Neighbors meet to hear argument against incorporation of Hampstead

HAMPSTEAD, NC (WWAY) — It’s a push to make a Pender County community one of the largest new towns in the Cape Fear. Tuesday night neighbors gave push back against any conversation about incorporation.

We were here over a decade ago. Now its new faces and new issues, the biggest being growth in Hampstead. Incorporating would mean new services, but also new taxes and fees. That’s what led neighbors to meet Tuesday to hear an overwhelming argument against it.

“There’s no good benefits to incorporating,” said Stratton Lobdell speaking for the anti-incoporation group known as ‘Save Our Community‘.

‘Save Our Community’ is comprised of those against incorporation dating back to the 2007 debate.

“If we don’t take responsibility, have our own voice, take control of our own area, what kind of legacy are we going to leave our children,” said Suzann Rhodes who has worked to break down the logisitics of incorporation and why it is needed.

If you drive all along highway 17 in Pender County you will see them. There are shopping centers, vet clinics, dental offices, hardware stores and even the county-owned annex that all carry the name ‘Hampstead’. However, where the Hampstead name does not sit is on a town charter. A significant amount of neighbors hope that stays that way.

“We really need to make sure that everybody understands that this is a terrible idea,” said Lobdell.

However, there is a set of neighbors that do want to see incorporation happen. Rhodes speaks for them, she gathered homeowners associations and even a former state lawmaker for help and support to begin the process of informing the public about a proposal to become a town or city. According to county records, that could mean a new town of roughly 15,000 people. The largest in Pender County and Rhodes said potentially the 3rd largest in the Cape Fear region.

“We need people that are elected from Hampstead, that speak for Hampstead so that we have our own voice,” said Rhodes.

Rhodes said that ‘voice’ would come at a proposed cost of 20 cents for every 100 dollars in taxes that would generate over $4 million in revenues for Hampstead providing funding through 5 fiscal years.

However, taxation was among the leading issues that killed the idea 12 years ago and the leading concerns of current residents.

“We don’t need the taxes and we don’t need the regulations so much,” said neighbor Debra Scheiber. “We just need a voice so we can have a say in what goes on in this side of the county.”

“There are a lot of elderly folks that are on fixed incomes and a lot of people like me who moved here to get away from city taxes and to get away from cities,” said Lobdell.

What is different this time? The change in population is the clear sign of change. Rhodes said they need more planning officials and budgetary power for the somewhat 30 miles that could be incorporated. She said incorporation would add services like police, a planning department and public works.

Lobdell with ‘Save Our Community’ thinks a volunteer advisory committee is the real solution. He also disputes that public safety is an argument Rhodes and the pro-incorporation group can make.

“We’re going to take on all the additional costs of having a police department,” said Lobdell. “Having cruisers, having employees with pensions and everything else to get what? To get two dedicated police officers when we already have two dedicated Sheriff’s deputies on this side of the county.”

The anti-incorporation group’s key argument is that the incorporation would lead to double taxation. Rhodes argues the proposed tax is for longer term financial planning and is a fraction of the county’s.

“It’s not double taxation because we are not duplicating services, we are offering additional services,” says Rhodes simplifying to say it could come out to $265 per person for the local control of services.

In the end, the meetings only mean so much when the final decision has to come based on names on paper. Rhodes and her group need around 2000 signatures to send a request to Raleigh for an incorporation referendum vote. She has added the petition online, but it has to be filled out with handwritten signatures. So far, she says the petition has around 100 names, that is less than the number of neighbors that attended the anti-incorporation meeting.

‘Save Our Community’ has also circulated a petition, but Lobdell informs us it has no legal standing, but is mostly to serve as a symbol of opposition.

Another informational meeting regarding incorporation is set for April 23rd at the Hampstead United Methodist Church Youth Center from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.