by Think Currituck, on 4/20/20 11:59 AM
County Leaders Discuss COVID-19 Issues Ahead of Meeting on Monday, April 20
Times are challenging right now for citizens and businesses in Currituck County.
If you've been wondering if there is a light at the end of the tunnel and how far away that light is... you're not alone. Your local government is working hard every day behind the scenes and on the front lines to help get the county back up and running as soon as safely possible.
Currituck County Board of Commissioners Chairman, Bob White and County Manager, Ben Stikeleather sat down for a discussion about the days ahead for Currituck County.
"COVID-19 is going to have a major impact on the county budget," Stikeleather said. "One of our largest revenue streams in Currituck County is our sales tax and it's based solely around our tourism economy. We have some sales tax on the mainland but all that's driven by people who come here and visit."
The loss of sales tax and occupancy tax revenues will continue at least through the the governor's statewide stay-at-home order, which ends on April 29. And while specific dates and determinations remain unclear, Stikeleather feels positive about the ability of Currituck County to weather the economic storm.
"Luckily the Currituck County Board of Commissioners throughout the last several years have dedicated a lot of fiscal conservatism towards building what people think of as the rainy day fund," he said. "So when you have something so out of the box like this... you've got money to lean back on so that we don't have to put any extra burden on to citizens as far as increased taxes."
White and Stikeleather also discussed the path towards reopening the Currituck Outer Banks, the region's medical infrastructure and the important work of local first responders and essential workers who are risking their lives to keep the county up and running.
Watch the video (or visit the county website HERE) for important information about virtually joining the discussion during tonight's Currituck County Board of Commissioners meeting at 6pm.
The key takeaway for the talk? Currituck County has weathered big storms before. And even though this current pandemic is a different kind of storm, we'll get through it by working together.
"Having a good team behind you and a good group of elected officials makes a world of difference," Stikeleather said. "Hopefully through economic development and tourism promotions we'll be getting our economy back on track as quickly as possible."
