75 -Cent County Property Tax Proposed
By BILL 8TUDENC
Edltor
Madison County residents would
see the property tax rate fall by 24
cents for every $100 worth of property
they own, under a proposed budget
for the 1988-89 fiscal year.
That's according to a budget
recommendation prepared by county
finance officer Ralph Rice, who is
proposing a total county budget of
$11,018,576 based on a property tax
rate of 75 cents per $100 assessed
valuation.
Currently, Madison County proper
ty owners are paying tax at a rate of
99 cents per $100. But even if the
Madison County Board of Commis
sioners adopts Rice's recommenda
tion, that doesn't necessarily mean
that taxpayers can look forward to.
paying less tax next year.
The recent revaluation of property
in the county has resulted in some tax
values increasing by as much as
three times the 19(7-88 amount. But
other landowners saw their property
values increase by only a small
percentage. The varying impact of
the tax revaluation on individual pro
perty values will mean that aome
folks will have a higher tax bill, while
some will have a lower tax bill.
County officials had hoped for a tax
rate lower than the 75 cents per $100
recommended by Rice, but the total
county wide impact of the valuation
was not nearly as great as an
ticipated, Rice said.
The 1967-88 budget will be based on
a total county tax base of more than
$391 million, according to figures pro
vided by Rice. That compares to a tax
base of about $207 million last year.
"The tax base is at least $60 million
lower than we had hoped. We had
hoped that it would be at least $450
million,'' Rice said.
Based on the new tax base, an ad
valorem tax rate of 75 cents per $100
would bring in 92,645, OM in revenues,
Rice said. In 1987-88, the 99-cent tax
rate and 9207 million tax base
generated 93,249,271 in revenue, he
said.
Ricc's proposed budget of
911,018,976 is 91-2 million more than
last year's approved budget of
99,821,778 and 9804,392 more than the
amended budget of 910.2 million
Of course, Rice's proposal is cur
rently just that - a proposal - until
the Madison County Board of Com
missioners takes action to approve
the final budget picture. The commis
sioners have scheduled a public hew
ing on the budget for 1 p.m. Monday,
June 27, in Madison County Cour
thouse.
By law, the county is required to
have an approved budget in place by
July 1.
-Continued on back page
Brown Satisfied With Budget For The Coming Year
By BILL STUDFNC
Editor
The Madison County Sheriff's
Department could be back up to full
staff - and may even be able to add a
deputy - under a proposed budget
prepared by the county finance of
ficer.
Ralph Rice, finance officer, has
recommended that the Madison
County Board of Commissioners give
$286,420 to the sheriff's department
for the coming fiscal year.
That amount, If approved later this
month by the commissioners, is some
$78,500 less than the $365,000 re
quested by Sheriff Dedrick Brown,
but $51,291 more than the total
amount of county funds allocated to
the sheriff's department in 1987-88.
Brown and the county commis
sioners became embroiled in a con
troversy earlier this year when com
missioners criticized the sheriff for
spending more money than allocated
to his department.
Commissioners told Brown to lay
off three 'deputies in order to keep
from spending more money than the
county had on hand. Brown instead
laid off four dispatcher/jailers and
closed Madison County Jail. He later
re-opened the jail with a volunteer
staff.
Rice's proposed $11 million budget
would provide enough money to the
sheriff's department to allow Brown
to rehire the dispatcherailers, retain
his four deputies and perhaps add
another deputy.
Rice said he has been working
closely with Chief Deputy Dal Peek
on the new budget.
"Hopefully, we've got something
here we can both live With," Rice
said. "They're not getting as much as
they want, and I'm trying to look at it
through both the taxpayer's situation
and their request."
The proposed $286,420 allocation
would provide enough money for
salaries for four dispatchers and
would allow Brown to keep the jail
open, Rice said. Brown had said if he
does not receive sufficient funding
from the county, he would be forced
to close the jail permanently.
In fact, Brown may be able to hire
an additional deputy if he can make
minor cuts in other areas within his
department, Rice said.
Brown said is "pretty well
satisfied" with the budget proposal.
"We're working together pretty
good," he said. "We're pretty well
satisfied with it so far. We still have a
few things to iron out."
Brown also said that not all of the
proposed $286,420 allocation would be
coming out of Madison County tax
payers' pockets.
"About $67,000 of that is from other
sources - from feeding prisoners for
the state, from grant money, from the
Forest Service and from the towns for
the PIN (Police Information Net
work) system," he said. "So we'd
really be getting about $219,000 from
the county . "
Other county departments did not
fare as well in the proposed budget.
Perhaps the most controversial
aspect of Rice's recommendation is
in the county ambulance service.
Rice has recommended that the
commissioners allocate $309,462 to
the ambulance service - $45,000 less
than the service received in 1967-88
and $74,000 less than requested for the
-Continued on back page
Sheriff Dedrick Brown
Madison High Lady Patriots softball team celebrates its
victory. The Lady Patriots captured the state 2-A softball
championship with a 9-2 victory over the Clayton Comets.
This is the first state championship in Madison's 15-year
history.
Lady Patriots Are Number One
Lady Pats Capture Conference Title
By BOB KOENIG
It was a weekend to remember, one that April Brooks, Melanie Ramsey,
Elke Worley and Sonya Gahagan will surely never forget. The four young
ladies received their high school diplomas Friday night and won a state cham
pionship the following day
The four seniors were among a talented squad which captured the state 2-A
softball championship with a two-game sweep of Clayton H.S. The victory br
ings Madison the first state championship in the school's 15-year history.
The Lady Patriots enjoyed the home field advantage in the early rounds of
the state playoffs, but were forced to travel to the Raleigh area twice last
week to complete their quest for the championship. Between Wednesday's 4-2
opening game win over the Comets and Saturday's 9-2 victory, Brooks.
Ramsey, Worley and Gahagan returned to Marshall to receive their diplomas.
The new graduates scarcely have time to savor graduation before they
boarded a bus for the return trip to Clayton. Following the six-hour bus ride,
the Lady Patriots wasted no time in wrapping up the championship.
Madison took advantage of Clayton fielding mistakes to score three unearn
ed runs in the first inning. Singles from Brooks, Gahagan and aa RBI single
from Nicfc Wallin would give the Lady Patriots all the runs they would need.
They would later add three runs in both the fifth and sixth to put the game out
of reach.
With their pitching ace Melanie Ramaey on the mound, the Madison defense
held the Comets scoreless through the first six Innings. The Comets mounted
their most serious challenge in the fifth when the first three Clayton hitters
Melanie Ramsey was named
Lady Patriot's most valuable
player during the conference
tournament. Ramsey pitched in
all but one of the lady Patriots' 28
games and finished the season
with a record of 2<Mi.
Ramsey, who pitched in all but one of the Lady * games, finished
the seaaon with a record of 2(K? The six-foot burier, who also ran track and
played on the school's volleyball and basketball teams, was named the tourna
ment s most valuable player. pg
Both Ramsey and teammate Elke W or ley, the Class of 1988 valedictorian
plan to attend Mars Hill College m the foil.
The long road to the state < ! < , "ship began with wins at home over Bast
r and Starmount The season's biggest win before
in the ptsyofH semifinal showdown with Piedmont
. ? -> ^
ived in I
|aM
Tractor-Trailer Burst Into
Flames Near Weaverville
From Staff Reports
A tractor-trailer burst into flames
l9-?3 sear WeaverviUe last
Thursday when its gas tank exploded.
In an unrelated incident in Weaver
viUe last Wednesday, a large barn us
ed to store farm equipment was
destroyed by Are.
The tractor-trailer, hauling cement
blocks for the foundation of a mobile
home, caught fire near the New Stock
Road at about 12:45 p.m. Thursday,
said WeaverviUe Fire Chief John
Penley.
John Buckner, driver of the truck
owned by Budget Mobile Homes of
Asheville, was not injured in the fire.
"He said he heard noise looked
out tha back window and say fire
coming out of the back," lfenley said.
The truck's 50-gallon gas tank had
ruptured and the gasoline ignited,
sending flames shooting up to 30 feet
into the air, he said.
"We had a pretty rough fire when
we got there," Penley said.
Twelve fighters from Weaverville
and Reems Creek fire departments
used foam to extinguish the blaze.
The truck was a total loss, Penley
said.
In last Wednesday's fire, 75
chickens perished when a large barn
filled with farm equipment caught
fire on Wooten Cove Road.
The barn, owned by Joseph G. Rice,
was destroyed by the fire. Penley
estimated damage to the structure
and property at nearly $25,000.
The cause of the fire is unknown
and is under investigation.
A total of 17 firefighters from
Weaverville, Reems Creek and
Jupiter responded to the blaze.
Madison High Students
Receive Diplomas
Nearly 200 Madison High School
seniors received diplomas Friday
during the commencement exercises
in the O. E. Robets Stadium.
The ceremonies began with the Na
tional Anthem sung by Jennifer
Gault, followed by the invocation by
Tammy Young. StiMent Council
President, Shannon VanEtten gave
the welcome.
"We've been one big family, but
each will go their own way, yet, no
matter how far we go. this is our
home. We built our foundation in
Madison County," Van St ten said
.During the ceremony, a s uprise
speaker and guest addressed the
graduates State Superintendent of
Education Mr. Craig Phillips con
gratulated the seniors on a Job well
done and thanked the Class of 88 for
letting him be a part of their celebra