Bladen County voters to get a choice on beer, unfortified wine in spring primary

ELIZABETHTOWN — Voters in Bladen County are six months away from deciding on the sale of beer and unfortified wine in the 2022 primary.

The board of five Republicans and four Democrats voted 6-3 to send the ballot measure before the 29,606 residents. The Rev. Cameron McGill, Ray Britt and Dr. Ophelia Munn-Goins spoke before voting, with McGill joined by Arthur Bullock and Rodney Hester voting against.

Bullock was the lone Democrat not in the affirmative, opposite Vice Chairman Mark Gillespie, Michael Cogdell and Munn-Goins. McGill and Hester broke from fellow Republicans Dr. Danny Ellis, Chairman Charles Ray Peterson and Britt.

“We bear a responsibility to stand in between what makes it to the ballot and what doesn’t,” said McGill, pastor of the Lake Church in White Lake and formerly head of North Carolina’s Baptist State Convention.

Britt said, “This is not a vote whether I would vote for or against, I represent people. This is the people’s choice to vote for it or not. I am putting it in position to give people the choice, and let them vote it up or down.”

Munn-Goins described her choice on the vote in the same light as Britt.

Voters will be asked two questions, one for malt beverage (beer) and one for unfortified wine, that read, “To permit the ‘off-premise’ sale only of” each spirt.

Already on this fall’s municipal election is a similar referendum in White Lake.

The two-hour meeting followed a public hearing for citizen input on the American Rescue Plan Act funding use. The panel convenes alongside the Planning Board in a joint meeting Tuesday night, with primary focus on zoning and public input to the process.

• ARPA: Five entities were linked to the speakers coming forth including Wallace-based Mount Calvary Center for Leadership Development, with offices in Duplin County, and Delco-based Men and Women United for Youth and Families, headquartered in Columbus County. Each works across county lines. Commissioners heard requests for needs and wishes, plus things already funded, COVID-19 impact stories, and a line or two that would merit fact-checking.

The lone speaker to stand out different than the rest — because he didn’t list specific program needs or wish lists — was Dennis Troy, chairman of the trustees at Bladen Community College. He said, “The struggle is real, y’all got to make a decision. I’ve got faith in you to make good decisions going forward, to include every man, woman, boy and girl in what you do. What can we do to make students successful? What can we do to make people with disabilities successful?”

• Disagreement: Considerable back-and-forth was exchanged between commissioners, and Anthony Thomas of the Mount Calvary Center, regarding a vaccination event with incentives offered to participants held two days earlier. The event had problems, and was not linked to the county or its Health Department; commissioners had, in fact, voted down a proposal to offer additional incentives, or pay, people to get vaccinated. County health director Dr. Terri Duncan, called to the site amid the problems, responded and acted within county policies. She was well-defended from the crossfire, and praised for efforts since the pandemic began to unceasingly help the county’s citizens by Ellis, Peterson and Dr. Molly Glenn.

• Approved: The board backed a resolution of support for the Bladen Smart Start’s Resilient Bladen Coalition project’s Community Child Abuse Prevention Plan; a professional services agreement with Columbus County; the 2021-22 influenza vaccination fee schedule; rate increases commensurate with reimbursement changes for vaccinations of hepatitis A, TDaP, and menactra; services project by the Lumber River Council of Governments for election redistricting; amended personnel policies for annual vacation leave and sick leave; and, adopted resolutions authorizing applications to Four County EMC for the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program in hopes of acquiring a garbage truck, ambulance and 10 new patrol vehicles.

• Closed: There was no action following a closed session related to a real estate purchase price negotiation.