UPDATE: Bad News in the Ferry Tax Fight, But the Fight's Not Over Yet
UPDATE: In the days since the press release below was issued, local reporter Connie Leinbach has followed up on the story and learned that the fight is still on. You can read her article here.
McClees Consulting reported today that the N.C. Attorney General sided with the legislature on the Ferry Tax issue during his report to the N.C. Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee. The Chief Deputy Attorney General wrote the following:
"It is, therefore, our opinion that a direct conflict between a law enacted by the General Assembly and an Executive Order issued by the Governor must be resolved through implementation of the law."
Now, ferry riders must prepare to pay the increased tolls, which will cost a family $104 for a round-trip ticket on the Swan Quarter ferry. In Pamlico and Beaufort County, commuters are facing a tax of $100 per week just to get to work.
"It isn't good," said Hyde county Manager Mazie Smith. With the tolls initially set to increase April 1, she worried the costs could soon become a reality and advised Hyde department heads to budget accordingly.
The county manager also pointed out residents on Hyde mainland who don't even ride the ferry will still have to pay the price for the Ferry Tax. Smith estimated the Ferry Tax till cost the County of Hyde an extra $60,000 in travel costs for government business. These extra costs will have a direct threat on county jobs, programs and services.
Get ready to march in Raleigh! We invite you to stand with us in Raleigh on the opening day of the Legislature on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
Please make plans to speak out against this unfair tax. Contact Megan Shaw, transportation coordinator in Hyde for the Ferry Tax rally, at (252) 926-4373 or 542-0842.
Log on to www.hydecountync.gov for more information on the county's efforts on fighting the Ferry Tax, including how to order t-shirts and download printable flyers.
More information will be coming soon. Stay tuned.
