissioners authorized county manager Robert L. Outten to sign the Oakley Collier Architects contract.

“Dare County has been declared FEMA eligible for Potential Tropical Cyclone #8. Coastal Science and Engineering completed a post-storm survey of Buxton.” That survey showed a sand loss from the storm of about 175,000 cubic yards. The cost for a stand-alone replacement project is $10.2 million. But, the project will be done in connection with the 2026 beach maintenance project. The estimated FEMA and North Carolina Emergency Management share of the project is $2.6 million.

The application for FEMA assistance has been approved. The commissioners authorized county finance director David Clawson to sign the designation of applicant’s agent and state-applicant disaster assistance agreement.

The commissioners approved “a budget amendment for additional costs for administration and engineering services related to dredging activities in Oregon Inlet and Interior Channels and Hatteras Inlet for FY25. Expenses will be 75% cost shared by the” state’s Department of Environmental Quality Shallow Draft Navigation Fund. The amendment calls for $57,745 for Oregon Inlet and $10,650 for Hatteras Inlet.

The commissioners approved a contract with Hall American Property Pros, LLC for four projects to clear streams. The project involves Dough’s Creek, Manteo, 3,500 linear feet; Jovers Lane, Wanchese, 700 linear feet; Hwy 64, East Lake, 8,600 linear feet; Jennette’s Sedge, Buxton, 17,632 linear feet. Total feet: 20,766. Contract Cost: $228,678.88

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