The Hoke County News - Established 1928
The News-Tournal
Established 1928 ? - - -
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
Volume LXXVI Number 8 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA S 10 PER YEAR Thursday, 14, .984
Explaining
City Manager Tom PhlUlps ex
plains the budget proposal for the
coming fiscal year during a public
hearing Monday night. Phillips is
assisted by City Clerk Lisa
CUnard.
Vandals hit
Hoke church
By Ed Miller
Vandals have taken a large toll
on the windows of the Piney Grove
Mission Church during the last two
weeks.
On Friday, June 1, church of
ficials reported that all the base
ment windows on one side of the
church had been broken, as well as
all the windows in the church of
fice. <>
Some of the stained glass win-"
dows had also been broken out, a
Hoke County Sheriffs Depart
ment report says.
After the first incident, there
were rocks and pieces of broken
cinder blocks found inside of the
church, reports says.
Last Wednesday, William Holl
ingsworth reported that 19 more
windows had been broken out of
the church.
There were three children seen
leaving the area shortly after the
incident, Hollingsworth reported.
The vandalisms are under in
vestigation.
Around Town
By Sam Morris
Summer is with us and it's stilt a
week before the calendar calls for
it. The 90? weather for the past
week has caused most air condi
tioning units to work full time. The
forecast is for the same kind of
weather for the remainder of the
week.
It has been about two weeks
since we have had any rain and this
is causing problems to the
gardeners in the county. It seemed
for awhile that the weather was
perfect for the green thumbs, but
times have changed.
Maybe a thunderstorm will form
over the county in the next few
days.
? * *
Over 2400 people voted last
Tuesday in the second primary in
Hoke County and this was more
than some of us expected. Of
course this is not anything to brag
about, because it is still only about
30 percent of the folks that had the
right to vote in the county.
I was sitting at my desk in The
News-Journal office on primary
day and from the desk I can tee the
city parking lot in front of the of
fice. On that afternoon I saw Bill
McFadyen in his wheelchair, ac
companied by his father, N.L.
McFadyen, coming across the
parking lot to go to Precinct,
Raefoid 2, to cast his ballot. Can
you imagine the thoughts that went
through my head concerning peo
ple voting? It took much effort on
BUl's part to cast lib vote, bat to
many that could have just walked
to the voting place failed to do so
on the primary date. Wouldn't it
. (See AROUND, page 12)
Raeford tax rate raised by one cent
By Wimi Johnston
Members of the Raeford City
Council voted unanimously Mon
day night to hike the ad valorem
tax rate by one cent in order to give
municipal employees a 5^? raise in
pay
The increase was a compromise
from a budget recommended by
City Manager Thomas A. Phillips
which included a two cent tax hike
and a 7.5*7* raise for workers.
Action on the budget came dur
ing an advertised public hearing on
the city's financing.
Other than city employees, only
three agency directors, who were
requesting funds, attended the
meeting.
A 2-cent hike this year would
keep the city on an even basis with
the inflation rate and would ward
off a larger tax increase next year.
Phillips told the council members
prior to the vote.
Councilman Benny McLeod
suggested the tax compromise and
cutting of the pay hike to 51%.
The budget was given
unanimous approval, although
before the vote both councilmen
Vardell Hedgpeth and Bob Gentry
said they opposed any increase in
taxes.
"The county is talking about a
9-cent increase. I would like to see
us hold with what we got," Gentry
said.
In addition to the approved
raise, most city employees will also
receive a 2.5% merit pay hike dur
ing the coming fiscal year.
The hike brings the city's budget
to $2.67 million, which is up about
$168,000 over last year, Phillips
said.
The increase is 6.3V? higher than
the previous year and in line with
the current rate of inflation, the ci
ty manager said.
Sales tax down
Although figures issued by the
North Carolina Department of
Revenue show that the city should
receive from the newly imposed
one-half cent sales tax more than
$63,800 during the coming fiscal
year, the adopted Raeford budget
only includes revenues of only
54.8% of that figure, or $35,000.
Phillips defended the $28,800
difference on Tuesday by saying
that the budget was
"conservative."
"This is the only time of the year
we can raise local taxes. We have
to make sure we won't run out of
money before the end of the year,"
Phillips said in an interview.
Revenues from the one-half cent
sales tax are new. The city does not
have a history of collections to rely
on for the budget, he said.
"We don't know if we can de
pend on them," he added.
Each cent on the city ad valorem
tax rate would mean about $12,000
in revenue.
The difference between the
budgeted sales tax revenue and the
state's figures for collection is
more two cents on the local tax
rate.
According to the state figures,
Raeford received $15,960 for the
first quarter of this year. The
money is paid on a per capita basis
and is expected to increase when
more large counties join in the tax.
The first quarter figures did not
include counties like Lee, Wake
and Mecklenburg which have now
joined the tax.
Garbage rates set
The budget also includes the
establishment of commercial gar
barge pickup rates.
The service, which includes three
pickups per week, would cost the
users of the largest containers
$14.56 per month.
As a trade off, Phillips told
council members the city could
eliminate business privilege taxes.
However, $5,000 in revenues
from privilege license fees are in
cluded in the budget.
The matter could be reviewed
later in the year, Phillips said.
When Raeford got into the com
(See CITY, page 12)
I don 't think there's anybody in there
Members of the newly appointed airport authority
attempt to view the inside of the existing terminal
building through a window during an inspection of
the Raeford-Hoke County Airport on Monday. The
authority members found the door to the structure
was locked, but could see a playpen, a couch, some
toys and a parachute which were inside the building.
The group will be meeting in the first regular session
on Thursday. Those attending Monday's tour were:
left to right: L.E. McLaughlin, John Plummer,
Frank Baker and Wayne Byrd.
State airport grant funds
not restricted to terminal
Although a $75,000 matching
state grant is earmarked for
construction of a new terminal
at the Raeford-Hoke County
Airport, the funds could be us
ed for other "high priority"
projects at the facility, a
spokesman for the state
Aeronautics Council said Mon
day.
The state money must be mat
ched on a SO-SO basis. Last week
county officials questioned the
need for a $ ISO, 000 terminal at
the airport and suggested that
members of the local airport
authority And additional uses
for the funds.
If the airport authority
chooses to alter the grant re
quest to include other projects
like runway lighting, taxiways
and other non-income produc
ing improvements, the revision
will probably be approved by
the Aeronautics Council,
spokesman Jay Pate said.
The revised request will be
compared with other projects in
the state and if the council
decides that the application
should be given a high priority,
then the Hoke County grant will
be approved, Pate said.
"Based on past history, they
have never denied a request
unless it was considered low
priority," the spokesman said.
"They have always tried their
best to fund them," he added.
Constructing taxiways, im
proving runway lighting, in
creasing the apron area, resur
facing or lengthening runways
would have high priority, he ad
ded.
Under the provisions of the
grant, projects like building
hangars which could be rented
to generate revenue are not
eligible for funding.
Those types of projects can
be funded through conventional
sources, Pate said.
Both Raeford and Hoke
County administrators have in
cluded $47,500 for the airport in
the recommended budgets for
the coming fiscal year.
In the recommendations,
$37,500 each would be used to
match the state grant and
$10,000 each would fund other
improvements and operating ex
penses at the airport.
Members of the airport
authority are expected to decide
about the use of the state funds
before the end of the fiscal year.
Cash, chemicals stolen from area firm
Thieves netted almost $22,000 in
chemicals and cash last week
following a break-in of an Arabia
Dundarrach area business.
The break -in at Farm Chemicals
Inc., which is located at the old
Mildouson School, apparently oc
curred sometime last Wednesday,
company owner Alfred K. Leach
told investigating Hoke County
Sheriffs deputies.
A safe containing about $800 in
cash and farming chemicals
reported to be worth over $21,000
were taken, reports show.
Leach reported that the lock had
been removed from the main door
of the building and ban securing
the doors on the north end of the
building had been taken off.
Some sort of cutting tool was us
ed to remove the lock on the main
door, reports say.
Although an investigation is
continuing, there are not many
leads in the case. Sheriff Dave Bar
rington said this week.
Footprints, as well as tire tracks,
were found around the scene,
reports say.
In an unrelated incident, a
Raeford man had to undergo
surgery following a stabbing in
Hoke County last week.
James 'McLean, 60, was alleged
ly stabbed by his 25-ycar-old
daughter, Karen McLean, reports
say.
The incident is alleged to have
occurred after an argument during
which McLean hit hit daughter
with a cooking pot, reports say.
Karen McLean said in the report
that she was defending herself
when she ran at her father with a
knife.
McLean was taken to Cape Fear
Valley Hospital where he under
went surgery for the wounds, the
report says. He is apparently
recovering.
Karen McLean was served with a
warrant accusing her of assault
with a deadly weapon with intent
to seriously injure but was not put
in jail, a sheriffs department
spokesman said.
According to the source, she was
taken to the department for ques
tioning.
In other matters, Carolina
Power and Light (CPAL)
spokesman Donald W. Need ham
reported to sheriffs deputies that,
on two occasions last week, spans
of wire were stolen from poles in
Hoke County.
(See STABBING, page II)
County cuts tax plan,
mulls sheriff s woes
By Ed Miller
One cent was shaved from a pro
posed nine-cent tax rate increase
by members of the Hoke County
Commission Monday night during
a budget work session.
Although no official action was
taken by the commissioners during
the work session, most areas of the
county's budget were scrutinized
and cuts were suggested.
The brunt of the commission's
cuts Monday night fell on the pro
posed school budget.
While no proposed cuts have
been made on items put into the
school budget from the "blue rib
bon" facilities study committee,
the commissioners recommended
county school appropriations of
$1.16 million be sliced by more
than $33,000 to $1.12 million.
The Board of Education had
asked for an original figure of
$1,249,819, but that figure was cut
by County Manager James Martin
to a recommended Si. 16 million.
If made official, the final figure
proposed by the commissioners
will be $120,669 less than the
original request by the school
board.
Other proposed cuts dealing
with the school's budget, which
were suggested Monday, dealt with
the revenue sharing portion of the
request.
Commissioners proposed that
four mobile classrooms, to be put
at J.W. Turlington School, not be
bought and a paving project at
South Hoke be cancelled. By cut
ting the revenue sharing expen
ditures, $42,000 would be saved.
Commissioners are expected to
suggest that the Board of Educa
tion use an alternative plan recom
mended by the "blue ribbon"
committee to solve the noise prob
lem in classrooms under the Turl
ington gymnasium. That alter
native is to not use the gym during
class hours.
In discussing cuts in other areas
of the county budget, commis
sioners were divided on a proposed
7. 5ft pay hike for county
employees.
While none of the Board
members were against a salary in
crease, commissioners James
Albert Hunt, Neil McPhatter and
Cleo Bratcher voiced approval of
the total raise while Chairman
John Balfour and commissioner
(See COUNTY, Page II)
Hoke officials urged
to huddle with DOT
on highway widening
Members of the Hoke County
Commission and other "concerned
citizens" should schedule a
meeting with state highway of
ficials to determine what im
provements should be made to
U.S. Highway 401, District
Highway Commissioner Martha
Hollers said Monday.
Hollers, who said she had been
contacted by U.S. Rep. William G.
Hefner about the road, said local
lobbying was the key to getting im
provements made to the 10.6-mile
stretch between Raeford and 71st
High School.
About $200,000 has been ap
proved for improvements to the
Hoke County portion of U.S.
Highway 401 for the coming fiscal
year, and local officals and others
should meet with state Highway
Administrator Billy Rose to deter
mine where the money should be
spent.
The funds, which were slated to
be used for adding asphalt
shoulders to the highway, could be
shifted to fund a passing lane or
for other improvements in
(See MEETING, page 8)
What a mess
This dumptter, serviced by a contractor for Hoke County, was
overflowing last week. Located on Rockfbh Xomd, Jmt above
Scurlock School, the dumpster has been the eamae of complaints to Use
county. According to sources, area resldmts have bam trying to dam
up the trash periodically, but faced with this scene, they have ap
parently given up. (Photo by Pam Frederick) . ,