The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners has three of its five districts in play this year; however all county residents vote for all the districts. Three Democrats are hoping to win seats on what is currently an all-Republican Board in a very red county.
William Flythe is a retired chemist who worked for two decades at Pfizer / ADM before retiring to Brunswick County and teaching high school and college chemistry. After serving on the county’s planning board for one term, Flythe says he wants a seat on the commission because he witnessed a series of poor decisions made by the current board.
"First, they paid twice the tax value for a parcel of land in Holden Beach that would be used for a nature park -- $3.5 million vs. $1.7 million of tax value on the books. Secondly, they voted not once, but twice in support of a resolution for seismic testing and offshore drilling for oil and gas."
Flythe says he’s also concerned about the more than $10 million of delinquent tax payments on the books.
Fellow Democrat Wes Hickman says he’s also bothered by the Holden Beach land purchase and the offshore drilling support.
"Well, first I wouldn’t be passing worthless resolutions like the current commission did that supported offshore drilling. I wouldn’t be focusing on those kind of things. I would make the opposite statement and then let it go and move forward. Things I would like to see are development of offshore fishing reefs – things like that. We could possibly purchase old boats, old train cars and sink them off the coast to develop natural fishing areas."
Brenda Faye McMillian, the third Democrat seeking a seat on the county board, says her time working for the Department of Social Services gives her a clear focus on the needs of seniors and people who are disabled.
"I realized there was a disconnect in what was needed for seniors and disabled adults and what was actually available in Brunswick County."
Polls are open on Election Day from 6:30 AM until 7:30 PM.
