Bob Albury believes he has just what it takes to be a good Camden County commissioner: good common sense.

"It's good to be smart, to have a lot of intelligence," Albury, 61, says. "But you've got to have common sense to go with it. I can bring that to the board."

Brett A. Clark/The Daily Advance (ENLARGE)

Bob Albury, a Republican candidate for the Camden Board of Commissioners, stands in his business, The Dusty Attic, in Camden Tuesday.

Albury, an antique dealer and former sheriff's deputy, is one of two Republicans seeking Jeff Jennings' open Courthouse Township seat on the Camden Board of Commissioners in next month's May 6th primary. Jennings declined to seek a third term.

The winner of the GOP primary between Albury and accountant and college professor Michael McLain will take on Democrat Joey Coppersmith in November's general election.

Albury, who made three unsuccessful bids for Camden sheriff in the 1980s and 1990s, says he has plenty of common-sense proposals that could help Camden spend its tax dollars more wisely.

For example, he said the $200,000 the county spent on a walkway-bikeway along the Dismal Swamp Canal in South Mills could have been better spent on the county schools.

"The money could have served all the children in the county, not just people coming into the county," he said.

Albury believes commissioners need to change their spending priorities to help county residents. One project he would urge funding for is a public beach along the Pasquotank River.

"I've had a number of people mention to me that with all the water we have in Camden, all of the (Pasquotank) River, there is hardly any place for people to go swimming," he said.

Albury says waterfront property in Camden is quickly vanishing. That's why he believes commissioners need to look soon at finding a parcel that can be purchased for a beach.

"It's an idea," he said.

Albury also believes the commission needs to do more to attract businesses to the county. He would explore the idea of offering tax incentives as a lure, he said.

"We have an area set aside for an industrial park at the Belcross area," Albury said. "We need to form a committee to find these businesses and offer incentives (to them) to come to Camden. We could offer them reduced taxes for a while."

Albury said he has other ideas for making the county more pro-active about attracting business and industry.

"Maybe we can set up a research group and send them out and find industries that would come into Camden," he said. "We need to extend our sewer system so we can attract this industry."

Without industry and more business, Camden will continue developing into a bedroom community for the Elizabeth City and Hampton Roads, Va. areas, Albury said.

"I believe we need to concentrate more on getting clean industry into Camden, not so much housing developments," he said.

Albury said Camden's rapid residential growth — the county has been considered among the nation's fastest-growing counties — is quickly filling up the county schools.

"We don't need to overload ourselves with housing developments when schools can't handle the children going in," Albury said. "The infrastructure of the county can't handle it."

Although he wants commissioners to do more for county residents, Albury also believes the county could do more to boost tourism. The opening of the new Great Dismal Swamp State Park is a good start, he said.

"We really don't have any tourist attractions" in Camden, he said.

This is not Albury's first run for political office. He ran unsuccessfully three times for Camden sheriff.

"I didn't think the county was getting what it needed in law enforcement," he said.

After leaving the sheriff's department in the 1980s, Albury worked for the federal government in law enforcement for naval security forces in Norfolk, Va. He retired in 1996.

Albury and his wife now own and operate the The Dusty Attic antique store in Camden.

"I lived in here for 40 years," he said. "I know most of the people in the county."