The Snug Harbor Property Owners Association proudly points to its participation in the Adopt-A-Highway program as a community service. On the surface, that sounds admirable. Who wouldn’t support cleaner roads and civic pride?
But when you look a little closer, the reality is far less impressive—and far more frustrating for property owners.
The County Is Already Responsible for This Work
The stretch of road designated for Snug Harbor’s “cleanup” is already maintained by Perquimans County. Roadside maintenance, litter removal, and general upkeep are core responsibilities of county government, funded by the taxes residents already pay.
That means this Adopt-A-Highway effort does not fill a gap in services. It duplicates work that is already assigned to—and budgeted for—the county.
In other words, property owners are being encouraged to volunteer their time to do a job that isn’t theirs to begin with.
Property Owners Shouldn’t Replace Public Services
There’s a big difference between volunteering where help is truly needed and substituting unpaid labor for government responsibility. When property owners are asked to clean up county-maintained roads, it raises an obvious question:
Why are residents doing work the county is obligated to do?
This kind of arrangement can unintentionally normalize the idea that public services are optional or that citizens should pick up the slack when government fails to perform its duties. That’s not community empowerment—that’s shifting responsibility without accountability.
Optics Over Impact
Adopt-A-Highway programs often function more as public-relations gestures than meaningful solutions. A sign with an organization’s name creates the appearance of civic engagement, even when the practical benefit is minimal or nonexistent.
In this case, the SHPOA gets visibility and goodwill, while the actual impact on road maintenance is questionable at best—because the road would be maintained whether SHPOA participated or not.
Time and Energy Could Be Better Spent
Snug Harbor property owners have limited time and energy. Instead of organizing redundant cleanup efforts, the POA could focus on issues that genuinely affect residents:
- Holding the county accountable for proper maintenance
- Advocating for infrastructure improvements
- Addressing neighborhood-specific concerns the county does not handle
Those efforts would actually add value for property owners rather than asking them to volunteer for work already covered by their tax dollars.
Community Pride Shouldn’t Mean Free Labor
There’s nothing wrong with caring about the appearance of your community. But pride shouldn’t come with an expectation that residents must perform unpaid labor for county responsibilities.
If Perquimans County is responsible for maintaining these roads—and it is—then Perquimans County should be the one maintaining them.
Until that changes, SHPOA’S Adopt-A-Highway program isn’t a meaningful service. It’s a symbolic gesture that costs property owners time while letting the real responsible party off the hook.