Aida Havel, candidate for Dare County Commissioner at Large, today announced her support for the November referendum to raise the county sales tax by one-quarter of a cent to fund upgrades to parks and recreation facilities. A recent county study found the county lags behind comparable-sized counties in parks and recreation infrastructure, and Havel agrees the need is real.
"Our parks and recreation facilities matter to families, to kids, to seniors, and to our quality of life here," said Havel. "While I was initially on the fence, I now support this referendum because the need is documented and the case for it is strong. Voters deserve the chance to decide this for themselves in November."
However, Havel said she cannot support the Board of Commissioners' decision today to spend $20,000 in taxpayer funds on a campaign to promote the referendum's passage.
"If the case for this tax increase is as strong as the commissioners say it is, they shouldn't need to spend $20,000 of the public's money to convince the public to vote for it," Havel said. "That's a decision for voters to make, not something county government should be using the very tax dollars they’re asking people to trust them with."
Havel noted that the timing raises additional concerns. Local teachers have had to turn to public Amazon wish lists and social media to get basic classroom supplies.
"When our own teachers are asking the public for notebooks, file folders, dry erase markers, and stacking bins on Facebook, it's hard to justify spending $20,000 in county funds on a persuasion campaign — no matter how good the cause," Havel said. "That's $20,000 that could go a lot of places before it goes toward convincing people how to vote."
Havel also questioned why the commissioners, if they believe so strongly in the referendum, have not instead committed to a series of public town hall meetings across the county to explain the need directly to residents and answer their questions face to face." If the commissioners want to make the case for this tax increase, the right and cost-effective way to do it is to show up — in Manteo, in Hatteras, in Kill Devil Hills, in Duck, and everywhere in between — and talk to voters directly, answer their questions, and let people decide for themselves," Aida Havel said. "That kind of engagement doesn't cost $20,000, and it builds trust instead of spending it."
Havel said she will continue to advocate for the referendum's passage on her own time and with her own resources, and she encouraged other supporters of the measure to do the same rather than relying on county government to make the case. "I'll be out talking to voters about why this referendum matters," Havel said. "I just don't think it's the county's job to pay for that conversation."ng area
How frustrating is it to sit down at your computer and not be able to connect to the world? Or to not to see your favorite TV show? Or to not be able to make a phone call to a loved one? These issues happen way too frequently in Dare County, and in 2026, we must find solutions that will work consistently.
Sixteen houses fell in six weeks! Yes, one groin is being rebuilt, and beach renourishment is scheduled. It's not enough. We need to help homeowners move or safely take down their threatened houses BEFORE they come down and debris washes across Highway 12, making the road impassable in or out. I will push for multiple solutions and help on every level.
The health care we have in Dare County is excellent. But we need more specialists, and more nurses and doctors. And Hatteras Island needs an urgent care facility. And daycare is a problem throughout the county. The Dare County Board of Commissioners should lead the way in searching for solutions. We need to keep pushing on these quality of life issues.
"Shrimpgate" was a wake-up call for all of us...and it's not over. We must be vigilant in protecting our commercial fishermen, and also make sure that our visitors can enjoy recreational fishing without arbitrary limits on their catches that are unsupported by recent and reputable scientific data.
The Housing Task Force spent two years studying our housing problems from every angle. We now have a Housing Foundation in its early stages. I will provide constant oversight, so that we don't continue to lose good people and quality of life every day by failing to move forward on this important issue.