The Dare County Board of Commissioners is the governing body of Dare County, North Carolina. It operates like a county commission. It has seven seats held by elected officials called County Commissioners. The Commissioners are elected at large in countywide elections and serve four-year staggered terms. The Board elects a chairman and vice-chair for a one-year term at its organizational meeting in December.
The Board has countywide responsibility for educational funding, libraries, Parks and Recreation, and tax assessment. The Board is the sole governing body for the unincorporated areas of Dare County including Colington, Martin's Point, Manns Harbor, Stumpy Point, East Lake, Wanchese, northern Roanoke Island, and all of Hatteras Island. In these areas, the county is responsible for planning and zoning, solid waste management, and law enforcement.
Districts
District 1: East Lake, Stumpy Point, Manns Harbor, Manteo, Wanchese District 2: Kill Devil Hills, Colington, Nags Head District 3: Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk District 4: Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras
Meetings The Board meets on the first Monday of the month at 9:00 AM and the third Monday of each month at 5:00 PM at the Dare County Administrative Annex located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo.
Issues In 2008, the Board adopted a resolution making English the official language of Dare County. Jack Shea crafted the resolution. The Commissioners voting for the resolution were Jack Shea, Richard Johnson, Mike Johnson and Max Dutton. Dissenting Commissioners were Warren Judge, Allen Burrus and Virginia Tillett.
List of Dare County Boards of Commissioners 2014 Board
Chairman: Warren Judge (District 3: Kitty Hawk, Duck, Southern Shores) Vice Chairman: Allen Burrus (District 4: Chicamacomico, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras) Commissioner: Wally Overman (District 1: Roanoke Island, Dare County Mainland) Commissioner: Virginia Tillett (District 1: Roanoke Island, Dare County Mainland) Commissioner: Max Dutton (District 2: Nags Head, Colington, Kill Devil Hills) Commissioner: Jack Shea (District 5 At Large) Commissioner: Robert Woodard (District 2: Nags Head, Colington, Kill Devil Hills)
2011 Board Chairman: Warren Judge
Vice Chairman: Allen Burrus
District Name Party Year First Elected Present Term Ends 1 Richard Johnson Republican 1996 2012 1 Virginia Tillett Democratic 2002 2014 2 Mike Johnson Republican 2004 2012 2 Max Dutton Democratic 2006 2014 3 Warren Judge Democratic 2000 2012 4 Allen Burrus Democratic 2008 2012 5 Jack Shea Republican 2006 2014
Allen Burrus was appointed to the Board in February 2006 to fill the remaining term of Joseph "Mac" Midgett who died in Jan 2006. Burrus was then elected to the seat in 2008.
2010 Election
All incumbent Commissioners ran for re-election in 2010. Virginia Tillett in District 1 ran unopposed and was re-elected. Max Dutton in District 2 ran unopposed and was re-elected. Jack Shea, in District 5 (at-large District) was challenged by Robin Mann. Shea won re-election 53/47.
2006 Election
Max Dutton was elected in 2006 in an upset over incumbent Chairman Stan White, 52% to 48% in the Primary. He was unopposed in the General Election. Jack Shea was unopposed in the primary. He defeated Rex Tillett in the general election. Tillett is the nephew of North Carolina State Senator Marc Basnight. Virginia Tillett won the primary over two challengers, Robin Mann and Sybil Daniels Ross. She defeated John M. Robbins, III in the general election.
References