The Bald Head Island Transportation Authority is working to acquire the system’s privately-owned assets, valued at $47 million. (Port City Daily photo/Johanna F. Still)
BALD HEAD ISLAND A week after the Bald Head Transportation Authority met and a majority approved moving forward with purchasing the island’s ferry system for $47 million, the island’s political leaders drafted a letter to the state treasurer, opposing the sale as it currently stands.
The authority is
mandated by legislation to purchase the system, owned by Bald Head Island Limited LLC. Though there’s no deadline baked into the law that created the authority for this purpose, trustees have been working at this for three years last week’s move to apply for revenue bond approval marked its most significant step yet.
After a post-closing transition period, the public authority will own and operate a
wide network of assets, including the mainland and island marina, 36 acres of mainland vehicle parking, a 2003 and 2006 catamaran, two aluminum monohulls built in 1987, a 2017 tug boat, deck barge, and all of its 12-seat trams.
‘The Alamo’
It’s not every day the legislature creates a brand new government agency. “I think that’s maybe what attracted me to take this appointment,” BHITA Chair, Susan Rabon, said Thursday. Appointed by Governor Roy Cooper, Rabon has chaired the authority since it was first created by
“The whole idea, the day this closes it’ll be status quo as far as somebody getting on that ferry,” Rabon said. “They won’t notice a difference.”