Treasurer argues administrative instability, proposed budget changes could impact operations
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Eight county administrators, six chief financial officers, five deputy administrators and four county attorneys in nine years.
Those figures formed the foundation of Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls’ criticism of county leadership during the May 26 Beaufort County Council meeting, where she argued that administrative instability is creating operational challenges for county government and affecting decisions being made about her office’s budget.
Speaking during public comment, Walls urged council members to approve the Treasurer’s Office budget as submitted, arguing that revenue projections are being underestimated and that proposed changes could ultimately impact service to taxpayers and other public entities that rely on her office.
“I do not want these things to happen, and I believe revenues are being overlooked that would ensure the budget remains balanced should you approve our request,” Walls told council.
Budget concerns
Walls said the Treasurer’s Office has consistently generated more than $4 million annually in interest earnings for the county’s general fund, while administration budgets less than $3 million in interest revenue each year.
According to Walls, budgeting a more realistic earnings projection would offset the funding request submitted by her office.
“I have consistently earned over $4 million in interest each year for the general fund alone, but administration budgets less than $3 million in interest revenue every year,” Walls said. “Budgeting a realistic earnings projection would more than offset our budget request.”
Walls argued that the issue extends beyond dollars and cents.
“Decisions that weaken this office do not simply alter spending,” she said. “They put at risk the performance, service and financial returns that our taxpayers have come to expect and every public entity in the county receives.”
The treasurer also accused administration of interfering with the operation of her elected office, saying county officials have repeatedly prevented her from advancing personnel-related funding requests.
“For several consecutive budget cycles, I have been restricted from advancing personnel-related requests,” Walls said.
Questions about leadership
While much of her presentation focused on budget concerns, Walls broadened her remarks into a critique of county leadership and governance.
She questioned why an administrator whose employment status was being discussed by council continued to make decisions affecting elected offices.
“To ask it simply, if the administrator’s performance and judgment may be deficient enough to lose his job, why is it acceptable for him to continue making unilateral decisions affecting an elected office?” Walls said.
Walls then pointed to what she described as a pattern of instability within county administration.
Over the last nine years, she said, Beaufort County has had eight county administrators, six chief financial officers, five deputy administrators and four county attorneys.
“At some point, we must ask whether the repeated turnover and operational disruption occurring within administration are isolated incidents, or evidence of a much deeper leadership and governance problem,” Walls said.
She argued that the issue facing council extends beyond the annual budget process.
“The larger question before this council is no longer simply what kind of budget you will approve,” Walls said. “It is what kind of leadership and governance Beaufort County is willing to accept.”
In a social media post following the meeting, Walls said she has spent nearly 15 years working to prevent instability within county government from affecting the Treasurer’s Office and the services it provides to residents.
Broader county discussion
Walls’ comments came amid ongoing discussions regarding county administration.
One week earlier, County Council held a special called meeting to discuss personnel matters involving County Administrator Michael Moore. At the beginning of the May 26 meeting, council announced that its executive committee would meet later that week.
The executive committee subsequently called a special County Council meeting for June 1, where council unanimously approved hiring an outside firm to conduct an inquiry into departments and personnel overseen by the county administrator.
No discussion followed Walls’ remarks during public comment.
The Treasurer’s Office is responsible for collecting and investing county revenues, processing tax payments and distributing funds to local governments, school districts and other public entities throughout Beaufort County.
County Council is expected to continue budget deliberations in the coming weeks as it works toward adoption of the fiscal year 2027 budget.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.