To the Editor:

I attended the Southampton County Board of Supervisors meeting on 8/28/2017.

Our Board of Supervisors may sink to a new low. They are proposing giving a $30,000 annual subsidy to the Cypress Cove Country Club’s golf course. This is in addition to the almost $10,000 in yearly real estate tax cuts the Cypress Cove Country Club already gets. Not one of the board members spoke against this proposal. This proposal was given under the guise that it is for the children in the county.

The $30,000 for this was hidden in the 2017-2018 Southampton County budget: Page 58, under Shared Parks & Recreational opportunities with the City of Franklin.

The county Board of Supervisors denied money for teacher raises and money to hire badly needed teachers. The county Board of Supervisors raised our tax rate .03 cents to .85 cents.

But, alas, the county Board of Supervisors were able to find money to ensure that county Board of Supervisor member Barry Porter and a bunch of other old men will have a place to play golf, dine and drink booze in private.

This is not what our hard-earned tax dollars are supposed to support.

This is a sad day in Southampton County. Is there any wonder why we do not trust our elected representatives?

I would suggest to County Board of Supervisor member Ronnie West and The Tidewater News Publisher Tony Clark that if they want to subsidize the Cypress Cove Country Club, that they join the Cypress Cove Country Club and pay dues. Don’t take money out of our pockets, the tax payers, to subsidize your hobby.

This proposed subsidy will be discussed at the Southampton County Board of Supervisors meeting on 9/25/2017, at 7 p.m. Go to the meeting if you can or call your County Board of Supervisor member if you can’t go to the meeting. This proposed subsidy will pass if the Southampton County Board of Supervisors does not hear from the taxpayers.

John Burchett
Courtland