Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / June 7, 1984, edition 1 / Page 1
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The News - Journal The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 Volume LXXV1 Number 7 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, June 7, 1984 12% tax hike proposed for Hoke County budget By Warren Johnston Hoke County taxpayers may be facing a 12. 8^0 increase in ad valorem taxes if approval is given to a budget recommended for the upcoming fiscal year. If the proposed budget, which was given to members of the Hoke County Commission on Friday, is OK'd, the tax rate would be in creased from 70 cents to 79 cents in order to raise $283,000 in addi tional revenue. The ad valorem tax increase would be coupled with additional funds provided by the statewide one-half cent sales tax, to raise revenue and expenses by about S 540,000, or 12%, over last year's $4.5 million county budget. Included in the recommended budget are: ?Funds for improving the physical condition of the county schools according to a plan pro posed earlier by a 21 -member citizen's committee. ?An allowance for a 7.5V? pay increase for most county employees. ?A school operating fund in crease of 10%, or about $87,000 less than was requested by the Board of Education. ?Funding for airport im: provements and an airport com mission. ?Increased funding for the Hoke County Ambulance Service, excluding pay raises for emergency personnel. The increases would cost owners of a $30,000 home $27 more and $50,000 homeowners $45 in addi tional county taxes. If the budget is approved, four of the county's main industries will carry about 23% of the burden of the tax hike by paying more than $65,000. Based on current evaluations, Faberge's taxes would be increased by $27,540, Burlington's by $26,640, House of Raeford's by $7,900 and JRA Industries' by $2,900. School plan funded According to the budget pro posal, 60% of the county share of one-half cent sales tax, or $270,120, would be given to the schools for capital improvements. Under state law the county is allowed to keep 60% of the sales tax in general operating funds and must give the schools 40% for capital repairs. The shift of the 20% means about $90,000 more for the schools. - If those funds are allowed to re main, in the budget and "continued for i0 years, the money would cover the cost of a S10.2 million school improvement program and would repay the debt on a propos ed $2.5 million bond issue. Also included in the proposed budget is $200,000 to replace roofs on schools and $79,500 for annual school maintenance. All of the additional school allocations were recommended by the 21 -member school facilities committee. If funded, the plan would build 78 new classrooms in the county and would upgrade the condition of existing facilities. As of last July, Hoke County owed $720,000 on existing school bonds. Funds for the school's operating budget are also recommended to be increased from approximately $940,000 to about $1.1 million. The recommendation cuts $87,000 out of the Board of Education request. The reduction was made after meetings between County Manager James Martin and school administrators. Pay raises eyed Besides the increases in school funds, additional money has also been recommended which would (See TAX, page 14A) Standing alone This Hoke County day lily cuts a striking pose as it Becky Jones ) grotvs along the edge of- an area pond. (Photo by Federal funds available for four lane Federal funds may be available to cover the cost of constructing two additional lanes on U.S. Highway 401 between Raeford and the Cumberland County line, the director of the federal Highway Administration said Friday. "However, in order for Hoke County to obtain the funds, local officials must lobby with the state Department of Transportation (DOT), the governor and Con gress, Highway Administration Director Eric Bolton said. "It's got to come through them," Bollon said. * The question of widening the road came up when a delegation from Hoke County formally re quested the work during a DOT hearing last Tuesday. County Commission Chairman John Balfour, Commissioner James Albert Hunt, County Manager James Martin and Chamber of Commerce President Steve Parker appeared at the hear ing in Carthage to re-emphasize the county's desire to have the road widened. Local officials see the road im provements, which were funded during the 1960's and promised to be completed before 1972 by then North Carolina Governor Bob Scott, as vital to the county's con tinued growth. *'I think we got their attention again," Balfour said after the .meeting. The latest funds, which could be available for the widening of Highway 401, are part of the 1982 federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act, that are designated for primary and secondary roads. Requests for those funds would have to come from the DOT or from Congress, Highway Ad ministration Divisional Ad ministration for North Carolina Kenneth Bellamy said Friday. The funds are part of the recent federal gasoline tax charged to repair and maintain interstate highways, bridges and roads. In most states about 85^0 of the funds collected in the state are returned to the state. North Carolina is one of the 12 states in the nation which have not gotten a full allocation, Bellamy said. The funds which have not been returned would be available for projects like widening U.S. Highway 401, Bellamy said. Although Hoke County has been attempting to get the im provements made to the road for more than 20 years and has made recent requests for the work, Bellamy said he had not been con tacted about providing funds for the project. As of Friday, no inquiries about widening Highway 401 had been made to the North Carolina Divi sional office of the federal Highway Administration by either the DOT or by the office of Eighth District Rep. William G. Hefner, Bellamy said. "I can't be absolutely sure about the highway department, but I would remember an inquiry from a Congressman," the highway ad ministrator said. Most of the effort to obtain the funds must come from the DOT, but Hefner would help with ob taining funds for the widening of Highway 401, a spokesman for the Congressman's office said Mon day. "We're very supportive," spokesman Bill McEwen said. Hefner will write North Carolina Secretary of Transporta tion William R. Roberson Jr. and to DOT District Board Member Martha Hollers suggesting the use of the federal funds for U.S. Highway 401, McEwen said. Federal funds for Highway 401 could be available, but Hoke County must work through Hollers to obtain them. Stale Highway Administrator Billy Rose said Friday. "Keep in touch with your board member. She can be important in changing the process." Rose said, noting that Highway 401 could be moved up the priority list. Even though members of the board might change after the elec tion of a new governor, Rose said new board members traditionally respect projects on the priority list. "If the board approves it, fund ing would be available," he said. Hollers said she was not sure how much she could do for (he project before she left office in November. ? "There is not much 1 can do," she said. Around Town B> Sam Morr-v Sunday and Monday seemed to me like summer arrived a few weeks in advance. When the temperature gets above 90 degrees the first -of June, you can say we are in for a hot summer. Anyway after the cold days last week, most of us are ready for the weather to stay warm for awhile. ? ? ? The Heart Association Golf Tournament that will be played at the Arabia Golf Course should be of interest to most golfers that like to play in tournaments. The play is open to both men and women and is a team of four best ball tour naments. Southern National Bank is co-sponsor of this event. The format is an 18-hole best net 2-of-4 balls. The event will allow handicaps up to 18. The tourna ment w.ll be played at Arabia on Wednesday, June 13 and the win ning foursome will advance to the Pro- Am Golf Championship in Pinehurst where the winners will receive a $5,000 purse. More details are published elsewhere in this issue of The News-Journal. For further details, call Rebecca Smith, 87S-37I7; Steve Parker, 873-3738 or Arabia Golf Course, 875-3524. ? ' ? ? Be sure to look at the Gradua tion section in this week's issue. (See AROUND, page I4A) Quiet moment This Ho(te County pooch takes a few moments to snooze and perhaps dream about September when school witt begin and the hectic kid filled days of summer will be over. The dog probably couldn 7 care less that we have taken a look at the school graduates for 1984 in Sec tion B of today's News-Journal or that we have the names of the seniors who captured awards and scholarships on page 8 of Section A, but that's OK. ( Photo by Becky Jones ) Man dies in Antioch wreck A 34-year-old Red Springs man was killed after the car in which he was riding left the road and crash ed in the Antioch community on Saturday. James Sherman Knight, of Rt. I, Red Springs was killed in the wreck, according to the in vestigating State Trooper John Giidewell. Also in the car were two other Red Springs residents. Grady Vaughn Locklear was the driver of the vehicle and was charged with driving while im paired (DW|), driving while his license was revoked and manslaughter. Jimmy Jacobs was a passenger and was not charged, Glidewell said. Burlington Park given nod By Ed Miller Construction of a new park on the land adjoining Burlington In dustries was given a green light Monday after members of the Hoke County Commission voted to accept a matching $20,000 state grant for the project. The local funds to match the park grant are in the budget recommended for the coming fiscal year, County Manager James Martin said. The total cost of ^constructing the new Burlington Park will be $40,074, county Parks and Recrea tion Director Denise Melton said. The park is expected to include ballfields, a concession stapd and a parking lot. The largest expense for the pro ject will be the construction of the concession stand at a cost of $15,000. Cost estimates do not include labor, and Melton said she hoped that county labor could be used for building the concession stand. However, Martin said county crews were committed to other projects and would not be available to work on the park. An effort would be made to get help from the Army Corps of Engineers, Melton said. County CommMon Chairman John Balfour also questioned the approximate S31 per square foot cost of the stand. Other major costs of the park are $12,030 for ballfMd construc tion, $1,210 for drain*** im provements. $6,840 for parking and $3,914 for ball field fencing, a budget estimate said. First Responder held In other business, the commis sioners tabled action for the third time on the First Responder Pro gram. Insurance costs are still the stumbling block. After a recent meeting with county fire chiefs and Fireman Association representative Bobby Strother, it was determined that more county departments would like to participate in the program than was originally anticipated, Commission Vice Chairman James Albert Hunt said. Strother, who has been representing the program in com mission meetings, said that he had been talking with a representative of Pioneer Insurance, of Fayet teville, and that Pioneer would in sure all of the 180 firemen in the county against mal-practice and liability for SI, 701 per year. Strother also said that the com pany told him that, since the first responder volunteers will not be doctors, there should be no need for malpractice insurance. This policy will cover the coun ty's firemen including first res ponders for $350 more per year than is now being paid, Strother said. % Under the present insurance policy, such coverage would cost $100 per person. North llaeford Fire Chief Johnny Baker said Burke County, John Balfour the first county in the state to im plement a first responder program, found that the system is "working well." Burke also has a county Rescue Squad and an ambulance service much like Hoke County. Hoke County Rescue Squad member Jim Wade told commis sioners that he is concerned about the costs of replacing supplies in the trauma kits as they are used by first responders. These supplies would be replac ed by the hospital that accepted the patient much in the same way that ambulance supplies arc now replaced, Strother said. There would be no additional (See FIRST, page 14A)
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