Madison Tax Rale 99* After 2-1 Vote different budget By BILL STUDENT Editor Madison County taxpayers will have to fork over 99 cents to county government for every $100 worth of property they own. That's after the Madison County Board of Commissioners approved by a 2-1 vote a 99,821,778 million budget for the 1987-88 fiscal year, based on an ad valorem tax rates of 99 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The new property tax rate is 24 cents higher than the rate in effect when the current commissioners took office, but 2 cents lower than the tax rate in a proposed budget studied two weeks ago by county officials. Tax payers had to pay 75 cents per $100 of property during the previous fiscal year; commissioners had considered raising the tax rate as high as $1.01. But commissioners agreed earlier this month that a $101 tax rate is too high, and sent the budget back for futher revision. The county's new budget comes after several weeks of figuring and refiguring - and after a tense public hearing on the budget Monday. Commissioner Reese Steen, who cast the lone "no" vote, presented his own proposed budget to the rest of the board, setting off a lively debate bet ween the three commissioners. Steen's budget, which included more money for the Madison County school system and less money for the county ambulance service and Department of Social Services, was based on the same total budget of $9.8 million. Steen asked commissioners Robert Capps and John Hensiey to give an additional $40,000 to the school system. The proposed budget presented to commissioners Monday by finance officer Ralph Rice allocated $763,333 to the school system - $76,667 less than the original proposed budget. "As usual, the July 13, 1967, budget is shorting our schools by giving them whatever is left over after we take care of welfare and making the 'good ol' boys' a job," Steen said, reading from a prepared statement. "It is time to change our thinking "We hired Mr. Rice to make ear flBudal decUi?i ten. and this ii what he's told 01 he caa live wtth." The trite saying 'put up or shut up' is very appropriate here," he said. "John Hensley, Bobby Capps and Reese Steen promised the people bet ter schools. It is time to invest in the future." "We can stand 10 or 20 of them (workers) out on the court house porch with a broom and that's net going to advance the county at ail." Commissioner Reese Steen Capps, board chairman, laid fafe agreed that the school system im if? need of more county funding - but not at the expense of other departments, especially the Emergeocy Manage ment Service. "You're talking about taking $15,000 from our ambulance service," Capps said. "Eddie (Fox, EMS direc tor) says if we cut it anymore thai we've already cut it that he'll either lose one person or one ambulance.". -Continued on back page Marshall Woman Dies In Crash From Staff Reports A Marshall woman was killed Wed nesday morning when the car in which she was a passenger plunged more than 42 leet off the side of winding Roberts Hill Road, landing on its top on U.S. 25-70 Business. Diana Kingston was dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred at about 8:60 a.m. Wednesday, ac cording to police reports. Mrs. Kingston, a Marshall real es tate agent, was a passenger in a 1976 Chevrolet driven by her husband, Richard Kingston, on Roberts Hill Road when the vehicle left the road about 400 leet from its intersection with U.S. 25-70 Business on the north end of town, said Madison County Sheriff Dedrick Brown. Kingston was injured in the acci dent and taken to Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville for treatment, said Marshall Police Officer Edward "Popeye" McLean. Kingston did not appear to be seriously injured, McLean said. Kingston apparently was able to get out of the car before it went over the side of the hill , be said . McLean estimated that the car was traveling no more than 20 mph at the time of the crash. "It wasn't going too fast," Brown said. "It didn't go through the air at all, it Just went straight down through the bushes." Authorities say that the vehicle went off Roberts Hill Road to the left on the last big curve on the twisting road before its intersection with U?. 25-70 Business. The car crashed over a hock wall and pfaagad nearly 43, landing on its top and apparently rolling once before coming to rest upside down on U.S. 25-70 Business, Brown said. The accident is still under inves Hot Springs OKs $175,000 Budget By STEVE FERGUSON Staff Writer After legal delays and adoption of an interim budget of $10,000, Hot Spr ings officials approved a $175,582 budget for the 1967-88 fiscal year Monday night. The Board of Aldermen had adopted the a proposed budget June 30, just before a July 1 deadline Town attorney Larry Leake, however, ad vised board members that they had not given 10 days public notice of the budget meeting, as required by state law The budget they had adopted was invalid and the town of Hot Springs could legally make no expenditures, Leake laid. On July I, the board held an emergency meeting and approved an interim budget of $10,000 so town employees could be paid and the town could meet other operating expenses. The board then set July 13 as the jew approval date for the budget. The $175,582 budget is based on the same ad valorem tax rate in effect during the 1986-87 fiscal year - 85 cents per 9100 assessed valuation. The biggest portion of the town's in come will be from property and sales taxes, totaling almost $70,000. Other income includes a franchise tax of $17,000 and restricted state revenues of $10,000. The town also expects almost $17,000 from Department of Transportation funds, and will run the sewer and water system at a cost of $39,500. Expenditures include almost $30,000 in police salaries and ex penses, $12,400 in electricity and $10,000 for the fire department. Other expenditures include in surance - $4,500, legal fees - $4,099. and gasoline $5,500. Authorities Say Man Raped 8- Year-Ol I. From Staff Report*, -year-old Marshall man has larged by authorities with rap ing M t-yetr girl several times dur ing the past three years The Madison County Sheriff's Department arrested Terry Collins Jr. of Collins Rwd, Marshall, last s -i- -.aL. 1.1 . - i*L. *. wgqk anacnwrgeawunnim wraiitrsi' degree rape Peek said Tuesday that oeen charged with raping the tfirl an ui number of times bet year During I -aus?- hearing Monday in Madison Courty Q ariot day afternoon, according to the Madison County Sheriffs Depart ment The sheriff'! office has also charg ed two more people with manufactur ing marijuana. Arrestee Saturday wer Jasp? 23, at, o! Auroa 111 i have been r t i. Authorities made the arresi aftei ducoverlng II marijuana plants MKE ALLEN PHOTO Diana Kingston of Marshal] was killed Wednesday morning when the car In which she was riding plunged off Roberts Hill Road and landed on Ma top en 17.8. *? TO, some 43 feet below *? curve-Ailed road. tigabon by tive Marshall Folic* De partment and the Madison County Sheriff's Department, authorities said. The N.C. Highway Patrol U also as sisting. Two Charged Witti Abducting Woman Found In Virginia Frem Staff Reports The Madison County Sheriff's De partment has asked the FBI to help investigate the apparent kidnapping of a 17-year-old Grapevine woman, allegedly taken against her will to Virginia by her brother and a Mar yland woman. The sheriff's department has charged Ernest James Marier, 30, of Falls Church, Va.. and Mary Jane SUck, 31, of Gaithersburg, Md.. with according to ChieTDeputy Dal Peek Marier and SUck were arrested late Monday by authorities in Lexi ngton, Va., Peek said. The two waived extradition and were returned to Madison County at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, Peek ?aid. Matter vaa being held la Mad ison County Jail, while Stack was, transported to women's facilities hi: Buncombe County Jail. Marler and Stack have been charged with kidnapping Matter's sister, Reba Dean Mailer, (ram her" Thomas Branch Road homo in the; Grapevine community sometime Mondsy mon^m Podtuld Authorities charge that Marler Uiibttr off ^ hor#? jifc''' beriatpacar" The vehicle left Madison County, stopping in Lexington, Va? later that day so that Qm three could (M some thing to est, Peek said. -Continued en back page .ranatng for mayor of Marshall Moore Enters Mayor's Race From Staff Reports Raymond Eugene Moore, an unsuc cessful candidate for alderman in 1965, has entered the race for the job of mayor of Marshall. Moore officially filed as a can didate for November's municipal elections Tuesday morning, said Lin da Dodson, Marshall town clerk Moore finished. In fourth place in balloting in the Marshall aldermen's race in 1965, just three votes short of election. Moore will run against incumbent Mayor Anita Ward, who filed last week for re-election. No other can didates have filed for municipal of fice in Marshall by early Tuesday afternoon, Dodson said. Moore, a 40-year-old shop foreman at Wilsdn Trucking in Swannanoa, said he would like to see economic growth return to Marshall. "I'd like to see some changes in this town, as far as growth is concerned," Moore said Tuesday. "I've had some people tell me they'd like to see more stores downtown and more parking." Marshall needs to attract more businesses to make the buiine?ei that are already here more com petitive, he said. "I'm not saying I can do anything, but I would like to be a part of seeing Marshall grow," he said. Moore said he was has no problems with the way the present administra tion has run the town - he'd just like an opportunity to see if he can