Hairdresser Joe and the County Commissioner

Colin McKenzie has served as County Commissioner in Moore County since 1996. He is a moderate Republican from Pinehurst, and is currently Chair of the County Commission.
He felt the need to respond publicly to Joe Boylan's comment's in a July 6 article.

from the July 6th article State Rep. Joe Boylan says he continues to have "a real problem" with the land transfer tax local bill introduced earlier in the session at the request of the Moore County Board of Commissioners.

Boylan says the bill sets no parameters for use of the tax money, leaving the county free to place all of the money in the General Fund, with no provisions for schools or other infrastructure needs and no provisions for municipalities.

Representatives from the County Commission, staff from all municipalities, as well as staff from the Chamber of Commerce, the Pinehurst Civic Group, and The Pilot Newspaper have been meeting for almost a year in something called the Moore County Summit - trying to plan for the enormous growth this county is facing. McKenzie is one of two commissioners who have been participating in this group.

When he read the July 6 article, he must have be shocked at Boylan's obvious lack of understanding, and felt the need to share his experience in governance and representation as well as some insight into planning for growth. Here are some of his educational words to Mr. Boylan:

All municipalities and the county staffs and elected officials have been working together on this issue, and recommendations have been arrived at. There are several choices to make, and the correct choice will be decided. When it is determined, the Summit as a group will pick the best possible use of the collected revenue and prepare a referendum explaining this to our constituents.

They will choose what they believe will benefit our communities best and explain it to our voters so they can make an informed vote. They must design a campaign to convince the public to vote for the referendum.

He also admonished Mr. Boylan for not having quite done his homework.

He is dead wrong when he says he doesn't think the nine municipalities said to support the new tax "are aware that they do not benefit from the tax, as the bill is written." If he had read their letters and resolutions he could have had no doubt.

Finally, a begrudging word of bi-partisanship from Mr. McKenzie. It seems he was quite disappointed by his fellow Republicans Boylan and Blake, who fail to recognize the needs of the growing, changing county they represent.

It pains me to say this but it's true: We requested support from House Speaker Joe Hackney, a Democrat, because he represents part of Moore County. (...)We have also requested support from Sen. Ellie Kinnaird of Orange County, a Democrat who represented Moore county for many years as our senator and has helped Moore County in the past by securing grants and loans for worthy causes.

Perhaps one good thing that will come of this issue in Moore County is a continuation of the bipartisan Moore County Summit, which includes Democrats and Unaffiliateds as as well as the Republicans.

And maybe, just maybe, the education of Hairdresser Joe Boylan.