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Ballance ‘drafted’ to fill Sears’ slot on Hyde board
Preparing to help county fix problems
By NIKIE MAYO
News Editor
Eugene Ballance, Hyde County’s newly nominated commissioner candidate, says he didn’t chase the nomination.
“I didn’t really seek it,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I was kind of drafted.”
A native of Ocracoke, Ballance was nominated Monday to finish the remaining term of late Commissioner Nathan Sears, who died in a Virginia hospital earlier this month after a lengthy illness. The Hyde County Democratic Party’s executive committee chose Ballance over Corky Pentz, a hotel owner on the island.
Commissioners are expected to appoint Ballance to the board at their next meeting.
Ballance, a lifelong commercial fisherman, says this week isn’t the first time he has followed a course he hadn’t expected to navigate.
“I was a math major in college and was planning to be a teacher,” he said.
But after graduating from Campbell University, Ballance said, he “took advantage of (then) good crabbing prices.”
“It’s what I’ve done all my life since,” he said. “It built my house.”
In keeping with his choice to make a living on the water, Ballance has served on several advisory committees of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.
“I’ve done a lot of work with North Carolina Sea Grant,” he said.
The program, funded in part by the General Assembly, focuses on research, education and outreach programs that help make the state’s coast and its resources sustainable.
In his new role, Ballance said, he hopes to help Hyde County “solve problems.”
“It sounds like (commissioners) have been left with a lot of problems from a lot of sources,” Ballance said. “I hope I can be helpful there.”
Ballance said he thinks the remainder of Sears’ term is “about 15 months or so.”
“I hope I can improve communication for everybody,” Ballance said. “People over here pay a lot of taxes, and they are very concerned about what they get for their money. I hope I can get them the answers.”
The vote count from Monday’s meeting of the executive committee was not available Tuesday.
“They didn’t announce it,” said Hyde County Sheriff David Mason, who nominated Ballance during a meeting held at Ocracoke’s Community Center.
Mason said county Democratic Party Chairwoman Janet Sears Russ had the tally, but attempts to reach her Tuesday were not successful.
By NIKIE MAYO
News Editor
Eugene Ballance, Hyde County’s newly nominated commissioner candidate, says he didn’t chase the nomination.
“I didn’t really seek it,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I was kind of drafted.”
A native of Ocracoke, Ballance was nominated Monday to finish the remaining term of late Commissioner Nathan Sears, who died in a Virginia hospital earlier this month after a lengthy illness. The Hyde County Democratic Party’s executive committee chose Ballance over Corky Pentz, a hotel owner on the island.
Commissioners are expected to appoint Ballance to the board at their next meeting.
Ballance, a lifelong commercial fisherman, says this week isn’t the first time he has followed a course he hadn’t expected to navigate.
“I was a math major in college and was planning to be a teacher,” he said.
But after graduating from Campbell University, Ballance said, he “took advantage of (then) good crabbing prices.”
“It’s what I’ve done all my life since,” he said. “It built my house.”
In keeping with his choice to make a living on the water, Ballance has served on several advisory committees of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.
“I’ve done a lot of work with North Carolina Sea Grant,” he said.
The program, funded in part by the General Assembly, focuses on research, education and outreach programs that help make the state’s coast and its resources sustainable.
In his new role, Ballance said, he hopes to help Hyde County “solve problems.”
“It sounds like (commissioners) have been left with a lot of problems from a lot of sources,” Ballance said. “I hope I can be helpful there.”
Ballance said he thinks the remainder of Sears’ term is “about 15 months or so.”
“I hope I can improve communication for everybody,” Ballance said. “People over here pay a lot of taxes, and they are very concerned about what they get for their money. I hope I can get them the answers.”
The vote count from Monday’s meeting of the executive committee was not available Tuesday.
“They didn’t announce it,” said Hyde County Sheriff David Mason, who nominated Ballance during a meeting held at Ocracoke’s Community Center.
Mason said county Democratic Party Chairwoman Janet Sears Russ had the tally, but attempts to reach her Tuesday were not successful.
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