DATE: Wednesday, April 30, 1997             TAG: 9704300519
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   57 lines

COMMISSIONER IN DARE SAYS HE IS FINALIST FOR UTILITIES JOB

The chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners is on a short list of candidates to fill two vacancies on the powerful North Carolina Utilities Commission.

If Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. is chosen by Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., he would have to give up his seat on the county commission, which could drastically change the face of local politics, where he has been a key player for a quarter of a century.

Owens confirmed Tuesday that he is among the finalists for the $94,000-a-year post. A decision on the appointments could come as early as today and no later than Thursday.

State law mandates that the governor must make appointments to the commission no later than May 1. The nominees must go through confirmation hearings in both the House and the Senate.

Hunt spokesman Sean Walsh confirmed that the appointments will be made by Thursday at the latest. Walsh would not reveal the names of other candidates for the regulatory panel. Nor would he say how many names are under consideration.

``It's not our policy to reveal who's on any short list, real or imagined,'' Walsh said.

For Owens, who has twice withdrawn from consideration for a spot on the seven-member panel, the third time may be the charm. Speculation swirled around the county this week that Owens' appointment to the utilities board was a done deal. Owens sought to lay that speculation to rest.

``By no means,'' Owens said when asked if his appointment was a sure thing. ``I don't know that it will be me. Honest to goodness I love my job, I like what I'm doing. But this is one of the most coveted positions in the state. It's my understanding that he's interviewed 10 people.''

Owens said he learned that he was under consideration during a meeting last Tuesday in Hunt's Raleigh office. Owens, who serves as the governor's representative for eastern North Carolina at a salary of $73,000 annually, said his weekly Raleigh visit turned into a job interview.

``The governor's always calling me up there for this and that,'' Owens said. ``I got up there, and came to find out it was an interview more than giving me my list of things to do this week.

``I've turned it down twice,'' Owens said. ``I talked about it and thought about it. It's just time for me to make a change and move on, if he thought I'd make a good candidate.''

The Utilities Commission regulates rates for electrical, telephone, elecommunication, water and sewer concerns in the state.

``It deals with anything to do with utilities,'' Owens said. ``It's a quasi-judicial position.''

This is a hectic week in the state capital. Last week, the Senate approved an $11.4-billion spending plan, while the House is still trying to finalize its budget proposal. The two chambers must then meet to hammer out the state budget.

A number of names have already surfaced as a possible replacement for Owens on the Dare County Board of Commissioners, if the longtime chairman is selected for the utilities board.

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