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Pender County at a Crossroads: Modernization or Status Quo?
-Phil Cordeiro
In recent editions of the Pender Post, its publisher has attempted to frame a conversation about power and control in county government. But the real conversation—the one that actually matters to the citizens of Pender County—is not about personalities or political theater. It is about something far more fundamental: whether we embrace a future of modernization and accountability or cling to an outdated system that resists transparency and progress.
Pender County, like many fast-growing areas, stands at a crossroads. On one side, there is a push for responsible governance—one that prioritizes fiscal responsibility, infrastructure improvements, and long-term planning. On the other side, there is the old guard, those who prefer to operate in the shadows, resisting change and accountability while using media allies to divert attention from the real issues.
Take, for example, Pender EMS. The publisher of the Pender Post would have his readers believe that the core issue is a lack of transparency from county leadership. But that framing conveniently ignores the fundamental question: why would a private company that receives over $20 million annually in taxpayer money resist basic financial oversight? Why does its leadership refuse to provide the public with basic financial data? What do they have to hide?
The answer is simple: maintaining the status quo benefits those who operate within it. The critics of reform—including certain members of the local media—are not fighting for the people of Pender County. They are fighting to preserve a system that no longer serves us well.
The Pender Post has labeled me a puppet master, and insinuated I’m a boogeyman pulling the strings of a majority of our county commissioners. Now that's nonsense if I've ever heard it, and an insult to the voters of Pender County and the officials who hold public office on their behalf.
Now that I've shared who I'm not, I'll tell you who I am. I'm a retired Marine who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan—and saw the very real cost of freedom. I'm a licensed CPA, expert in governmental accounting. I'm the former finance officer of Hillsborough, NC. I'm the former town manager of Youngsville, NC—a town whose size doubled while I was its manager. I'm a consultant who has helped NC local governments of all sizes prepare for financial audits, navigate growth, and plan for success.
My motivation for sharing ideas with our leaders in Pender County government is simple: I have real-world experience in local government, and I feel complaining about problems doesn't solve them—offering innovative solutions to those who have the ability to effect change is.
This is not about partisan politics, nor is it about individual reputations. It is about whether we choose to modernize our institutions to serve the citizens of this county effectively or allow dysfunction to continue unchecked. And to those who think dysfunction is too strong a word, I would say just look at the daily traffic on US Highway 17—or the fact that the county is building a new school in Hampstead that will be over capacity before its doors open. How is that not dysfunction?
For those who are ready to move beyond the distractions and toward real solutions, I plead that you make your voices heard. The work of governing Pender County is not just the responsibility of a few elected officials—it is a collective effort. If you have ideas, concerns, or a desire to be part of the conversation that actually matters, I invite you to join me in advocating for a county government that is transparent, accountable, and prepared for the future.
Coverage of the Pender EMS and Fire situation from WECT:
- County leaders to create transition plan for Pender County EMS & Fire first responders
- “Nothing to hide:” Pender EMS & Fire chief speaks out after “surprise” decision to merge with Pender County
- Pender County looks to take over services of Pender EMS and Fire
Watchman on the Wall: "Clear as Mud"
— Andy Pettigrew
Transparency.
Now there is a word that we have heard quite a bit in the past few weeks. It’s mentioned frequently in the past several press releases from Pender County Government — how the goal of the Board of Commissioners is transparency. These press releases push the takeover of the Pender EMS and Fire by the county as a great thing that will benefit the people of Pender County.
It is featured prominently on the political website of apparent Republican BOC advisor Phil Cordeiro. Transparency in government is very important, they all proclaim.
Trouble is, transparency is just a political buzz word. It has no meaning because Cordeiro and his Commissioner followers Jerry Groves, Randy Burton, and Brent Springer fail to put it into practice. Shortly, I will offer the undeniable truth. But first, a bit of background.
A few years ago — maybe as many as 15 years — the Pender County Board of Commissioners had a problem with transparency. The Board had a habit of adding items to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting, which did not allow the public to see what was happening and allowed the Board to move through agenda items without any public input.
Commissioner George Brown thought this was a bad practice and in the interest of transparency, pushed the Board to pass a rule that required any item added after the agenda had been finalized required a unanimous vote. This prevented last minute sneaky items added and acted on without public input.
Real, bonified transparency in action.
This great idea by Commissioner Brown has worked like a charm. If an emergency item came up that needed immediate attention, or something that was extremely time sensitive, it could be added with a unanimous vote. Legitimate needs were recognized by all Board members and had no problem being added to the agenda.
Fast-forward to the last BOC meeting. Board members Springer, Burton, and Groves were planning to sneak Phil Cordeiro’s Pender EMS and Fire takeover resolution onto the agenda without advertising it publicly. They couldn’t risk another room full of angry citizens objecting to the idea.
Remember what happened two meetings ago when Burton’s resolution requiring the Pender Sheriff's Office to become ICE agents was met with a hostile, standing room only crowd, forcing Burton to back down — a resolution that wasn’t even supported by the Sheriff.
They didn’t want that happening again. And the BOC trio knew they would never get a unanimous vote to add the Pender EMS resolution to the agenda with Brad George sitting there. So throw transparency out the window and employ a nearly-never if ever used tactic to get the resolution on the agenda.
Let’s vote to suspend the rules and add the resolution. That will only take a simple majority. Forget transparency, forget public input, we want our way so damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. And this way, there won’t be a boardroom full of opposition to the resolution and we can sneak it in.
I have been covering the Pender County Board of Commissioners for more than 15 years. And to my recollection, that has never been done. I could be mistaken, and I welcome a correction if so, but I do not remember a Board ever suspending the rules to break a rule. I would be willing to bet it was Cordeiro’s idea — I can’t see Groves, or Burton or Springer coming up with that. But that is just my opinion.
To add insult to injury, the Pender EMS resolution attempted to remove the Pender EMS and Fire Board of Directors and replace them with Groves, Springer, and Burton. Imagine that. The BOC was trying to remove the Board of Directors of a private, non-profit and replace them with commissioners simply because the county does business with them and they want to take it over.
Get ready for more of this tactic — throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. If so, we got away with it. Trouble was, Brad George scraped it off the wall and tossed it back by objecting to the takeover and it was confirmed by County Attorney Trey Thruman.
Nope. You can’t do that. You can change out the county representatives, but you can’t dissolve the board in favor of installing Burton, Groves, and Springer.
Break the rules, lie, hurt people, keep things from the public, but you are ok as long as you mention Jesus and say God bless Pender County on Facebook. Friends, if it’s a good idea, you don’t have to sneak around in the dark to get it done — it can stand the bright light of day.
And a final point.
As he was introducing Cordeiro’s Pender EMS resolution last week, Springer made a point to emphasize that this was not a personal vendetta. It was nearly the first words out of his mouth. It reminded me of the saying, when someone says it ain’t about the money, it’s ALWAYS about the money.
Personal vendettas? Pender County friends and neighbors, this BOC trio has more axes to grind than a Northwoods lumberjack convention. Action like this will set Pender County back 15 years. Transparency huh … It’s clear as mud.