Land Developers donate $11,900 toward candidacy
Campaign finance filings (from the NC State Board of Election) by Fred Whiteman (Moyock), primary candidate for the Currituck County At Large Commissioner’s seat, indicate he has raised $18,150 in his primary race against incumbent At Large Commissioner Mary “Kitty” Etheridge (Shawboro).
Whiteman’s campaign donations exceed the $14,500 base compensation for elected members of the Board of Commissioners.
Whiteman’s fundraising surpassed both the $1,000 threshold for local first quarter reporting, and the $10,000 threshold requiring quarterly filing at the state level.
Incumbent Etheridge was not required to file a first quarter campaign finance report as she has spent or raised less than the $1,000 quarterly limit.
Campaign Donors
Campaign donors identified in the first quarter filing include:
- Ocean City, Maryland developer Todd Burbage – $5400
- Moyock developer Justin Old – $4000
- Virginia Beach developer Charles “Chip” Friedman – $2000
- Shawboro developer James Ferebee – $500
Donations from land developers totalled $11,900 of the $18,000 total – 65.5%.
| Update According to Currituck County Planning Department Records; records in the NC Secretary of States office; records in the Currituck Register of Deeds office; and records in the Currituck County Tax department database – Todd Burbage, Whiteman’s greatest contributor, is the registered agent of 85 and Sunny, LLC. 85 and Sunny, LLC – the registered owner of the former Hampton Lodge Campground property on Churches Island is currently involved in a lawsuit against the County of Currituck, involving their attempts to upgrade / increase use of the Campground property – now known as Outer Banks West KOA. |
The quarterly report indicates that one donation of $2000 from Allied Properties was refunded. According to the NC Secretary of State corporations database, Allied Properties, LLC was formed on December 31, 2014 with Justin M. Old of Moyock as the registered agent.
In-kind donations by Whiteman to his own campaign totaled $4250.17 of the $18,000 total contributions – 23.4%.
Expenditures
Whiteman had total expenditures of $14,388.69 according to 1st quarter campaign finance reporting. Items of note in campaign expenses include:
- $2,400 for “Clothing for Public Office”, including $2,200 to Men’s Warehouse
- $2,160 for “Signs”, Sign Hardware, Sign Posts
- $1,382 for “Heat Press for Apparel”
- $528 for “Poll Worker Apparel”
- $439 for “Printed Apparel”;
- $407 for “Vinyl for Apparel”
- $265 for “Heat Transfer Machine”
- $64 for “Meet and Greet”
Of no mention, in the reporting, is an expense item OR in-kind contribution for half of a prominent large billboard located in Moyock, managed by Ambrose Signs and on property owned by Brian Innes, father of Stuart Innes – the candidate challenging Incumbent Paul Beaumont for the District 4 Commissioner’s Seat.
An (almost) Historic Amount
Whiteman’s fundraising is one of the largest amounts raised in local election history.
One would have to go back to the 2008 race for District 1 commissioner to find a greater amount spent. In that race, challenger Michael Cherry (Democrat – Corolla) defeated long time incumbent Ernie Bowden (Democrat – Carova Beach) in the May 2008 primary election. Cherry went on to be defeated by e O. Vance Aydlett (Republican – Knotts Island) in the November 2008 General Election.
Indications are (this is still being researched / verified) that Cherry spent a total of nearly $30,000 on the primary and general elections combined.
