March 10. Comment from Commissioner Butch Petrey. Went to RPO meeting today. Two interesting things happened today. First thing Christine Mele, Pamlico County Commissioner and District 2 RPO member delivered a unanimous resolution opposing any ferry tolls. She also stated what I, as well others, have been saying is that NE North Carolina must stand united to get anything accomplished. Our state representatives must do a better job of making our positions known and approved. The second thing is that Malcolm Fearing, our DOT Representative, is making a push to put ferries under mass transit funding. I asked why it wasn't there all along. Blamed Raleigh. As far as ferry tolling in District 1 it was voted on to send back to Raleigh to be revisited. My personal feeling is they are going to punt back to us because this next session is going to be a "short session" and nothing controversial is voted on. We must keep the emails and letters to Sen. Bill Cook and Rep. Bob Steinburg coming. I asked for consideration to pass a resolution against tolling from District 1 to partner with District 2 but was asked to wait on Raleigh. I feel that eventually this is going to be my major push. Probably at our June or July meeting. That way we will have a pretty good idea where we stand in Raleigh. I promise to keep everyone on Knotts Island posted....
March 3. Comment from Commissioner Butch Petrey. Just hung up talking with Bill Rich, Hyde County Mgr., and he informed that Tyrell County is on board with "NO TOLLS ON THE FERRIES"! We have a "NO" vote commitment from Currituck, Hyde, Dare, Camden and Tyrell counties. Bill also is "absolutely" sure Washington County will vote with us. This is six out of ten counties coming together to make a stand. Raleigh is the key. The RPO did not write this legislation, Raleigh did. Keep those emails and letters coming and don't forget RPO meeting on March 10th at 11:00am
February 25. Comment from Commissioner Butch Petrey. Attended ferry meeting in Ocracoke last night. Approx. 200 people in attend. Only elected official from Raleigh was Rep. Paul Tine. Like KI meeting lots of passion! It appears Raleigh better wake up and fast. Don't forget RPO meeting March 10th, Vernon James Center, 11:00am.
February 21. Comment from Commissioner Butch Petrey. The
next RPO meeting is scheduled for March 10 at The Vernon James
Ctr. in Plymouth, NC. The meeting starts at 11:00 am and is open
to the public. This will be the first RPO meeting after all the
public meetings and ferry tolls will be front and center. I feel
confident that tolling will not be voted on but nothing is a
guarantee. I am working the phones daily to make sure we have the
votes to stop tolling. Let me know if I can answer any questions.
Also, Camden County has already voted on and signed a resolution
opposing any tolls on our ferries. Hopefully everything will fall
into place.
February 20. Comment from Commissioner Butch Petrey. Our
ARPO member.
Attended public meeting in Hatteras last night.
Went very well. Rep. Paul Tine attended and stated that Rep. John
Torbett (he was at KI meeting) is working on legislation to find
the money elsewhere. Also Dare County BOC Chairman Warren Judge
attended and announced that the Dare County BOC voted Tuesday
unanimously to oppose any tolls on the ferries. Other counties I
have spoken with like Camden and Pasquotank appear to stand with
us on this issue. Bill Rich, Hyde County Mgr. feels Washington and
Tyrell counties will support our efforts. I strongly feel that NE
North Carolina will stand strong and support one another. To date
seven out of ten counties appear to be opposing tolls. I will be
in Ocracoke Monday night to attend their meeting. Told last night
they expect a huge crowd.
Letter from Commissioner Vance Aydlett to the RPO members:
Hello,
My Name is Vance Aydlett and I live at 120
Litchfield Lane, Knotts Island NC.
I am writing you today to express my opposition
to tolls being placed on the Knotts Island Ferry. I came to that
conclusion because of many reasons. First of all the KI ferry was
placed in service in 1962 to much fanfare. 1000 people were in
attendance that day for the dedication ceremony, including then
Governor Terry Sanford, Congressman Herbert Bonner and numerous
other State officials. The purposes that day for the ferry being
established was threefold. To join this remote island to the state
it belongs, to provide a transportation route to educate our
children in the NC school system, and to help improve economic
development in N/E NC. I suggest to you that the mission of this
ferry is still the same today.
Impacts- You have already heard from others of
the many impacts that we believe that tolling will create for our
island residents. Some may not sound very important to you but I
ask you to remember that the ferry is our highway to the mainland.
The only alternative is a trip into Va. Thru two Cities just to
get to Moyock. It is a 55 min drive to the courthouse. It is a
very treacherous drive to say the least, no shoulders, and narrow
rural winding roads. Our children-81 use the ferry to attend High
School and Early College school every day. Any number of those
students drive daily to participate in after school activities,
sports, tutoring, clubs or just go to a Drs appointment or any
other thing they may need to do during the day. Exempting a bus
does not come close to solving the student issue. We have many
children and parents who also participate in year round
recreational activities on the mainland. To be a part of these
activities you have to go to the mainland. Facilities, and numbers
of children are not available on the island to support its own
program.
There are numerous issues that arise concerning
the tolling issue for everyone. Our resident citizens utilize the
ferry to take care of any number of things that are not available
on the Island. Our activities on the island include a small groc
store, two churches, a vineyard the Ruritan park and a
restaurant/bar... Everything from taking care of county business,
getting drivers lic, YMCA, Social Services, Food Bank, Senior
Resources, to attending meetings with the schools or county
officials requires travel to the mainland.
According to DOT projections, the KI ferry will
raise 83K dollars per year. As I understand it, the overhaul that
was completed on the ferry last summer now extends the service
life for 20 more years. My calculations show that will raise 1.7
mil towards the purchase of a new ferry that in today’s dollars
cost 16 million. Where will the remaining funds come from. As I
read the statue, it will still come from the division funds that
are also the same funds that build and maintain roads in the RPO
region. If it’s the same money why then are we imposing tolls now
on the ferry system that transports vehicles that use the same
roads that pay the same gas tax that funds the transportation
system. The ferry is a part of the NC highway Transportation and
should not be treated any differently. It has been said that the
entire ferry budget in terms of dollars, cost the same amount that
it takes to build one mile of roads in the Mountains of NC. There
are many places in this state that bridges are used to cross
bodies of water without any tolls, it just so happens our
situation is a ferry performs the same transportation route. Why
is it being treated differently. Some of you DOT members may
recall my suggesting one size does not fit all when it comes to
circumstances and hardships. I was lead to believe any
considerations would have to be consistent with all ferries in the
system. How about we use the same analogy between roads, bridges
and ferries, be consistent on how they are funded.. Folks I think
we need to remember just because there is a set toll rate today
does not mean it can not be increased whenever the desire arises.
If projections are not met then what happens? I would like to take
a couple of minutes to speak to the RPO members. I am asking you
to stand with us on this tolling issue. Under the statue, you are
under no obligation to even consider tolls. The statue reads The
Board of transportation must receive a resolution approved by the
TAC of each local transportation planning organization requesting
tolls prior to establishing tolls on any untolled ferry route. No
where does it say that you have to submit anything.
I ask you to think about the hardships that
have been talked about this evening, and put yourself in these
folks place. Would you want to pay a toll to use the State
transportation system to take care of your obligations and
business, educate your children, allow them to participate in
after school and athletic activities. I don’t think so. Please
think of the impacts to our senior population.
Remember that the projections says tolls will
raise 83k per year, 1.7 mil over 20 years towards the purchase
price of a ferry. It would take 200 years to raise enough to buy
one. Data shows that 65% of all vehicles that used the ferry last
year had NC lic plates. I would suggest that 90 % of those
vehicles were Currituck residents. This puts the burden of the
tolls directly on our citizens, the ones who use it as a necessity
not a convenience. I believe the 35 % that use it as a convenience
will drop off significantly, creating shortfall in the funding
projections.
It has been said by an official that a $150.00
annual toll is not a significant cost, even that $12.50 a month is
only a case of beer or half a carton of cigarettes. I will submit
to you that $12.50 may mean the difference of a senior being able
to get all their medication, or even putting a couple of dollars
in the church plate to support it on Sunday morning. Could mean so
many things to those less fortunate than some.
I believe the KI and Ocracoke ferries have been
exempt in the past not because of politics as some would have you
believe, but because it was the right thing to do. Provide a NC
transportation pathway for its remote located citizens. Currituck
County will be formally requesting our Representatives do whatever
is necessary to remove the Knotts Island ferry from tolling
consideration in the upcoming summer session.
Again I ask you to STAND WITH US by either not
taking any action or if you do take an action voting NO on the
tolling resolution. If you have any questions, feel free to call
me at 252-429-3626 or © 757-619-2266. Thank you in advance
for your consideration.
O. Vance Aydlett Currituck County Commissioner