ELIZABETHTOWN — Five times since 2010, voters in Bladen County have turned down a one-quarter percent sales and use tax.
Will Election Day 2018 be the time?
Voters have already starting answering that question. The early voting period closed Saturday. On Tuesday, polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Bladen referendum is one of 13 choices in the county. The other dozen involve races for the offices of sheriff, county commissioner, school board, register of deeds and the district supervisor for soil and water.
Of the 12 races for seats throughout the county, half are contested. A number of the candidates have indicated they’ll continue a tradition of gathering at the courthouse to see results as they come in electronically. For others, it’s a time to rest.
Bladen commissioners approved the referendum in July at a special meeting, answering a request from the school board. Revenue generated by the tax increase would “assist in funding specific projects” in the county for the Bladen County Schools system.
A sales and use tax failed in November 2016 (for emergency management services), March 2016 (property taxes), 2015 (property taxes), 2014 (schools) and 2010 (schools). It is estimated the tax would create a half-million dollars annually, driven mostly by out-of-county tourists’ spending.
In the contested Bladen races:
• Sheriff: Jim McVicker, a Republican, is challenged by Democrat Hakeem Brown.
• Commissioners: District 1 Commissioner Arthur Bullock, a Democrat, is running unopposed. In District 2, Republican Commissioner Charles Ray Peterson is challenged by Democrat Dawson Singletary. In District 3, Democratic Commissioner Russell Priest is challenged by Republican Wayne Edge.
• School board: The at-large seat is held by Democrat Vince Rozier. He is challenged by Democrats Cory L. Singletary and Tim Benton, and Republican Dennis Edwards. In the other three school board seats with only one candidate in each, Democrat Gary Rhoda runs in District 1, Democrat Roger Carroll in District 2 and Democrat Alan T. West in District 3.
• Register of deeds: Democratic incumbent Beverly T. Parks is challenged by Republican Jason Britt.
• District supervisor, soil and water conservation: This nonpartisan office race is between Tim Gause, Charles Gillespie and Earl Storms.
In other uncontested races for county offices, Democrat Niki S. Dennis runs for clerk of Superior Court and Democrat Kenneth T. Clark runs for coroner.
Jon David, a Republican, is unopposed for district attorney. The office serves Bladen, Columbus and Brunswick counties.
The midterms include two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, all of Bladen County’s representation to the North Carolina General Assembly, state and district judges, and six state constitution amendments.
The state referenda questions address voter ID, a tax cap, expanding crime victims’ rights, judicial vacancies, the state elections board, and the right to hunt and fish.
Federally, the U.S. House District 7 seat is between David W. Fallin of the Constitution Party, Democrat Kyle Horton and Republican David Rouzer. The District 9 seat pits Republican Mark Harris, Democrat Dan McCready and Libertarian Jeff Scott.
State Senate District 8 candidates are Libertarian Anthony H. Mascolo, Republican Bill Rabon and Democrat David W. Sink Jr. State House District 22 candidates are Republican William Brisson and Democrat Tony Denning.