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County Faces Tough Budget Decisions
By BILL STUDENC
Editor
Although Madison County commis
sioners are still in the middle of
preparing the budget for the 1987-88
fiscal year, one thing was clear from
the start - taxes will be increasing.
That much is obvious because the
former Madison County Board of
Commissioners, shortly after losing
in last year's Democratic primary,
lowered property taxes from 90 cents
per $100 assessed valuation to 75
cents per 9100 - a decrease of 15
cents.
The current commissioners say
that controversial tax cut has put
them between the proverbial rock
and a hard place - they can either
leave the tax rate where it is and
drastically cut back on county ser
vices, or they can raise taxes to at
least the previous rate and maintain
services at current levels.
"Lowering it from 90 cents to 7S
cents did affect the county financial
ly," said Robert Capps, chairman of ~
the commissioners. "There's no ques
tion about that."
Capps said he has heard from state
officials that a 1 cent decrease in the
tax rate could mean up to $25,000 in
revenue.
"When you lower it 15 cents, well,
that's a lot of money," he said.
Commissioner Reese Steen agreed
that a tax hike is inevitable.
"We're going to have to raise taxes
because our fund balance - the
money set aside for emergencies - is
Raid Nets $75,000
In Marijuana
From Staff Reports
The Madison County Sheriff's
Department confiscated more than
100 marijuana plants, with an
estimated street value of $75,000, in a
drug raid at a Mars Hill apartment
complex.
Authorities arrested three people
and charged them with possession
and manufacture of a controlled
substance.
Deputies found the marijunana
plants in boxes and planters behind
Ivy Ridge Apartments in Mars Hill,
said Madison County Chief Deputy
Dal Peek.
Authorities suspect that the plants
were apparently ready to be
transplanted onto a hillside behind
the apartment building, Peek said.
N.C. Wildlife Commission officers
assisted county deputies with con
fiscation of the plants, said Madison
County Sheriff Dedrick Brown.
"This is a result of an on-going in
vestigation and the sheriff's depart
ment's commitment to its war on
drugs, utilizing inter-agency coopera
tion," Brown said.
Charged with one count of posses
sion of a controlled substance and one
count of manufacture of a controlled
substance were:
? Kenneth Lee McAbee, 23, of Ivy
Ridge Apartments in Mars Hill.
? James Curtis Ball of Ivy Ridge
Apartments in Mars Hill.
-Continued on back page
Marshall Collects
Late Water Bills
By BILL STUDENC
Bfltor
Marshall residents who have delin
quent water bills had better pay up.
The town is finally following
through on its long-time threats to
stop water service to customers who
have not paid their water bills.
And the "get-tough" attitude
already appears to be paying off.
Less than a week after announcing
that water service will be cut off to
delinquent customers, the town has
received 92.S06.99 in overdue
payments, according to figures from
Linda Dodson, Marshall town clerk.
That amount came from 10 water
customers who owed amounts rang
ing from $114.19 to 1458.20.
According to Dodson's records,
Marshall water customers owe the
town a total of $14,394.01. With the re
cent payments, that total is down to
$11, 887.08.
The Marshall Board of Aldermen
agreed to aggressively seek payment
of delinquent bills earlier this iqonth
after learning that the town would
stand a better chance of receiving a
-Continued on back page
'They've still got Mine decisions to make. Based on what
they decide, the tax rate could go from 90 cents up to $1.09. '
Janice Burke
Fiscal Expert
totally depleted. Revenue sharing (a
federal program) has been stopped,''
Steen said.
"We're very much dependent now
on local tax dollars. Therefore, we're
going to have to go back to at least the
previous rate," he said. "We haven't
cut services and, in some cases, state
and federally mandated services
have actually increased.''
Steen said he did not believe the
county commissioners can cut ser
vices. "Since we're really have
minimum services now, it's very
hard to cut them," he said
Capps agreed. "To maintain the
services we feel our people deserve
and want, we re going to have to raise
taxes to continue providing those ser
vices," he said "I think most people
know this."
"We have two choices - we can cut
services or become more efficient,"
Steen said "I prefer we seek ways to
make county government more effi
cient."
ANNE KITCHEIX PHOTO
Captain Parker's cornet case is on display at the Dry Ridg
Museum.
WeavervilLe Woman
Finds Town's March
By ANNE KITCHELL
Staff Writer
When Mrs. W. Arthur Robinson
stumbled upon a dusty musical
case last year, she had no idea she
had discovered a missing piece of
Weaverville's history.
The story began shortly after
her mother's death last year when
Robinson was sorting through the
family possessions.
Robinson, the daughter of
William Parker (also known as
Captain Parker), was going
through and throwing away things
in the house when she came across
her father's old cornet case.
Inside the case, along with the
original instrument, was a
musical composition written for
the cornet called "The Weaver
ville March."
"1 took the music to the band
master at North Buncombe High
School, Wally Brown, and he
played the piece for the first time
in two generations in the Dry
Ridge Museum last year," Robin
son said.
She said that Brown took the
music, which was composed for
-Continued on back page
During a series of recent budget
workshops, the commissioners have
arrived at aVough draft of the 1967-88
budget. . Janice Burke, assistant
director of fiscal management with
the N.C. Local Government Commis
sion, helped county officials draw up
the rough draft.
According to the rough draft, the
commissioners are looking at a total
budget of $9,767,444. If that budget is
approved, Madison County taxpayees
can expect to pay 98 cents for every
$100 of property they own, Burke
said.
"They've still got some decisions to
make," she said. "Based on what
they decide, the tax rate could go
from 90 cents up to $1.09."
Commissioners have discussed
changing the way revenues from the
half-cent sales tax are distributed.
Currently, 40 percent of the original
half-cent sales tax gnati to the county
school system for construction and
repair projects, while 100 percent of
the latest half-cent tax goes to the
schools.
State law, however, only requires
counties to allocate 60 percent of that
second half-cent tax for school con
struction and repair.
What county officials decide to do
about the half-cent sales tax distribu
tion could be a factor in the county 's
tax rate, Burke said.
Commissioners say they want to
hold all county departments to the
same level of funding allocated in the
-Continued on back page
School Board
Hires Attorney,
Finance Officer
By ANNE .KITCHELL
Staff Writer
The Madison County Board of
Education appointed a new finance
officer and replaced longtime school
board attorney Larry Leake during
the third extension of the board's
regular meeting last week.
The board agreed to hire Ron Smith
of Hot Springs as the school system's
new finance officer. That decision
came after board members inter
viewed Smith and two other can
didates.
Jan Franklin, who resigned as
county finance officer , served as in
terim finance officer for the school
Kvetfea. .
The board went into executive ses
sion for more than three hours to
review applications and interview
candidates. Smith was chosen for the
position in a 3-to-2 vote and will begin
his duties July 1.
The board also agreed to hire Mars
Hill attorney Forrest Ball to replace
Leake as the school board attorney.
Ball will begin his duties Monday. i
Those in favor of Leake's replace- <
ment were Jimmy Dean Hensley, <
Mike Jenkins and Jim Baker. There <
were no votes against, but Gerald
Young and Franklin Anderson abs- t
tained from the vote. No reason was i
given for Leake's dismissal. [
In otl^r business, Madison County c
Commissioner Reese Steen told the t
school board that commissioners i
have made a commitment to meet the
proposed $1.4 million budget for the
school system.
"We will repay the school system
the amount that is due," said Steen
"Money will be paid before or in
June, before the fiscal year begins
July 1.".
Vocational rehabilitation counselor
George Abbott addressed the board
with a proposal to hire a job place
ment counselor in Madison High
School two and a half days a week.
There is currently no one available to
counsel students on future employ
ment possibilities.
Board members voted unanimous
ly to hire a counselor M -a ?at' 9f
$3,586 per year.
In other action :
? The board approved the disposal
of 11 surplus vehicles
? Mike Allen, newly hired com
munity school coordinator, addressed
the board concerning parental and
media involvement in the schools.
Allen told the board that each
school needs an active parent teacher
srganization, as well as media
coverage of school programs and
events.
Last Thursday's meeting was the
hird time that school board
nembers have met this month. Com
tletion of the proposed budget for the
nming fiscal year prevented the
ward from addressing other items on
ts agenda until last Thursday
Upper Laurel Subject Of Book
By ELIZABETH SQUIRE
Feature Writer
The lore behind such Madison
County place names as Wolf Pit
Mountain, Wolf Laurel, California
Creek and Puncheon Fork is deacrib
ed in a new book, "Upper Laurel and
Her People," by Delia Tipton Brit
tain.
The book, which deals with the nor
theastern corner of the county that
borders on Yancey County and Ten
nessee, describes many 19th century
and early 20th century customs such
as home doctoring and exchanging
news at the country store.
Brittain, now in her 80s, grew up in
Upper Laurel and, in a way, started
the book in her formative years there
She recalls that, as a girl, she was
considered a bookworm but that few
books were readily available. She
read the Bible from cover to cover,
school texts and a few other bpoks
such as "Grimm's Fairy Tales
"Pilgrim's Progress" and "Alice
Wonderland," available at scIhx
And she read the newspapers h
mother pasted over the mud and li
walls of the main room in their hous
Then, lacking mote books, Britts
listened carefully to all the stories
local history and all the backgrou
of nearby families. She said she fi
the history might, for example, <
plain such Madison County expn
sions as "What's your hurry? Did y
come to borrow fire?" (She says s
figured that expression came frt
the days people in the more isolat
parts of the county had matches -
if the fire went out it was easier
borrow fire from a neighbor than
strike sparks from a flint >
In 1881, Delia Tipton, second
nine children of Yance and Magf
Tipton of Upper Laurel, marri
-Continued on back page
Group Looks At Tourism
<*-?
n Weatarn North Carolina dur
ing a meeting with t epreaontatives
tha Tennessee Valley Authority
"The county is humming,' said
Runell Rowe of Spring Creek.
"From Mart Httl and the count \
chamber of commerce to the Mar
shall Merchants' Association, people
North Carolina is considered thin
the top 10 rated areas in the South,
cording to a "Southern Urii
survey.
"The federal government I
already made a great investmen
the forests, as has the BUtm