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The Southern Shores Town Council held a public hearing on Monday, May 6 to consider Zoning Text Amendment ZTA-25-02, a proposal submitted by local property owner Anthony S. Mina seeking to revise Section 36-414 of the town code.

ZTA-25-02 sought to create a 90-day exemption period during which property owners across all zoning districts could submit applications to be governed by the town code as it existed prior to any zoning text amendments adopted within the last three years. The amendment would apply retroactively, affecting changes such as those included in ZTA-23-03, which was adopted on June 6, 2023 and introduced stricter lot width requirements.

Deputy town manager and planning director Wes Haskett presented the staff report, outlining the proposed changes and their implications. Haskett explained that the amendment would effectively allow property owners—including those who owned, rented, occupied or had contracts to purchase properties at the time of the zoning changes—to seek exemptions from zoning regulations enacted within the past three years. He noted that the proposal was inconsistent with the town’s adopted land use plan and recommended disapproval. The planning board had previously reviewed the amendment on May 1 and issued a unanimous recommendation against its adoption.

Haskett also emphasized that all recent zoning amendments, including ZTA-23-03, had been found consistent with the land use plan at the time of their adoption. He warned that the proposed exemption would create legal and administrative uncertainty by effectively invalidating several years of zoning reforms.

Applicant Mina, who has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to subdivide the property at 75 E. Dogwood Trail since July 2024, addressed the council at length. In an impassioned statement, Mina accused the Town of Southern Shores of procedural violations, including failure to provide adequate notice for zoning changes, as required under town code Section 36-414(b). He presented numerous exhibits alleging that the town did not comply with public notice and mailing requirements for zoning map amendments and suggested that these omissions invalidated the June 2023 amendments.

Mina further claimed that town staff, including Haskett, had withheld information that materially impacted his property purchase, resulting in financial harm. He referenced federal laws regarding evidence tampering and public corruption, asserting that his proposed amendment was necessary to uphold property owners’ due process rights and to correct what he described as fraudulent and unethical practices by the town.

Despite Mina’s claims, no members of the public came forward to speak during the hearing. Council members did not engage in discussion or pose questions before moving into deliberation. A motion was made and seconded to deny the amendment and to affirm that the denial was consistent with the town’s land use plan and served the public interest. The motion passed unanimously.

Following the public hearing, town manager Cliff Ogburn presented the recommended budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. He thanked various staff members for their contributions to its preparation. A major focus of this year’s budget is the countywide property revaluation, mandated by state law to align property assessments with fair market value. Ogburn recommended a 4-cent increase to the property tax rate, citing the town’s historically low rates and rising service costs since the last general tax increase in 2012.

The proposed tax increase is projected to cost the average homeowner approximately $240 annually. Key revenue sources—occupancy, sales and land transfer taxes—are expected to decline or remain flat, emphasizing the importance of property tax revenue. The proposed general fund budget totals $11.76 million, a 9.45% increase over last year, mainly due to the Trinity Bridge project.

Notable departmental changes include the transition of fire services to a municipal department, the addition of new staff positions including a police sergeant and a public information officer, and infrastructure improvements such as road and stormwater work and multi-use path replacement. Health insurance costs also rose significantly, prompting the town to offer new plan options to employees.

The budget is balanced with $277,395 from unassigned fund balance, leaving a reserve of more than $1.7 million, in addition to $3.5 million already set aside for emergencies.

Councilman Mark Batenic and Mayor Pro Tem Matt Neal expressed support for the budget, acknowledging the difficulty of raising taxes but emphasizing the need to maintain services and support the newly incorporated fire department. A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for June 3.

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