Derrick Hickey, a Republican seeking one of three seats on New Hanover County’s Board of Commissioners, is taking his third run at the office. This former Board of Education member wants to focus on child development and providing quality after-school programs – which, he says, starts with the County Commission.
There are policy positions orthopedic surgeon Derrick Hickey takes that are not in lock-step with his fellow Republicans. For instance, he would increase resources for school programs as preventives against gang violence. He favors a more robust Special Use Permit with greater clarity for citizens and applicants:
"Growth is good, but growth cannot be allowed to compromise quality of life. I’m a staunch proponent of property rights, and I believe you should be allowed to do what you want on your own property, but your property rights end at your property line… So I think we need to bring in diverse businesses that have good, high-paying jobs, but we can’t do that at the expense of our environment or our quality of life, which is the reason that most of us have come to live in New Hanover County."
Derrick Hickey considers himself a fiscal conservative, and in some respects, he says, he’s a social conservative too.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect the fact that this is Derrick Hickey's third run for a New Hanover County Commission seat.
