- Nags Head Commissioner Anna Sadler received some special VIP treatment several weeks ago when the residents of her town paid her airfare back to the Outer Banks, from a vacation in Florida, in order to attend a council meeting and cast a vote on the beach nourishment issue.
 |
| Commissioner Anna Sadler |
Sadler told EOD that, after making reservations for her month long vacation, she had delayed her departure in February by several days in order to attend an earlier town meeting, an action that cost her several hundred dollars in rental fees. In addition, she said having to come back to Nags Head and return to Florida detracted from her vacation. Sadler's roundtrip ticket for the town meeting was booked on February 23rd.
Both Oakes and Sadler said that her attendance at the meeting was necessary because the council was voting on matters relating to the issuance of special obligation bonds for financing the town's beach nourishment project. EOD has received conflicting reports as to whether the North Carolina Local Government Commission would have actually required Sadler's vote at the meeting. The vote passed, 4-1, with Commissioner Wayne Gray voting "No".
EyeonDare welcomes any written confirmation the Town of Nags Head can provide that confirms Sadler's attendance, in person, was required for this meeting.
Meanwhile, EyeonDare asked Oakes, "Would the town have also paid $400 to fly Commissioner Gray to the same meeting, had he been out of town?" Oakes smiled.
38 comments:
I pay taxes in the Town of Nags Head and have to fly out of town at the end of April.
I would love to have a ride to the airport and back from Police Chief Brinkley.
Do I just get on the travel schedule or just make an appointment with the Chief?
Should I tip or are my taxes included in the tip?
More good money being thrown after bad. But it sure won't be the last of the taxpayer's money they waste on this project.
Hey, Nags Head voters, when are you going to grow a pair and start standing up for yourselves? What, you need a guy up in Southern Shores to watch your backs for you?
This ranks right up there with the double dipping by the Johnson twins on the county board. Arrogance in this group is just beyond me. They sure have no problems with spending my tax dollars do they?
Hey can I get a ride home from the Nags Head Police Chief if I am too drunk to drive?
@ NH Cab
In all fairness to Chief Brinkley, he was probably taking orders from his boss.
Quit giving Anna a hard time that is just how she rolls. She is high mainenance and deserves to be treated accordingly. She is a straight up "Old Nags Head Cove DIVA". I wonder if she rode in the front or back with Chief Brinkley.
ANON - 3:49pm....Are you saying our Chief of Police has a driver?
And then are you saying that it took two police officers to drive to Virginia and pick up a Commissioner?
Check on this EOD
So, do you think it is better to mess up a very tight timetable on a $36,000,000 project, or fork out $400 and a couple of hours of labor?
Not everyone would give up even a portion of their vacation to cast An important vote. Anna spent two days traveling, there was travel money budgeted and unspent, and it is not an unreasonable expense. Think for a minute about the time Commissioner Sadler has devoted to the public over the past 15 or 20 years in various capacities. While I don't always agree with Commissioner Sadler, I respect her record of public service, and appreciate her making a significant effort to be here for a critical step.
While we are always happy to have our Southern Shores neighbor's comments, Nags Head voters have always stood up for themselves, and they will have another chance this coming November
Mayor Oakes,
Eyeondare believes this is a news story of special interest given the most recent reader interest in the travel of all elected officials in the county. EOD has not passed judgment on Commissioner Sadler and appreciates her talking with him about her trip. However, in the interest of putting all the facts out to the public, EOD does believe that everyone is entitled to know if Sadler's appearance at the meeting was legally necessary. We await your reply.
Mayor Bob,
On a personal note. At least Nags Head didn't pay $500,000 for Sadler to have a "seat at the table" like Commissioner Judge did with his worthless and not necessary attorneys during the ORV debacle.
Anon 334 pm I may have to call bu!!s*it on "taking orders from his boss"
If a chief of police does not have the ....tools...to tell his boss that it is a horrible idea to drive 160 miles round trip to pick up an elected official for a controversial vote, then maybe he should not hold that position.
Of course, if a town manager can’t see how horrible of an idea it is, maybe he shouldn’t hold his position either.
The town already spent our money to get her to Virginia, spend a little more and send her a taxi.
Why did our police chief and possibly another have to leave the town for 4+ hours?
Mr. Mayor,
Nags Head voters did stand up for ourselves, but you and your posse knocked us down. We said no, and you said "so what?).
Ray, if it takes 4 votes to pass an ordinance about renting chairs and umbrellas on the beach, it makes sense for it to take 4 votes to borrow 18 million dollars.
I also have an email from our attorney that says we need 4 affirmative votes for both motions. Check with the Local Government Commission, see if they will verify that.
And Ray, how do you know if I'm smiling if we are on the phone? And explain to anon that this Board is definitely not my posse.
Come on Bob, I thought I did you a favor by descibing your reaction to the "Gray" question, as, with a 'smile'. If you want to repeat your comments here on line, have at it. ;)
Also, can you email me the email from your attorney? Thanks.
As to the posse statement...I agree, you do not control your board. They definitely have "minds" of their own. :)
a couple of thoughts....
(a) Mayor Oakes.......it is perfectly acceptable to this NH taxpayer if you do not spend every dime in a budget line item. You sound like someone in D.C. with that type of logic.
(b) Mayor, by you own words you admit to rigging the outcome of the vote. With Anna on vacation, you could still constitute a quorum to conduct business for the town. BUT, you chose to cavalierly spend extra taxpayer revenue to bring back a voter which would allow the outcome you wished to occur. Would you have paid for a "NO" vote to have returned.....I think not.
(c) Since we are all aware that you follow this blog, Mr. Mayor, I have to ask you this question. Every time the question of sand pumping has been put before the voters, and the one time it was put before the east side landowners, it was defeated. Given that history, how in the world are you and the rest of the pumping supporters able to convince yourselves that you are doing the will of the people you are supposed to represent?
if she was out of town then it should have been tabled till they had what they needed. this was not right to spend this money like this. ray i will make my annoucement in a week . will talk.
As a Nags Head voter and someone not for the sand tax I say it's more money washed out to sea just like the sand will be that is pumped onto the beach using the tax payers green backs! This is in no way me standing up for Ray Midgett either as the guy is a lunatic!
It just seems unethical, weird, shady, improper etc... to have a Police Chief pick up a board member from another state!
I would think that it would be more important for him/her to attend to POLICE business in this state/town.
If in fact she needed to be picked up, maybe HER BOSS, Bob O should have picked her up.
Bob, you sent a department head and a town manager to another state to pick someone up that benefited your agenda....What were you thinking?
Respond to these and the rest of the questions Bob!
"Lunatic" huh?
You're talking to a duck with oily feathers, my friend. :) :)
Wow! I did not know commissioners had to be extradited to attend meetings. Post the mug shot.
Southcreek,
There was no rigging or change in the vote. The same conclusion was reached, only it was reached 4-1 instead of 3-1. Commissioner Sadler's presence, and her vote, simply made the timetable faster, and the time saved was worth every penny. Not to mention the importance of having every board member present for a huge decision for the Town.
You are incorrect in your statement that the one time it was put before the east side voters, it failed. It passed on the Oceanside. That is the only time it has been put to the voters. We have elections every two years. I was clear about my goals in my campaign. You want a different approach, elect a different board.
Next Mayor, I try to answer questions the best I can, but you have to ask one-"what was I thinking" sounds like a rhetorical question. I am not the boss of any Board member. The benefit was to the Town, not "my agenda".
Ray, oily feathers are a real asset, along with the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Did Anna get a meal allowence while she was here?
Did we put her up in a hotel?
I would not be shocked if they did!
This would have been a much less bitter pill for NH residents that voted against beach nourishment to swallow if a "volunteer" who could appreciate the importance of Ms. Sadler's attendance had stepped up and paid her expenses.
How many public officials do you know that would take time out of their vacation to cast a vote that the majority didn't agree with?
And, Mr. Mayor, please, do not further insult us yet again by saying y'all were doing what was best for the town, and the simple uneducated residents just don't know what's best for them anymore.
Bob, when you are telling SouthCreek about the vote "passing" on the oceanside..why didn't you tell him that less than 125 people (and fewer properties) were counted on that vote and the difference was less than five votes. Doesn't sound like a townwide mandate to me...
This would have been a much less bitter pill for NH residents who voted against beach nourishment to swallow if a volunteer/friend of beach nourishment who could appreciate the importance of Ms. Sadler's attendance had stepped up and paid for her travel, or if she'd paid her own way since it was that important to her.
How many public officials do you know that would give up 2 days of their month-long vacation to cast a vote that the majority didn't agree with?
And, Mr. Mayor, please, do not further insult us yet again by saying y'all were doing what was best for this town, and the simple uneducated residents just don't know what's best for us anymore.
Truly disappointed.
OK, y'all. Bob has his mind made up, and, damn anything or anyone who tries to get in the way. just do as he says at election time, and vote him out.
ENOUGH
WE NEED FEDERAL AUDIT/INVESTIGATION OF THIS PLACE AND THE NONSENSE WE AS TAXPAYERS MUST ENDURE FROM THESE CROOKS
So if $400 was such a small price to pay, why the H could you not also fork out another $200-$300 for a RENTAL CAR for her to DRIVE HERSELF here from, and back to, the airport???
Please.
I am still curious if our Police Chief has a driver.
EOD, can you find out how many police officers it took to drive to Virginia and pick up a board member?
Mr. Mayor, you run the meetings so that does in fact make you the boss! Enjoy that title for you will not have it much longer!
ok Bob, you said to ask a question so here it is.
1. Anna is YOUR board member, why didn't you pick her up?
2. Do you think it was a smart idea to take a police officer and possibly two off the street for 4.5to 5 hours to pick up one of YOUR board members?
3. Do you believe it was a smart idea to take our Town Manager out of his office for 4.5 to 5 hours to pick up your board member?
4. Why didn't you pay for a taxi or limo to pick her up?
5. How many police officers left our town to pick up YOUR board member?
She be FORCED to resign now.
Interesting questions. I like the technique of putting your assumption first, then asking your question based on your assumption.
Unfortunately, your assumption that the mayor can dictate to another board member is incorrect. Commissioner Sadler was elected by the people of Nags Head, I think last year was the third time. She was returning for town business, and it was appropriate to use town resources to transport her. Both the police chief (no, he doesn't have a driver) and the town manager are salaried employees. They both worked more than 40 hours that week, so we didn't pay them extra that week. Although I have not asked specifically, what usually happens is you talk about town stuff for most of the ride anyway.
A taxi or a limo would have cost more. Gas for two trips was a lot less expensive than a taxi. The labor was already paid for. There is some minimal wear and tear on the vehicles.
Oh, no meal allowance or hotel, although i'm sure she ate something at sometime. Just getting up early to drive to the airport, going to the meeting, then getting up early to travel all day to get back to her husband.
So no police were off the street, we didn't pay anyone any extra. The town paid for a plane ticket and some gas. Now Ray, were you satisfied with the statutes about Anna's presence, the fourth affirmative vote, being necessary to stay on the tight timetable? And can you see how missing the early April Local Government Commission meeting could cost the town much more than $400?
There are bigger questions than these. Our first budget workshop is Tuesday afternoon. That would be a good start to better questions. You want every dollar to be spent effectively, especially when you look at the change in property valuations and the coming revaluation.
Thank you for responding BOB but I have to comment when you say that " no police were taken off the street" IS ABSOLUTE BULLSH!T because our POLICE CHIEF was out of the state picking up one of your employees to bring back to a meeting that fit your agenda!!!
Your argument that a taxi would have cost too much is harrilous when more when 99% Of Town does not want beach nourishment and you did not listen to us.
You asked me to ask you questions so here they are ONCE AGAIN!!!
1. Anna is YOUR board member, why didn't you pick her up?
2. Do you think it was a smart idea to take a police officer and possibly two off the street for 4.5to 5 hours to pick up one of YOUR board members?
3. Do you believe it was a smart idea to take our Town Manager out of his office for 4.5 to 5 hours to pick up your board member?
4. Why didn't you pay for a taxi or limo to pick her up?
Bob,
I am a little confused as to why you say "no police were off the street" when we all know that the police chief was out of the state taking care of your business.
Do you not think it is important for a police chief to be available to the public? Do you not think it is important to have the city manager available to the public.
This was your business and you should not have had city employees out running your errands
I don't know who you are, but if you think the police chief is on the street at all times, you are wrong.
If 99% of the voters don't want beach nourishment, they should elect different people. I answered your questions, but you don't seem to like the answers. I encourage you to come out at filing time for the two seats that will be open on the Nags Head board. The voters in town should have a choice.
Bob,
I think it quite presumptous of you and others on your board to assume that since you got elected or re-elected that everyone who voted for you is in favor of anything you do regarding beach nourishment. You have whipped that horse long enough, don't you think?
@ Bob O.
I think people are aware that the chief of police is not actually on the street but that is not the point. I think our chief and town manager hold positions in this town that are a little too important for you to be sending them out of the state to perform favors for you.
Next time, get her yourself!!
If the NH BOC wasn't going to listen to the voters of Nags Head, why did We go through this expensive and elaborate charade anyhow?
You four (Doug,Renee,Anna,Bob) have got a lot of nerve. I hope you all know something that a lot of other smart people don't know about sand and tides. If you screw up Nags Head Beaches, your collective name is going to be MUD!
Post a Comment