Snowden vs. Currituck County

In 2008, Currituck County was found violating the Open Meetings Law in North Carolina. It is noteworthy that despite this prior court order, the county appears to have overlooked or forgotten the specifics of the 2008 ruling, even though the current county manager, Ike McRee, was serving as the county attorney at that time.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayana

The court case involves a stipulated agreement between the plaintiff, John H. Snowden, doing business as The Independent, and the defendant, Currituck County Board of Commissioners. The court finds that certain actions by the defendants, including attending a tour of the Port of Virginia and a meeting with Currituck County’s legislative delegation, constituted official meetings that required public notice under North Carolina statutes. The court concludes that the defendants did not comply with the notice requirements.

As a result of the stipulated findings of fact, the court orders the defendants to comply with official meeting notice requirements in the future. Additionally, the defendant Currituck County Board of Commissioners is directed to pay the filing fee for initiating the action and the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees. The court issues a consent judgment based on the stipulated agreement.