BARCO — Development, land use, a proposed Navy airfield and open government dominated the debate during a Currituck candidates forum here Thursday night.

About county 100 residents attended the "Meet the Candidates Night" event sponsored by the Currituck Chamber of Commerce and held at Currituck County Middle School.

Justin Falls/The Daily Advance (ENLARGE)

Michael Cherry (far right), a Democratic candidate for the new District 1 seat on the Currituck Board of Commissioners, speaks during a candidates forum at Currituck Middle School, Thursday night.

The forum featured all eight Republican and Democratic candidates in contested races on the May 6 primary ballot.

Among the participants were the four candidates — Democrats Ernie Bowden and Michael Cherry, and Republicans Vance Aydlett and Keith Hill — vying for the newly created District 1 seat on the commission board. Bowden is the incumbent in the race.

Also in attendance were Democrats Jerry Wright and Roy Etheridge, the two candidates seeking the newly formed District 2 seat in Lower Currituck, and Democrats Stanley Griggs and William Etheridge, who are seeking the board's newly created second at-large seat.

In response to questions, each of the candidates agreed that the U.S. Navy's proposed outlying landing field in neighboring Camden County would be bad for Currituck. However, the candidates did express some differences about land use and future development.

Hill, a radio ad consultant, said the county needs a new land use plan to guide development.

"It's old and antiquated and hasn't been updated in years," he said.

Hill acknowledged that developing a new land-use plan might be costly, but he believes occupancy tax revenue could be used to pay for it.

Wright disagreed, however, that the county needs a new land use plan. He said the current plan was just adopted last year.

Wright, a member of the committee that developed the plan, also pointed out that it was written after the panel spent several years receiving public input on growth and development from communities across the county.

William Etheridge, who is a member of the county Planning Board, also challenged Hill's assertion that the land use plan needs to be replaced. He said the plan is user friendly and like Wright, pointed out that it is only one year old.

"A child could read and understand it," he said.

Griggs said the county is going to grow, but he cautioned that, like the rest of the nation, Currituck will be facing tough economic times over the next few years. He said the county will need to carefully balance development in order to keep taxes low, adding that services will continue to grow to meet the demand of a growing population.

Several candidates were specific about where they think development is needed. Hill said that he would like to see a robust Moyock corridor and low-cost housing in southern Currituck. He also said that Corolla should be preserved.

All the candidates agreed that economic development is crucial to Currituck's future and for sustaining a low tax rate.

Aydlett said the county needs to attract companies that pay higher wages and developers that build affordable housing.

Cherry said the key to attracting good businesses is having the proper infrastructure, including water and wastewater.

Bowden said the county needs to attract light industry that is non-polluting.

William Etheridge said the county has plenty of subdivisions but few recreational facilities for youth. He favors more recreational services, including a recreation center.

In response to a question about open government, most candidates said they believe it is essential to maintaining the public's trust.

Wright said county leaders need to do a better job of keeping the public and news media informed.

"I think openness is the foundation of our government," he said.

Aydlett agreed, saying that open government is the centerpiece of his campaign.

"There shouldn't be any secrets whatsoever in government," he said.

Bowden, however, said that some things have to be discussed in private, such as personnel matters, legal issues and the acquisition of land.

Roy Etheridge agreed in part, saying that sometimes public officials discuss things in private because they don't have all the information they need to inform the public.