By Miles Layton

COLUMBIA — Tensions flared Tuesday as Tyrrell County commissioners clashed over transparency, financial records, and alleged discrepancies involving more than $60,000 in ABC store revenue. The meeting also featured updates on sewer projects, regional appointments, and long-awaited highway improvements.

Commissioner Thompson: “There’s Over $60,000 Missing”

The meeting shifted sharply when Commissioner Robert Thompson revisited an earlier discussion about the Tyrrell County ABC Store. See our previous story — here.

Thompson said he still had not received financial documents he requested months ago.

“I still haven’t had any of the information that I’ve requested,” he said. “I still haven’t got any, it’s been two months.”

He said he wanted clarity about how ABC profits could be spent. “There was discussion of what the money could be spent on. Did anybody come up with something on that?”

Commission Chairman Jordan Davis responded, “I think you should’ve got an email on that.”

Yes, you read that right — Davis is the new county commission chairman with Nina Griswell being vice chairwoman — congrats! Vote was 4-1 with Thompson being the sole dissenting vote.

Back to Thompson who said he could not verify that from the email. “I can’t find anybody to verify that email. When you Google it, that’s not what… It says 10% goes… 5% for this, 5%, 10% to be used for anything administrative.”

Thompson said he consulted a state representative who “don’t agree with what you’re saying.” He accused unnamed parties of withholding information.

“The whole conversation started out with… a lot of dishonesty,” he said. “Somebody’s gonna have to give me something in writing to prove it besides the email.”

Thompson said he requested balance sheets from 2019 to the present, tax papers, and profit-and-loss statements — and received none. He then delivered the most serious allegation of the evening.

“If we can’t spend the money from the liquor store, there’s $67,000… when you add it up, there’s 60 some thousand dollars missing,” he said. “Usually when somebody starts out being dishonest, there’s something wrong.”

Thompson said the story around the ABC store’s finances kept shifting.

“It went from we don’t make no money… now we found out they do make money, but now we’re saying we can’t spend it. But then you look, some of the money’s missing.”

He emphasized, “There seems to be a problem here.”

Thompson told Davis, “I don’t think I should be the only commissioner concerned about this problem. We all got the same boss.”

Davis responded cautiously. “Mr. Thompson, I’m making some notes here. I’m going to do some investigating of what you’re saying,” he said.

Thompson immediately asked, “Do we need to turn it over to the district attorney?”

Davis rejected that step. “No, sir. I believe they’ve had a clean audit, so I don’t think there’s a problem with that.”

Thompson pushed back, citing past county issues.

“We had a clean audit when we had a problem with the insurance too,” he said. “All the auditor does is take the material you give them… If you don’t give them everything, they don’t see everything.”

Davis repeatedly attempted to proceed in order. “Mr. Thompson… Mr…”

But Thompson continued: “Every commissioner should go look at the website. There, there’s clearly 60 some thousand dollars missing.”

When Davis asked whether he was making a motion, Thompson said he was unsure what type.

He then made one: “I make a motion we, the five of us, ought to have a discussion on what’s the best step forward to figure out what happened to the $60,000.”

Davis said discussion was already underway and encouraged others to speak. No commissioner besides Thompson raised concerns.

Thompson appealed directly to Davis’s new role as chair: “Could you please make sure that I get the information I requested?”

Davis answered, “I will do my best, sir.”

Thompson then asked whether Davis would report back next month on the missing funds.

“I’ve got it on my notes,” Davis said. “Yes, sir.”

Pastor Raises Alarm Over Resident Waiting Three Years for Promised Home

Joan Batson, pastor of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, spoke on behalf of Nora Basnight, a disabled resident and senior citizen who she said has been waiting more than three years for a replacement home promised through a county housing program.

Batson said Basnight was told she would receive a home to be built, but when she called to check on the status, the job had fallen through. Batson told commissioners, “I was wondering what happened to it, because it just disappeared or do they give it to someone else who will be building people houses Tyrrell area.”

Basnight remains in deplorable conditions, Batson said. “She is in dire need of a house. She’s handicapped and every once in a while, we have to take her out of there because snakes get in there, and so it’s leaking in there, and it’s just — the walls are like paper.”

Batson said Basnight wants to remain “in the same area, or the same landmark where she was born and where her grandparents were born.” She questioned why Basnight had not been selected for housing assistance “where her condition is really worse than some of the others that I seen.”

She emphasized she was not criticizing other recipients but added, “Some people given a house just because their house is leaking, and I figure, you know, if you put a roof on it, it won’t leak.”

County Manager David Clegg confirmed the county is aware of Basnight’s case. “Congressman (Don) Davis and I are very much aware of her situation,” he said. Later, the commission held a public hearing on amending the county’s 2023 community development block grant to add two more houses including Basnight’s home.  

Alligator Residents Plead for Action on Flooded Ditches

The board then heard from Jerry Campbell of Alligator, who thanked Clegg for recent ditch clearing but said the community remains overwhelmed by flooding.

“I just came from down there. It done, it done been ditched off and the water is flowing,” Campbell said. But the relief was temporary. He warned commissioners, “I spoke to Gator yesterday. He said ain’t nothing he can do… I spoke to the Wildlife Commissioner, and it’s like I just get a roadblock everywhere I go.”

“We don’t deserve to be treated like we are,” Campbell said. “We’s all citizens. We all taxpayers… and it shouldn’t take this long to get a permit because I’ve been working on this for three years.”

Campbell said years of hand-clearing a clogged ditch at Lewis Point is no longer possible. “Glen is 70 something years old,” he said. “I’m scared to go back there… It’s not right because we said we shouldn’t have to do it.”

Thompson acknowledged the county’s limited authority. “It’s not our responsibility as a county to keep these two ditches open,” he said. “One belongs to DOT’s and the other one’s Wildlife. If they’re accountable, we need to hold them accountable for it.”

Clegg said the county and Wildlife Resources had reached a breakthrough: “We have… their consent… for us to go in and survey it, which we have done” he said. “That survey will be the basis for a CAMA permit that will be jointly applied for by Wildlife Resources and Tyrrell County.”

Thompson questioned who is paying for the permit.

“That’s where we should be holding them accountable,” he said. “If it’s their ditch, they should be held accountable.”

Thmpson added, “Most of the problems we’re having with drainage is wildlife.”

Campbell said he has already spent “over $20,000” repairing damage from chronic flooding.

Commissioner responses sought to reassure him. “We will definitely keep this in mind, Mr. Campbell… We have not forgotten it. I promise you,” Davis said.

Concerns Raised Over Dirt Pit Near Highway 64

Elizabeth Anita Spencer also returned to raise concerns about a dirt pit near her home on Highway 64.

She asked commissioners, “I was wondering have y’all heard anything, or have y’all even talked to anyone? Because you said you were going to talk to someone in October.”

County officials said they had not reached their contact but would forward the issue to the appropriate permitting agencies.

Commissioners noted worsening conditions. “All that mud that has accumulated on the road… now it’s turned into mud and it’s dangerous,” one said. Spencer added, “Rocks. Also rocks and roots.”

The issue, several agreed, persists “up at the bridge too.”

Board Approves New Regional Appointments in Divisive Vote

The board then moved to regional appointments as Davis announced he was resigning from the Albemarle Commission due to his new obligations as chair.

“I feel like we devote a little more time to this,” Davis said. He nominated Commissioner Everett to replace him and to represent the county on the Northeastern Workforce Development Consortium.

Thompson immediately objected. “Mr. Everett has shown himself not to be a very honest man. I don’t think he should be representing the county,” he said.

Everett asked the clerk to “note that specifically in the minutes.”

To be clear, there’s no love lost between Thompson and Everett. Remember when Thompson was tossed from a meeting back in July.

Despite objections, the nomination passed – 4-1 with Thompson being the dissenting vote.  

County Secures Chairmanship on Regional Health Board

Commissioner Everett then announced he had become chair of the Martin-Tyrrell-Washington Health Board.

“Our other delegate said that she did not want to be the chair, so I wound up being elected chair,” he said, adding he will serve one year.

Davis responded, “Congratulations to you, sir.”

Roadwork on NC 94 to Begin in Sections

Before adjournment, Davis addressed public questions about construction signs on Highway 94.

He said part of the work relates to “the new water tower and the new lift station” but that he specifically asked the state about repaving.

“They have re-split the repaving contract into a few sections,” he said.

The first section, from Frying Pan Road to Elementary School Road, will see patchwork this month and full paving in the spring. A second section will be contracted in January.

The final section — from Hunter Road to the Hyde County line — will not be let until 2027.

Commissioner Everett said he had spoken with officials hoping to accelerate the timeline, citing major truck traffic and safety concerns. He said Tyrrell County receives “over 8,000 trucks” based on documented counts.

Speaking of infrastructure, Clegg provided a brief update on ongoing infrastructure work on the sewer project. He told commissioners the county recently met with state officials and contractors and that progress was on track.

“It’s right where it should be,” Clegg said. 

“Sewer takes a lot longer than water,” he noted.

Clegg reiterated that after meeting with the contractor, “it’s in line… it’s rolling now.”

County commissioners praised a recent win for local fishermen and received a detailed update on the massive Alligator River Bridge replacement project during their meeting this week, emphasizing both environmental stewardship and infrastructure as top priorities.

Davis told board members he had “got some word that North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries was going to be meeting about the blue crab harvest restrictions,” an issue that had drawn sustained concern from local watermen and commissioners in recent months.

“We talked about that a lot in our meetings,” Davis said, noting that the county had formally pushed back through a unified resolution. “We did a resolution send out to all the board members and I think we got consensus back on that. Our resolution, as well as the others, was a success. They did remove that from their meeting agenda, so as of right now, it is not on any further agenda until they have a harvest report done for 2026.”

Davis added, “So we’re hoping that as of right now they’re gonna make a decision in the future based on science and not on feelings.”

The board passed the county’s blue crab resolution without dissent.

Alligator River Bridge Project at “30%” Completion

County Manager Clegg shifted the meeting to infrastructure, offering a detailed progress report on one of northeastern North Carolina’s largest and most-watched construction projects — the Alligator River Bridge replacement.

“You hear a lot of people talk about the Alligator River Bridge and its construction,” Clegg said. “And just to let you know the DOT is now confirming that it is 30% complete and right on schedule toward the completion date of that project — February 28, 2029. And they said that the 30% with a bridge like this is fast.”

Last note, Thompson said because of the government shutdown, for the property tax extension from Jan. 2 to March 2, folks need to contact the tax office for the extension.