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riental’s Mayor has called a special meeting of Oriental’s Town Board on Friday October 25 at 3p. The subject, once again, is about the Town providing its water service to the Walmart store planned for just outside the town limits. Oriental’s Town Board on October 1 voted to provide the water if Walmart annexed in to Town after its building is completed. Mayor Bill Sage indicates that Walmart has now responded to the Town’s offer. It would appear that Walmart wasn’t happy about the condition. Mayor Sage says the Board on Friday will consider a resolution to not require the annexation. If it’s not annexed, Walmart would avoid paying Oriental property tax, which finances the police protection Walmart would enjoy as a courtesy since its store would be within one mile of the Town limits.

The possibility of the Town Board backing down on requiring annexation has prompted some letters.

To the Editor:

I am extremely disappointed to read that our Mayor and Acting Town Manager want to grant water rights to Walmart with absolutely no conditions.

Their decision to grant services on the condition of annexation made some sense. To reverse that decision now, when Walmart is protesting based on growth restraints, negates all arguments in favor of a Walmart Express… a small store.

I support growth opportunities for our town that will enhance our village, but I fear we are heading down a slippery slope here.

Please reconsider, town officials.

Respectfully,

Maggie Monk
Oriental
10/24/13

I am having difficulty following Town Board logic in responding to Walmart’s unwritten requests for town services. It appears Walmart is getting representation without taxation, the opposite of what the colonists fought for in the Boston tea party revolution.

Oriental has a grocery store, a hardware store, a pharmacy and a mini mart which are locally-owned, pay taxes to the town, support local charities and their community, and have consistently been responsive to consumer needs and requests. The fact that they exist is why many of us chose to live here as opposed to a more rural or a large metropolitan area. These businesses have a positive history in Oriental.

Now, we have a large retail giant at our door which has a well-documented history of employing practices that overwhelm small-town, locally-owned businesses. We have no written requests or promises from them that they have any intention or interest in complying with the existing Oriental Growth Management Ordinances or town policies. They do not have to; Walmart deliberately locates outside of towns to avoid compliance.

The Town Board has received a written petition signed by hundreds of town residents and visitors who do not welcome Walmart here, who want the town board to remove the “welcome mat.” What little leverage the Town does have is whether to provision town water to Walmart .

I believe in a free enterprise system with a level playing field where public services to businesses come from the entities to whom they pay taxes. Pamlico County property taxes are cheaper than Oriental property taxes. But for Walmart, water would be cheaper to get from the Town of Oriental than from the county.

If Walmart builds here, they need to pay for water from the County to whom Walmart will pay taxes. The residents of Oriental will be responsible for providing police protection from the town without new revenues to pay for them. The meager income from the sale of town water will not cover that. From my perspective, a Walmart in Oriental is a no sum gain here with Walmart the winner and the residents of Oriental the losers, including those who will lose their jobs when current businesses fold.

The Town Board is having a special meeting Friday at 3:00 to reconsider offering Walmart water, given Walmart’s verbal response that they do not want to be annexed to the town in order to receive that water. (Walmart has not provided a written response to either of the town’s written resolutions expressing the town’s concerns.)

With only a few weeks left in their terms of office, the current Town Board could make a decision whether to provide water with or without condition of annexation.

I hope you will attend this meeting or contact the Town Board members asking them to table any additional action on the Walmart water question until the town receives a written request from Walmart, and until the new Town Board is seated in December.

Marlene Miller
Oriental
10/24/13

To the Editor:

Mayor Bill Sage has called a meeting for 3p Friday to consider a resolution granting water to Walmart without their agreeing to annexation following completion of their store. I urge the Town Commissioners to table this resolution for the following reasons:

1. Walmart has not responded to community concerns as expressed in the Town Board’s resolution outlining these concerns, in spite of verbal reassurances from their public relations representative.

2. Walmart has not submitted a request in writing for water service specifying their lack of interest in annexation.

We have been told that Walmart has “cleaned up its act”. This is a perfect opportunity for Walmart to show the world how they have cleaned up their act by sending a decision making representative to meet with Town Commissioners to discuss water service and other issues expressed by the Town Board. If Walmart chooses to ignore our concerns then their new image is an illusion.

Bob Miller

Editor:

The town made its position clear on water: Walmart doesn’t like it, the town caves in. I hope voters are paying attention.

Two bizarre arguments were made at the last Board meeting.

1: We gave water to Dollar General so we have to give it to WM or we get sued.

Really? Does making one bad decision mean that future boards have to continue making bad decisions? Do we let anyone who threatens us get their way?

2. If we don’t give them our valuable water without their paying taxes like actual town residents do, they’ll get county water and no one will annex in the future.

Of course no one needs to annex in the future if we keep giving out services without demanding annexation. Plus it turns out the cost of tying into the county supply is about 5 times the amount stated at the last Board meeting. The Town is saying annexation is dead. New builders have no incentive to annex when they can get cheap services.

How about a town motto? Build near Oriental. Don’t pay taxes. Get free services paid for by Oriental taxpayers.

And watch Oriental taxpayers have their rates go up to provide infrastructure support and police services from now on.

Is there a de-annexation petition this resident can sign? Sounds like a better and cheaper deal for all given the new Town attitude toward real residents.

Roger Bullis
Oriental
10/24/13

To The Editor:

I heard the news today that the Town Commission will reconsider the offer to provide water to Walmart. If I understand the issue correctly, the Town Commission voted on October 1 to allow Walmart to connect to Town water only if they agreed to annexation after construction. Walmart refused the offer but still wants Town water. Does the Town need a meeting to allow Walmart’s refusal to stand? So, the next move by the Town is to cave in completely? If not, why have a meeting? The issue has already been decided.

The only appropriate negotiating position for the town at this time is to do nothing. Force Walmart to make the next move. The town has followed its policy of requiring the Commission to vote on any request for Town water outside its boundaries. Why back down at this point?

Walmart has indicated to the Town of Oriental that the Town’s ideas of “working with the town” are not the same as Walmart’s. Their idea of cooperation is that the Town works with Walmart to make the business environment favorable for Walmart. The Town’s interests are not relevant to them.

If the town provides water to Walmart under these conditions, it will nullify the relevance of the October 1 vote. What was its purpose?

Doug Sligh
Oriental
10/23/13