To decide how to vote on three proposed amendments to the N.C. State Constitution that appear on the back of the Nov. 3 ballot (see above), a voter needs to do some research.

Knowing how unlikely it is that voters will do that—even those who enjoy doing research—The Beacon has done it for you.

Before we run through the origin, intent, effect, and arguments, pro and con, of the three proposed amendments, we will first remind you that early voting starts tomorrow (See The Beacon, 10/9/26 for polling places and times of operation) and answer a basic question:

How does a N.C. State Constitutional amendment get on the ballot?

The answer is that a 60 percent vote (3/5) of the entire N.C. General Assembly, taken during one legislative session, is required. That computes to 72 votes in the 120-member N.C. House of Representatives and 30 votes in the 50-member N.C. State Senate, assuming there are no vacancies.

Amendments do not require the Governor’s signature to be referred to the ballot. They originate like all State legislation does, as either a Senate bill or a House bill.

We will address each proposed amendment in the order in which they appear on the Referenda section of your ballot. In each case, you vote “For” or “Against.”

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

1. “Constitutional amendment to require all voters, not just those presenting to vote in person, to present photo identification before voting.”

This amendment to Section 3 of Article VI of the N.C. State Constitution was Senate Bill 921.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, as you may recall, N.C. voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring all in-person voters to present a photo ID. All Republican legislators voted in favor of this amendment, and all Democratic legislators voted against it. Voters approved it, 55.49 percent to 44.51 percent.

Litigation contesting the constitutionality of the amendment delayed its implementation. It was only after a newly elected Republican-majority N.C. Supreme Court revisited in 2023 its previous decision in Holmes v. Moore in 2022 to strike down the amendment as unconstitutional that the photo-ID requirement became enforceable.

We believe the legal history of the 2018 constitutional amendment is as confusing as the photo-ID requirement itself.   

If an in-person voter does not have a valid form of photo ID, that person can still vote a   provisional ballot and complete an ID Exception Form, which lists “reasonable impediments” to showing an ID, one of which he or she must choose. We will not belabor these impediments. (See N.C. State Board of Elections at https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id or the Dare County Board of Elections at https://www.darenc.gov/departments/elections/election-information.)

In 2024, the State legislature extended the photo ID requirement to voters using mail-in absentee ballots. N.C. law now requires mail-in voters to include a photocopy of an acceptable ID with their ballot or to complete and send in an ID “exception form,” offering the same choices of “impediments” as in-person voters have.  

N.C. law also allows mail-in voters who are unable to attach an ID photocopy to provide their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number as a substitute.

HOW WOULD APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT CHANGE CURRENT LAW?

In short, it would not. What it would do, however, is codify the existing mail-in rule in the N.C. State Constitution, rather than leaving it as a matter of State statute.

Constitutional amendments can only be changed by future constitutional amendments, not by ordinary legislation, hence they should not be approved lightly.

VIEWPOINTS

Katelin Kaiser, policy director of Democracy North Carolina considers this amendment “another attempt to disenfranchise voters by mail  . . .. Legislative leadership has made it more difficult for students, older people, and people who are disabled to vote by mail in North Carolina.”

But N.C. Senator Warren Daniel (R-46) counters: “Voter ID is a commonsense measure that needs to apply equally to all voters. . . . We shouldn’t treat one form of voting differently, and our constitution should reflect that.”

The Beacon’s view is that the N.C. State Constitution should never have been amended for something that can be, and is, manageable by State statute. We should not hamstring future State legislatures by extending the constitutional restriction.

• “Constitutional amendment to keep the State income tax rate from being raised higher than three and one-half percent (3.5%).”

This amendment to Section 2 of Article V of the N.C. State Constitution was Senate Bill 1080.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, N.C. voters approved a constitutional amendment that lowered the maximum allowable state income tax rate from 10 percent to 7 percent. It was approved by a margin of 57.35 percent to 42.65 percent.

Now Republicans in the legislature seek to reduce the maximum tax rate by 50 percent and to codify that extreme reduction in the N.C. State Constitution.

All Republicans in the General Assembly approved Senate Bill 1080, and all Democrats opposed it, except one, who did not vote.

The North Carolina personal income tax rate has been gradually declining since 2023, pursuant to enactment on Oct. 3, 2023, of House Bill 259, which reduced the tax rate from 4.76 percent in 2023 to 3.99 percent in 2026.

North Carolina currently has a flat personal income tax rate of 3.99 percent, which, conceivably, would go even lower in the ensuing years.

Starting in 2027 and continuing through 2034, if general revenue fund rates are met, the tax rate will be lowered to the greater of 1) the prior year’s tax rate decreased by one-half percentage point or 2) 2.49 percent. (See “Part XLII, Finance”; subsection “Personal Income Tax Rate Reductions,” in Session Law 2023-134, H.B. 259, at https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2023-2024/SL2023-134.html.)

Why, you might ask, are Republicans seeking to undermine the flat-tax system that they set up in the State budget bill just three years ago?  

We will let Governor Josh Stein (D) answer that question first:

VIEWPOINTS

The amendment, Governor Stein says, is “a con, a cynical shell game and a millionaire protection cap. It will not put any more money in anyone’s pockets. But what it will do is make regular people pay the consequences of it next year and years into the future because it will insulate the very wealthy from ever having an increase in their income tax.

“We have to have a balanced budget every year when revenues are needed. You know who’s going to have to pay? It’s you. Regular people every time they go buy something through the sales tax.”

There is no maximum allowable sales tax rate codified in the N.C. State Constitution. If income-tax revenues fall short, isn’t it likely that sales taxes will have to increase?

Says State Senator Michael Lee (R-7): “Our tax reforms have produced more than a decade of strong revenue growth while letting people keep more of what they earn, and this amendment locks in that progress. . . . [This is] a chance to put a real, lasting protection in the constitution for every taxpayer in the state.”

It seems to The Beacon that the legislature has already done that for the next eight years, and there is no compelling reason to alter the State Constitution now.

As of mid-2026, seven states had enacted income-tax surcharges or special top tax brackets that apply only to high-income taxpayers, typically those who earn at least $1 million annually. They are California, New Jersey, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island.

Washington voters will vote Nov. 3 on whether to repeal that state’s “Millionaire Tax,” which is designed to take effect Jan. 1, 2028. The new law imposes a tax of 9.9 percent on households earning more than $1 million.

• “Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local government.”

This amendment to Section 2 of Article V of the N.C. State Constitution was House Bill 1089.

BACKGROUND: The votes in both chambers of the General Assembly were “nearly party-line,” writes the N.C. League of Municipalities in its May 22, 2026 Legislative Bulletin.

All Republicans, and two delegates who switched their party affiliation from Democrat to Unaffiliated, voted in favor of the amendment, according to the League of Municipalities, and all Democrats, except one who was absent, voted against it.

In the Senate, Democrat Dan Blue (Wake) joined Republicans in approving the amendment, and three other Democrats were absent for the vote.   

The primary sponsors of H.B. 1089 were Republicans from Cabarrus and Catawba counties, which are in the Charlotte area; Davie County, which is near Winston-Salem; and Wake County (Raleigh).

WHAT DOES THE AMENDMENT ACTUALLY SAY? VIEWPOINTS?

The proposed constitutional amendment adds the following sentence to subsection 5 of Article V, Section 2:

“The General Assembly shall enact general laws limiting the amount by which the levy of taxes on property may increase, which may include exceptions.”

If voters approve the amendment, the General Assembly would have to pass laws limiting the maximum amount property taxes may increase. The means by which it would do that are not set forth in the amendment, and there is no explanation of what is meant by “exceptions.”

According to the Carolina Journal, online May 1, 2026, “Supporters say the amendment is needed to rein in rapid growth in property tax collections over the past few years. They argue a cap would provide predictability for homeowners and businesses while forcing local governments to better control spending.

“Critics,” the article by Andrew Pomeranz continues, “have raised concerns that a state-imposed cap could constrain counties’ and municipalities’ ability to fund essential services, including public schools, emergency response, and infrastructure. They also argue the amendment would shift power away from locally elected officials and toward the General Assembly.”

With this amendment, the State legislature is clearly intruding into an area of government that has always been the province of municipal authority. It is seeking to usurp local control.  

We also think it’s obvious that what’s good for Raleigh may not be good for Southern Shores or for Fayetteville or for Asheville or for any other municipality in our large, diverse state, just as it’s obvious that rural areas have different needs than urban areas.  

If taxpayers want to influence the property tax rates in their municipalities, they need to elect local officials who will do their bidding and vote out those who don’t.

JUST A WORD ABOUT THE PROPOSED COUNTY SALES TAX INCREASE:

We don’t think you need to do much research to figure out whether you support a quarter-cent increase in the county sales tax. We would just mention that in the public forums he has held recently to bring the issue to the people, Dare County Manager/Attorney Bobby Outten has said that the sales-tax increase would likely generate $6 million more in revenue, which would enable the County to borrow $57 million to renovate and expand Parks & Recreation facilities.

See “At community sales tax meeting, pickleball takes center stage,” The Outer Banks Voice, Oct. 8, 2026.   

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, 10/14/26

Early voting for the Nov. 3^rd general election starts Thursday., Oct. 15, and continues until Saturday, Oct. 31. You may vote at either of these two polling places:

• Kill Devil Hills Town Hall, 102 Town Hall Drive in KDH
• Dare County Administration Bldg., 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, in Manteo

Be sure to bring a photo ID.

Voting hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. There are no weekend hours during the early-voting period, but the polls will be open on Sat., Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about early voting, including same-day voter registration, see https://www.darenc.gov/departments/elections/voting.

BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES’ FORUM OCT. 14, 7 p.m.

The Dare County League of Women Voters (LWV) will hold a forum Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Manteo for the candidates running in contested elections for seats on the Dare County Board of Education.

The forum will be held in the Dare Board of Commissioners’ Meeting Room, starting at 7 p.m. You may email questions for the candidates through Sunday to lwvdareforums@gmail.com. The LWV asks that you include your name and town of residence with your email. Questions will also be collected from the audience during the forums.  

Republican Rich Shope and Write-in Candidate Mary Robinson are vying for the District 3 seat, which represents Kitty Hawk and Southern Shores on the seven-member Board.

Democrat Kelleta Govan and Republican Stephen Nichols are running for an open District 1 seat, one of two that represents the mainland and Roanoke Island on the Board.

Board of Education members serve four-year terms.

The District 3 election was an uncontested one until Ms. Robinson was officially certified in July by the Dare County Board of Elections as a write-in candidate.

Ms. Robinson initially sought to have her name placed on the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate and submitted nearly 1400 petition signatures from Dare County voters in support of her candidacy, according to her campaign.

N.C. election law requires unaffiliated candidates to collect 4 percent of registered voters’ signatures in order to qualify for placement on the ballot. Because more than 100 signatures that Ms. Robinson submitted were deemed to be invalid, for reasons such as duplicate signatures and lapsed voter registration, she fell 32 signatures short of what was required.

No other Dare LWV forums are being held this election cycle because Republican candidates in contested local races did not make themselves available, or, as the League announced: There were “insufficient acceptances of our invitations.”

The League had hoped to have Republican incumbent Ervin Bateman and Democrat Aida Havel, who are running for Dare County commissioner, at large, and the candidates for the N.C. House of Representatives and the N.C. State Senate, District 1, participate in its traditional forums.

Republican Edward C. Goodwin is running against Democrat Miriam Rollin for the House seat, and Democrat Melissa Zehner is facing off against Republican Jerry Tillett for the Senate seat.

See the sample ballot, above, and on the Dare County Board of Elections website for the names of all candidates:

https://www.darenc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/17747/639226596245730000.

Be sure to turn your ballot over to see the referenda on the reverse that you are being asked to vote either “for” or “against.”

The N.C. General Assembly has proposed three amendments to the N.C. State Constitution, and Dare County has proposed an increase of 0.25 percent in the county sales and use tax, from the current 6.75 percent to 7.0 percent.

We will publish a post next week about the proposed constitutional amendments, which are being advocated by Republicans and opposed by Democrats.

PARADE OF HOMES, OCT. 8-10: We are in the middle of the 2026 Parade of Homes, sponsored by the Outer Banks Home Builders Assn. This year’s parade features 18 properties, 15 of which are residential, including two in Southern Shores: new houses at 35 Ocean View Loop and 109 High Dune Loop.

The properties will be open for viewing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and tomorrow. Event tickets cost $20. For all Parade info, see https://www.obhomebuilders.org/2026-parade-of-homes/.

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, 10/9/26

The Southern Shores Town Council apparently will approve a beach nourishment project for next year when it approves its consent agenda at its 10 a.m. meeting tomorrow at the Pitts Center.

See meeting agenda here: https://www.southernshores-nc.gov/media/14276.

See meeting packet here: https://www.southernshores-nc.gov/media/14281.

Contrary to what residents may have been led to believe by Town Council members’ comments at meetings this year, the Council will neither publicly discuss the need for beach re-nourishment in Southern Shores nor vote on the town’s inclusion in the 2027 project with Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Duck. It’s already a done deal.

(We know The Voice has already treated it that way, but the Town Council had not yet spoken definitively in an open meeting.)

Beach nourishment is the top prioritized project of the Town’s “resiliency” strategy plan, a draft report of which is in the Council’s consent agenda. According to that draft, the Town will nourish the entire Southern Shores oceanfront, regardless of need, every five to seven years at an estimated cost of $6.8 million. (See p. 47 of the meeting packet.)

That Coastal Protection Engineering of North Carolina (CPE), which has a considerable financial interest in all beach nourishment projects on the Outer Banks, facilitated the process by which the Town identified its coastal hazards and vulnerabilities; developed the prioritized strategies and projects; and prepared the draft report, does not seem to have raised any concerns in Town Hall of undue influence.  

Also within the consent agenda is the Town Council’s authorization for the creation/hiring of another full-time police officer position, which would bring the number of full-time police officers to 15.

According to an agenda statement by Town Manager Cliff Ogburn, he will present a budget amendment to the Town Council at a future meeting with the actual cost of hiring a 15^th officer.

Items in the Council’s consent agenda are usually perfunctorily approved, suggesting they have already been vetted beforehand.

Tomorrow’s Town Council meeting also will feature several special presentations, including a life saving award to Police Officer Tracy Mann and the annual audit report by the Town’s independent auditor.

Mr. Ogburn will present his quarterly financial report during his regular staff report.

The Town Council further will vote on adopting a joint resolution with the Town of Duck and Currituck County to support an application to the N.C. Dept. of Transportation to designate N.C. Hwy. 12 in the three jurisdictions as a North Carolina Scenic Byway. (See pp. 56-60 in the meeting packet.)

THE TOWN’S RESILIENCY STRATEGY AND PROJECT PLANNING

The draft report of the Town’s “resiliency” strategy plan is a culmination of Phases 1 and 2 of the N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP), which is administered by the N.C. Division of Coastal Management within the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality. The RCCP is funded by the N.C. General Assembly and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, according to online State of North Carolina sources.

Key RCCP partners include the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency, the Nature Conservancy, and N.C. Sea Grant. We do not know why CPE played such a prominent role in Southern Shores’ RCCP planning and project prioritization. (Another facilitator apparently was Inspire Placemaking Collective of Durham.)  

In Phases 1 and 2, coastal municipalities identify their primary coastal hazards and vulnerabilities, set resilience goals, and develop “shovel-ready” projects for engineering, design, and funding support in Phases 3 and 4. Towns may apply during the later phases for RCCP grants through the State.

According to the draft report, the first meeting of the Southern Shores’ Community Action Team (CAT) that served as the local advisory group for the RCCP process occurred on Dec. 9, 2025. The CAT subsequently held 10 meetings, the last of which occurred Sept. 11.

Two public “outreach” events took place on Earth Day, April 18, at the North Marina, and Aug. 7, outside the Pitts Center. (See p. 13 of the packet.)

While we participated in an online community outreach survey, which reportedly garnered only 105-06 responses, and completed an online survey for ranking the prioritization of proposed projects, we never saw any notices about the CAT’s meetings, nor did we see the names of the CAT members published on the Town website or elsewhere.

And we look for such notification.

According to the draft report, 84 project prioritization surveys were “filled out by stakeholders,” but the report does not define what constitutes a stakeholder. (p. 43)

We bring up these points because we believe this resiliency plan was developed largely outside of public view and without public knowledge—despite the two outreach events, neither of which was held in a conventional meeting space.

It also took shape outside of the view and knowledge of most of the Town Council members, who were given a Zoom presentation of the process and results by CPE’s Joel R. Kubick, who was the Town’s RCCP project manager, and Ken Willson, the Town’s beach-nourishment project manager, on Sept. 1, a presentation/workshop that we attended as the only member of the audience. No one from the Division of Coastal Management participated in this presentation.

We would be very surprised if we met anyone in Southern Shores outside of the CAT, the Town Council, and some well-informed volunteers, who was familiar with the RCCP Phase 1-2 process and the projects enumerated in the draft report.

For the record, we now know from the report that Mayor Elizabeth Morey, Planning Board Member Robert McClendon, and residents Nancy Sheehan, Richard Filling, and Lori Trawinski, who served as chairperson, comprised the Community Action Team, but we do not know how or why they were selected. We can conjecture, but we shouldn’t have to.

We also do not know how many Southern Shores residents, in total, actually participated in the surveys. Public input was hardly “considerable,” as the draft report purports on p. 11 of the packet.

According to the draft report, unspecified decision-makers—the CAT, Town staff, CPE, and/or others?—considered the Town’s past studies on hazard mitigation, land use, emergency management, stormwater, drainage, and climate resilience in drawing conclusions about the Town’s vulnerabilities and “candidate” projects.

The final prioritized projects listed in the draft report are:

1. Oceanside Beach/Dune Nourishment Program
2. N.C. 12 [Stormwater] Study Update and Side Street Stormwater Diversion Program
3. N.C. 12 Stormwater Management at Southern Shores Realty (this is the first time we have seen this priority defined by location; the public did not have the opportunity to rank this project)
4. Neighborhood Stormwater Management Study
5. Oceanside Beach Monitoring Program (administered annually by CPE)
6. Evaluation of the Adaptability of Critical Facilities
7. Evaluation of the Burying of Overhead Utilities Along the Coast
8. Update of Development Policies and Regulations
9. Coastal Resiliency Community Engagement, Education, and Outreach

(See p. 44 of the meeting packet.)  

(Ironically, a photograph in the draft report depicting “representative flooding conditions in Southern Shores,” on p. 11 of the packet, shows a flooded section of Ocean Boulevard on Sept. 17, 2024, after a major unnamed storm unleashed tropical-storm-force winds and historic rainfall. Twenty inches of rain fell in 12 hours then in what was called a 1,000-year rainfall event. Flooding on Duck Road and on the soundside is more typical for Southern Shores after a heavy rainfall.)

According to the Town Manager’s agenda item summary, adoption of these nine projects as the Town’s resiliency strategy “does not authorize construction, appropriate funding, or approve final engineering for the individual projects. Those actions would return to Town Council as appropriate during future planning, budgeting, and project-development processes.”

But you can count on beach nourishment next year.

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, 10/5

Food for Thought is celebrating 20 years of serving Dare County children’s nutritional needs with an anniversary fund-raising gala Sunday, Oct. 18, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Duck Woods Country Club in Southern Shores.

Guests will enjoy a dinner prepared by Duck Woods Executive Chef Dan Lewis (formerly of Coastal Provisions); a silent and live auction of donated art, gift certificates from local shops and restaurants, and unique local experiences; and an evening of music with a live DJ.

Food for Thought came together 20 years ago behind the concept that if children are hungry, their ability to think, learn, and develop will be impeded. Hunger will threaten their growth and academic progress.

To enable children to nourish their minds, co-founder Helen Ford of Southern Shores sought to feed them on weekends when free public-school breakfasts and lunches were not available. She wanted to fill the nutrition gap.

Ms. Ford’s mission grew from a pilot program that served weekend meal bags in February 2006 to 54 children at Manteo Elementary School whose families were income-eligible, into a non-profit organization that serves weekend and holiday breakfasts, lunches, and snacks to all eligible Dare County elementary and middle school students and snacks to high school students.

From the basic idea of nourish bodies, nourish minds, Food for Thought was born.

Ed Hazlett (ret. USAF) co-founded the non-profit with Ms. Ford. The organization now serves roughly 700 to 800 students each week, and about 300 volunteers pack and deliver the food bags to schools.

Food for Thought also provides grocery gift cards for families in need, distributes hygiene products, and supplies clothing and shoes, according to the organization.

Administered exclusively by volunteers, the non-profit is supported by many local sponsors who have donated funding, essential products, clothing, hands-on help, and time to this unique community outreach program. To learn about the organization’s community partners, see:

https://www.foodforthoughtobx.org/community-partners/ (You may make a donation on this page.)

A ticket to the 20^th anniversary gala costs $100. “Sponsorship” dinner tables may be purchased for $1,000 (four guests), $1500 (six guests), or $2,000 (a premier table for eight). You may buy your tickets at:

https://foodforthoughtobx.betterworld.org/events/food-thought-20-year-anniversary#tickets-form.

There will be ample opportunity for anniversary celebration guests to mingle with volunteers, donors, sponsors, and others associated with Food for Thought. The event is designed to raise funds and support for children experiencing hardship in Dare County.

Among the items that will be auctioned are:

• 40 pieces of art from local artists (including a Marcia Cline)
• A golf round for four, including carts, at Duck Wood Country Club
• A wine tasting with charcuterie board for 12 people at Trio Restaurant & Market in Kitty Hawk
• A Breezy Bar experience for 20 people featuring a Charcuterie & Vintage Mobile Bar
• Gift certificates from Allie June boutique in Duck; N.C. Coast/Red Sky restaurants in Duck; Black Pelican restaurant in Kitty Hawk; Ella’s Olive in Duck; Olives A Greek Kitchen in Manteo; Rock-a-Bye Baby OBX in Nags Head, and more.

“Whether you attend the celebration, become a sponsor, or make a tax-deductible donation,” said Bobbie Murray, president of Food for Thought, “your support provides nutritious meals, essential items, and hope for children who need it most.

“Every gift, regardless of size, makes a meaningful difference.”

Duck Woods Country Club is located at 50 South Dogwood Trail in Southern Shores. There is ample parking.

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, 9/30/26

The fall bulk-waste collection in Southern Shores will be Friday, Oct. 16. The Town asks that you not put any items at the roadside for pickup until Friday, Oct. 9.

For all of the details about the collection, including the list of approved items, see:

https://www.southernshores-nc.gov/community/page/bulk-waste-collection-semi-annual

The unacceptable items most commonly placed at the roadside include lumber, building supplies, windows, screens, doors, carpets, and rugs.

THE SOUTHERN SHORES BEACON, 9/21/26  

Tomorrow’s Southern Shores block party at the Hillcrest Beach Access will be BYOB, according to a membership email sent out by the Southern Shores Civic Assn. this morning.

Beer and wine will not be sold at the block party, but non-alcoholic drinks will be available, including coffees and craft sodas, the SSCA said.

If you BYOB in a glass bottle, please remember that glass is not permitted on the beach.

The SSCA also announced the schedule of events for the party, as follows:

3 to 7 p.m.:             Food trucks and craft vendors in the parking lot

3 to 6:30 p.m.:        Live music from the beach deck with Southern Shores’ own Maslin Seal and Chris Toolan

3:30 to 5:30 p.m.:   Cornhole tournament on the beach

4 to 5 p.m.:             Pie-tasting competition in the gazebo

5:30 p.m.:               Cornhole and pie-contest awards ceremony in the gazebo

The Southern Shores Fire Dept. will have a fire truck there for people to explore, and firefighters will be available to talk with residents and property owners. Members of the Southern Shores Police and the SSCA and representatives of the Town also will attend to chat and share useful information.

Food and drink will be provided by:

• Ten O’Six, serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and sides
• A Greek Thing, serving Greek cuisine
• The Local Buzz, serving iced coffee, cold energy drinks, tea, and craft sodas from a pink camper

You may still sign up for the cornhole tournament, which has proved very popular, and the pie bakeoff at:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4CA8AD23A0FFC70-65375323-southern/194115372#/

You also may play volleyball just for fun. You’ll find the signup for volleyball via the same link.

*CHAIRS AND PARKING

A limited number of beach chairs, courtesy of Just For The Beach rentals, will be available for use, according to the SSCA, but it encourages you to bring your own chair if you can.

There will be designated bicycle and handicapped parking at the Hillcrest Beach Access, but no other vehicular parking. You may park on side streets near Hillcrest Beach, but not on Duck Road. The SSCA encourages people to walk, bike, or carpool.

The SSCA also is debuting its new Sand Toy Box, which, like a Little Free Library, is a box for donated beach toys. You may donate sand toys at the block party or drop them off later at the Hillcrest Beach Access.

Have fun!

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, 9/19/26

The Town and the SSCA need volunteers to organize the cornhole tournament, volleyball games, and pie baking contest, and to manage parking and assist craft vendors with setup, at the Sept. 20 block party, according to emails sent out by the Civic Association today.

The SSCA is also recruiting participants for the cornhole tournament (which already has a number of entrants), volleyball games, and pie contest.

Volunteers and game or contest participants may sign up at:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4CA8AD23A0FFC70-65375323-southern/194115372#

The SSCA also announced today that two food trucks will be on site at the party, one from Ten O’Six and the other from Stag’s Greek Food. Ten O’Six is dispatching its grilled cheese truck, which will have a variety of cheese sandwiches, as well as salads and soup, and Stag’s will offer beef hotdogs, gyros, spanakopitas, and various sides.

A beverage and ice cream truck will handle those refreshments–with no word yet on what beverages will be available.

This event is the first-ever block party held in celebration of Southern Shores.

THE SOUTHERN SHORES BEACON, 9/7/26

Homeowner Joel Newton received recognition Tuesday from the Town of Southern Shores for his longtime service as the go-to volunteer repairman for residents’ damaged trash and recycling receptacles.  

Mayor Elizabeth Morey presented him with a Volunteer Appreciation Award during the Town Council’s meeting, thanking him for his generosity, ingenuity, dedication, and time.

“Thank you for keeping the town rolling,” she said  

Mr. Newton, who is well-known for his years of work in maintaining the Southern Shores beach crossovers, has repaired nearly 300 trash and recycling receptacles for residents by replacing or salvaging wheels, axles, lids, and other parts.

Residents pay for parts, but not for Mr. Newton’s service, which he said Tuesday is still not known to most people in town, despite its advertisement in the Town newsletter.

Since 2022, according to Town Manager Cliff Ogburn, Mr. Newton, an engineer and master carpenter, has partnered with the Town, which now supplies him with parts.  

That year, as Mr. Ogburn explained Tuesday, the Town Council strengthened the Town ordinances pertaining to solid waste (Town Code chapter 26) by requiring “residential receptacles” for trash and recycling to have “fully functional” lids and wheels. (See Code sec. 26-5(f)-(g).)

The Town started citing residents whose receptacles failed these requirements with violations that also advised them how to obtain repairs through Mr. Newton.

(The cost of a new receptacle from Bay Disposal is $90.)

According to the Town website, anyone seeking Mr. Newton’s services may text him at (804) 892-3378. For more information about the repair program, see https://www.southernshores-nc.gov/community/page/trash-and-recycling.  

Mr. Newton’s hands-on skill in repair and maintenance of the receptacles has “helped residents save money, reduced waste, and kept usable cans in service,” the Town said in a statement.

Mr. Newton also has been instrumental in the repair, maintenance, restoration, and improvement of the Southern Shores Civic Assn.’s 33 beach crossovers. 

A former longtime member of the SSCA’s Board of Directors, overseeing properties, Mr. Newton has been hands-on in crossover maintenance (e.g., clearing piles of sand after a nor’easter), repair (banging nails with other volunteers), and construction (coordinating and helping to build new ramps, walkways, and decks).

The cap that Mr. Newton, who served in the U.S. Air Force, wore Tuesday seemed to sum up his attitude toward life: “Never idle.”

Thank you, Joel Newton, for all that you do for our community.

LAST FRIDAY PICKUP: And speaking of trash receptacles, tomorrow is the last Friday trash pickup of the season. The Monday-only schedule returns on Labor Day Monday.   

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, 9/3/26

The Southern Shores Town Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday at 11 a.m. for a Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP) community workshop and discussion.

The meeting will follow the Town Council’s regular 10 a.m. monthly meeting. Both public meetings will be held in the Pitts Center. 

Agenda and Meeting Packet for RCCP Workshop: https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/soshoresnc-pubu/MEET-Packet-3059c0076cc94903955b1036e0245e3e.pdf

Agenda and Meeting Packet for Town Council Meeting: https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/soshoresnc-pubu/MEET-Packet-5367f0dd25aa4bdbaca5dea99f5a3f42.pdf

The Town has partnered with the RCCP to plan and implement projects that will strengthen the town’s resilience to coastal hazards, such as the flooding caused by major storm events. Tuesday’s meeting will focus on the prioritization of projects that have been proposed.

The RCCP is an initiative administered by the Division of Coastal Management of the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality.

During the past five months, the RCCP project team has surveyed the Southern Shores community to ascertain locals’ opinions about the risks and vulnerabilities the town has relative to coastal hazards. As a result of this assessment, it has identified nine projects that would address these risks and seek to solve or minimize them.

Among the nine projects are an N.C. Hwy. 12 side-street stormwater diversion program; a neighborhood stormwater management study; an oceanside beach/dune nourishment program, which would continue beach nourishment every five to seven years; an evaluation of the feasibility of burying overhead utilities along the coast; and an oceanside beach monitoring program that would cost $100,000 annually.

We encourage you to review the meeting packet for the RCCP workshop, which explains each project.  

You also may read about the projects and vote for your priorities online UNTIL THURSDAY, SEPT. 3, at https://www.inspire-engagement.com/southern-shores-rccp.

The RCCP provides financial support for planning, engineering, and implementation of projects, as well as technical assistance during what is a four-phase process. The workshop marks the conclusion of Phases One and Two.

Phase Three addresses planning, design, and permitting of selected projects, and Phase Four is construction.

The Town Council will vote at its Oct. 6 meeting on whether to adopt the resilience strategy plan that the RCCP project team develops based on public survey results and on its own expertise. If the Council adopts the plan, the team will submit it to the Division of Coastal Management, and the State of N.C. will consult it if the Town subsequently applies for funding for Phases Three and Four.

Town officials have described their partnership with RCCP and their participation in implementing projects, such as improving the town’s stormwater system and strengthening its infrastructure, as taking important proactive steps toward protecting the future of Southern Shores.

You may watch a four-minute video on Current TV about the RCCP program featuring Mayor Elizabeth Morey, Town Councilwoman Paula Sherlock, and volunteer town leaders at https://currenttv.org/show/southern-shores-resilient-coastal-communities-program/.

TOWN MANAGER’S EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT EXTENDED THREE YEARS

The agenda for the Town Council’s regular meeting is light, with Town Manager Cliff Ogburn’s request for the Council’s approval of an application for an Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Tourism Impact Grant and a presentation about the “Trash/Recycling Cart Repair Program” being the only new business items.

Mr. Ogburn seeks approval for an application for a grant to pay for construction of a 5-foot-wide concrete path on the west side of Duck Road (N.C. Hwy. 12) from Hickory Trail to Hillcrest Drive.

The preliminary cost of this construction is $531,484.00, according to his agenda report. The Town must match any grant money received from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau by 50 percent.

The Town has previously received Visitors Bureau impact grants to pay for the construction of sidewalks and paths in Southern Shores.

(An item about trash and recycling can repairs ran in the Aug. 21, 2026 Town newsletter. You also can find information about can repairs and replacements on the Town website at https://www.southernshores-nc.gov/community/page/trash-and-recycling.)

The meeting’s consent agenda contains the most interesting item on the Town Council’s regular meeting agenda. It is an extension of Mr. Ogburn’s employment contract for another three years, from July 1, 2026 until June 30, 2029.         

Mr. Ogburn, who formerly served as Town Manager of Nags Head, was initially hired on May 19, 2020, at a base salary of $132,643.00, according to an employment document included in the meeting packet.

According to other documents, Mr. Ogburn’s contract was extended in 2023 for three years, until June 30, 2026, at a base salary of $161,403.00. His latest contract extension raises his base salary to $200,097.00.  

Mr. Ogburn is probably the highest paid town manager in Dare County.   

The duties and responsibilities of the Town Manager have increased considerably, however, since Mr. Ogburn’s hiring, in part because of his competence and leadership, and he has managed all tasks with great skill, courtesy, and good humor.

Nags Head’s loss was decidedly Southern Shores’ gain.

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, Aug. 30, 2026

Town Councilwoman Paula Sherlock received approval from the Town Council yesterday at its monthly meeting to “explore” the idea of having N.C. Hwy. 12, “from Southern Shores through Duck, perhaps onto Corolla,” she said, designated as a North Carolina “Scenic Byway” by the N.C. Dept. of Transportation (NCDOT).

A N.C. Scenic Byway designation, Ms. Sherlock told the Council, which acted by consensus, “protects an environmentally fragile area from over-development.”

“It has benefits for tourism, for property values, for wildlife habitat,” she said. “It protects the historic character of an area, coastal resilience, and the quality of life for residents and visitors.”

Sixty-two scenic byways currently exist in North Carolina (see above map), including a section of N.C. Hwy. 12 designated as the “Outer Banks National Scenic Byway,” which extends from Whalebone Junction in Nags Head to Beaufort and includes 21 coastal villages. It is a federal byway.   

The Councilwoman said she has already been in touch with NCDOT’s Scenic Byways Coordinator and received a preliminary application, which must be approved before a more elaborate, formal application for the designation can be submitted.   

The deadline for the final application is not until Aug. 31, 2027.

According to Ms. Sherlock, the idea for the designation originated with Southern Shores homeowner Tisa Head, a community leader who formerly served as president of the Southern Shores Civic Assn., and has caught fire among residents with whom Ms. Sherlock and Ms. Head have spoken.

Ms. Head is familiar with National Scenic Byways designated by the U.S. Government in Northern Virginia. The George Washington Memorial Parkway, which runs along the scenic Potomac River across from Washington, D.C., is such a byway. (We drive it often; it’s fabulous.)   

“We seem to have everything that’s required” by NCDOT for a N.C. Scenic Byway designation, Ms. Sherlock told the Council, listing the “strong points in our favor” as: ocean views, sound views, sunrises and sunsets, marshes, wetlands, dunes, natural landscapes, migratory birds, fisheries, dolphins, sea-turtle nesting areas, wild horses, and historic villages and sites.

According to NCDOT’s Scenic Byways website, the agency selects State routes with a “highway design that preserves and protects natural beauty and scenery,” is at least one mile long, and has “adequate land area for safe enjoyment of scenic attractions,” “strong local support,” “significant natural or aesthetic features visible from the road,” and “intrinsic qualities such as historical, cultural, or recreational resources.”

Ms. Sherlock proposed starting a Scenic Byway committee “to seek community support” for the designation, from residents, environmental groups, tourism groups, homeowner associations, and other invested parties.

She also noted that she would need to coordinate efforts with Duck and Currituck County.       

Town Councilman Rob Neilson, another former Northern Virginian, pointed out that a Scenic Byway designation of N.C. Hwy. 12 in Southern Shores, Duck, and Currituck County would be a “way of preventing the highway from being widened,” or otherwise altered to diminish the natural beauty and scenery of the land.

‘BUILD THE COROLLA BRIDGE’ GRASS ROOTS EFFORT

Dovetailing with Ms. Sherlock’s proposal, Charlie Ries, of South Dogwood Trail in Southern Shores, spoke after her about a grass-roots campaign he has organized to solicit support from State and Federal government officials and out-of-town vacationers in building the Mid-Currituck Bridge from Aydlett to Corolla.

Mr. Ries’s campaign got off to a fast start in May when he wrote a letter to N.C. Governor Josh Stein—which more than 100 Outer Banks property owners signed—asking for the Governor’s leadership in securing the necessary state and federal funding to build the Mid-Currituck Bridge.

The citizens group, which has Governor Stein’s backing, also has written to members of Congress and candidates who are on the ballot in November for U.S. and N.C. senate seats.

As you will recall, the NCDOT informed the Albemarle Rural Planning Organization (ARPO) in April of a serious funding shortfall for the bridge’s construction, which is now estimated to cost $1.1-$1.2 billion.

NCDOT has committed $173 million, and projected tolls were expected to cover the additional monies once viewed as needed for the bridge’s 2019 price tag of $491 million.

Despite the shortfall, the ARPO voted to renew the bridge as a priority project for the region for the next year. The ARPO is a coalition of counties, so Southern Shores’ interests are represented by the Dare County member.

We refer you to The Outer Banks Voice’s June 22 report about State Auditor Dave Boliek’s audit of the bridge project for background financials: https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2026/06/22/our-goal-is-to-help-things-move-along-one-way-or-another/.

Mr. Ries has designed an excellent website acquainting people with the activities of his grass-roots campaign and arguing pragmatically for the Mid-Currituck Bridge, which, for the sake of brevity and familiarity, he refers to as the Corolla Bridge.

Please see the website at www.buildthecorollabridge.org.   

We also encourage you to listen to Mr. Ries’s presentation yesterday to the Town Council, which starts at the one-hour-six-minute mark of the You Tube video of the meeting.

Besides leading this effort, Mr. Ries serves on the Town Planning Board as an alternate.

A factoid that we found especially interesting was Mr. Ries’s calculation that if a motorist were to drive to Corolla from Barco, which is where U.S. 158 and U.S. 168 converge (site of the 7-Eleven), across the envisioned Corolla Bridge, he/she would arrive in 15 minutes, whereas now, the trip takes an average of two hours and 11 minutes.

Mr. Ries also said that feedback from vacationers stuck in traffic, waiting on the “cut-through route” in the Southern Shores dunes to return to N.C. Hwy. 12, has suggested that many believe most locals oppose the bridge. If they only talk to locals in Corolla, that may be true.

Volunteers from his campaign have been going vehicle-to-vehicle on Saturdays to distribute “Build the Corolla Bridge” info cards to gridlocked drivers on the cut-through route and engage people in conversation.

The website has a “Stuck in Traffic? Tell Us About It!” button for the frustrated drivers who frustrate us to report their road experience.

Raising awareness among visitors is very important. They, too, can write to members of Congress, in North Carolina and in their home states, lobbying for funding for the Mid-Currituck Bridge.

COASTAL RESILIENCE PROJECTS/ICE CREAM/BLOOD DRIVE

Finally, we remind you that on Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Pitts Center, the Town will sponsor a community event to obtain residents’ votes and opinions on the prioritization of proposed coastal resilience projects in Southern Shores. To encourage your attendance, complimentary ice cream will be served as long as it lasts.

Simultaneously, the American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive at the Pitts Center. To schedule a blood donation appointment, call 1-800-733-2767 or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code, TownofSS. Walkins are welcome, space permitting.

For more info, see https://www.southernshores-nc.gov/planning/page/coastal-resilience-community-priorities-ice-cream.

By Ann G. Sjoerdsma, The Southern Shores Beacon, 8/5/26