Relationship Between Mayor And Tour Company Owner Has Become An Issue In The Debate

A zoning ordinance to allow helicopter tours originating from with the city limits of Carolina Beach in North Carolina will be on the agenda of the Town Council January 10, and a relationship between the owner of a company that could benefit from the zoning and the town's Mayor may be part of the discussion.

While many of the usual objections over noise in a residential community have been raised, the Port City Daily reports that may residents are very concerned that High Tide Helicopters owner and chief pilot Jessica Ward is in a romantic relationship with Carolina Mayor Dan Wilcox. The relationship came to light in May of last year, when Ward made an initial presentation to the council seeking permission to operate from Carolina Beach.

Wilcox at the time said he had no financial interest in the company, or any say in its operation. "I'm not in the helicopter business, and I don't want to be," he said, according to the report.

But residents say that the meeting, planned for next week, is the direct result of the relationship.

While the council was unanimously opposed to the idea last year, the panel is now reportedly evenly split with one member undecided. Some residents say that Ward has gained influence on the council through an association with former town attorney Steve Coggins, who filed an application for a use permit for High Tide Helicopters in September of last year.

Ward was involved in a publicity stunt gone bad in August of last year. She was hired by a tech company promoting a mobile phone app to drop paper money and promotional materials into the water off Wrightsville Beach during a college weekend event. She was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FAA.

Carolina Beach Mayor Pro Tem LeAnn Pierce is the only undecided member of the Town Council. She said that the relationship between Ward and Wilcox is "personal" and not a factor in the meeting. Pierce said that companies other than High Tide Helicopters have expressed interest in operating from Carolina Beach, and at least one is considering applying for a permit. She added that the meeting last year ended without any specific direction on such businesses. "It's just about whether it's good for the town," she said.

Alex Torres, one of the principal opponents of the zoning, said residents plan to pack the council chambers to "standing room only so they won't be able to ignore us."

FMI: www.carolinabeach.org/town_administration/index.php, Agenda