Oak Island Town Council member Jeff Winecoff is seeking a third term. He tells WHQR he wants to see the town’s general fund debt paid off completely – and he hopes to find grant money for a renovation of the Town’s recreation center.
When he joined Council eight years ago, Jeff Winecoff says the Town was struggling financially, and he’s proud of helping to turn things around and build a strong reserve. He admits the Council has made some mistakes – including the failed attempt to institute paid parking.
But he’s proud of how Council has imposed simpler and stricter building ordinances to deal with storms and sea level rise.
"This year we found out, with everything we’ve done, the changes we’ve made, we’ve actually got recognized, and our insurance rating is going to go down. They will save close to 5% on their flood insurance… FEMA sets out guidelines and you can either follow FEMA’s guidelines and state guidelines or you suffer the consequences. We decided we would follow their guidelines."
Winecoff says it’s wrong to allow building on wetlands, but his hands are tied by state law. That’s why he’s lobbied in Raleigh for change.
The Town is monitoring its drainage ditches, making sure builders don’t fill them in, and making sure property owners don’t subvert height limits by building up their lots with fill.
Early voting begins Wednesday, October 16th. Find more information here:
