PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXV NO. 23 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLF NC 28349 JUNES. 1980 12 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
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Duplin Tax Rate
Up Two Cents
The Duplin tax rate
increased 2 cents per, $100
assessed valuation when the
budget of $7,727,253 was
approved by the board of
commissioners Monday.
The proposed budget calls
for a tax levy of $4,093,973
which would require a tax
rate of 70 cents per, $100
valuation. One cent of tax
, brings in $58,455, Budget
Officer and County Manager
Ralph Cottle said last Friday.
In 1977, the tax rate was 99
cents per,$100 valuation on
an assessed valuation of $308
million. The octennial re
valuation, required by state
law, raised the assessed
valuation to $559 million.
The county board lowered
the tax rate from 99 cents to
72 cents per $100 valuation in
1978. In 1979, the tax rate
was decreased again to 68
cents. The county's valuation
was increased to $586 million
in 1979. The county's 1980
valuation has been set at
$615 million.
The tax levy for 1977 was
$3,049,000. For 1978, the
year the new valuation went
into effect, the levy was
$4,024,000. In 1979, the levy
was $3,643,226.
The overall budget for the
1979-80 fiscal year is
$9,391,211. The figure in
cludes $800,000 in five spe
cial state and federal pro
jects.
The county expects to re
ceive $3,633,280 from
sources other than the ad
valorem tax levy for the
1980-81 fiscal year. Revenue
sharing is estimated at
$791,000 for the next fiscal
year compared with $875,000
for the 1979-80 year.
Plans for the revenue
sharing fund include $29,400
for four sheriffs department
cars; $290,600 to balance the
general fund; $75,000 for a
garbage truck; $200,000
capital outlay to the school
system; $71,000 capital out
lay to James Sprunt Tech
nical College and $50,000 to
the Limestone-Muddy Creek
Watershed project.
The school system will
receive $145,000 in capital
outlay money from the
general fund. The school
system is allocated
$1,555,000 in current ex
pense in the proposed county
budget.
SBA Loans
Delayed
By Congress .
I
By Emily KBlctte
No checks can be issued
from the Small Business
Administration until
Congress extends the
disaster funds, and Duplin
poultry fanners requesting
SBA loans face at least a
30-day delay after Congress
extends disaster funds.
When the late winter snow
storm dumped up to 18
inches on Duplin County, 138
. poultry houses collapsed
under the weight of the snow
and ice. Trapped in the
houses were about a half
million braiders and 200,000
turkeys, Duplin Agricultural
Extension Service figures
indicated. Duplin and the
surrounding counties were
declared a disaster area,
making poultry farmers
suffering a loss due to the
storm eligible for a low
interest loan from the SBA.
Duplin Extension Service
estimated the damage of the
storm totaled S10 million.
Farmers in Duplin continue
to suffer a loss of income
from their collapsed houses
and Extension Agent Snodie
Wilson says production of
poultry is down 5-10% in
Duplin. Duplin had a poultry
income of S100 million last
/ear, and this year Wilson
expects the income to be
about the same or less than
J I
in 1979.
The deadline to apply for
SBA loans was May 23, and
from Duplin County 27
applications were received at
the Charlotte SBA office.
From the 23 county disaster
area, 224 applications were
received, including Duplin.
To date, 17 applications have
been approved within the
disaster area with six of the
applications from Duplin.
According to SBA represen
tative Forest Gunn, no
checks can be mailed to the
farmers whose loans have
been approved until Congress
extends SBA disaster funds.
When Congress will act
upon extending disaster
funds for the SBA is un
certain. said Howard Baker,
administrative aide in
Congressman Charlie
Whitley's office. Baker
stated that the bill would
probably pass rapidly
through the House, but
would have to pass the
Senate after leaving the
House. And. at the present
time, the House bill to ex
tend SBA disaster funds has
not been scheduled for the
floor, he added. However,
Baker said, if funds are not
available by the end of this
fiscal year, approved SBA
loans will be filled at the
beginning of the next fiscal
year, October 1.
Williams Elected President
The Tar Heel Fine Arts
Society has elected Melvin
G. Williams of Route 2, Pink
Hill as its new president.
I Williams succeeds Mrs.
Barbara Guy of Faison who
served as president of the
2,000-member organization
for the past year.
Also elected were: vice
president, Mrs. Cleo Hobbs
of Warsaw; secretary. Mrs.
Willard Fussell of Teachey;
treasurer, Mrs. Violet
Phillips of Kenansville;
membership chairmen. Mrs.
Helen Boyette of Chinquapin
and Mrs. Jean Sanderson of
Beulaville.
Faison Budget
L Budget ofticer, Commis
' sioner William Igoe prer
sented the Faison town board
with the 1980-81 budget,
balanced at $317,878.
During the special meeting
to review the proposed bud
get last week, Igoe informed
the Board that a 7 percent
salary Increase had been
worked into the proposed
budget. The budget included
a $181,378 general fund. The
. tax rate in Faison will not be
' raised, according to the pro-,
to
posed budget, the rate will
remain at 57 cents per SI00
of property. A total of
$70,800 in current taxes, past
taxes, and tax penalties will
compose 39 percent of the
general funds for the 1980-81
budget.
Water and sewer revenues
along with other town de
partments meet the expend
itures of the department,
Igoe said. A total of $91,125
was allocated to water and
sewer bills. Expenditures for
- r-' * ??*?'< ??.? ">t
CONGRESSMAN WHITLEY SPEAKS AT
GROUNDBREAKING - Congressman
Charlie Whitley was the guest speaker at the
groundbreaking ceremony for the new home
of Coastal Production Credit Association and
the Federal Land Bank Association of
Clinton. Both Associations will locate in the
building which is to be constructed behind
the Farm Bureau Building across from
Duplin General Hospital in Kenansville.
Pictured above, Arthur Kennedy, chairman
of the Coastal Production Credit Association,
Whitley, John T. Peterson, chairman of the
Federal Land Bank Association, and
Kenansville Mayor Douglas Judge.
PCA And FLBA
.
To Build Joint Office
A new office building will
>e erected to house the joint
>ffices of the Coastal Produc
ion Credit Association and
he Federal land Bank As
sociation of Clinton, accord
ng to Roy Houston, Pres
dent of Coastal PC A, and
John A. Smith, President of
the FLBA of Clinton.
The new 14,200 square
foot building on Beasley
Street, in Kenansville, will
provide expanded services to
both Production Credit As
sociation and Federal Land
Bank Association borrowers.
It will also be the new
location of the Home Office
of the Federal Land Bank
Association. "We feel these
new facilities will result in
better cooperation between
the PCA and FLBA, provid
ing better service for our
borrowers", Houston and
Smith said.
The Production Credit As
sociation makes short and
intermediate term loans of
up to seven years for farm
and farm family living ex
penses to member borrow
ers. The Federal Land Bank
Association members.
Coastal Production Credit
Association serves 1,500
members in Duplin, Pender.
New Hanover and Brunswick
counties with loans outstand
ing in the amount of
$50,067,000. In addition to
counties served by Coastal
PCA, the Federal Land Bank
Association of Clinton also
serves Sampson County,
with 2.290 loans in these five
counties in the amount of
$89.0267,000.
The two presidents ex
plained that it was decided to
go ahead with the new
building in spite of current
high interest rates because
construction costs are down
now and it will result in a
saving of stockholders'
money. With a local con
struction firm being the suc
cessful bidder on the project,
the construction of the new
office will result in employ
ment opportunities for local
residents.
The new building will re
place the present office facili
ties on Rutledge Road that
have been outgrown.
Clark To Introduce School Bill
by Emily Klllette
A bill to elect the Duplin
County Board of Education
members by districts will be
introduced in the 1980
session of the state legis
lature by Representative
Doug Clark.
During the first five days
of the state legislature in
June, local bills which are
non-controversial can be
introduced and oassed. A bill
introduced with the support
of both the local represen- I
tative and senator will have
no problem passing through
the legislature and becoming
law, Rep. Clark said.
The bill Rep. Clark will
introduce at the request of
the Duplin County Demo
cratic Executive Committee
includes the election of board
of education members by
districts drawn along the
lines of county commissioner
districts. The members will
be elected to four-year terms
and must reside within the
district which they represent.
And, members of the board
of education will be sworn in
at the first meeting in
December following their
November election.
The executive committee
sent the proposal to Rep.
Clark in January and asked
that a draft bill be prepared
and returned to the
committee. At the April
meeting of the executive
committee, the proposed bill
for school board districts was
reviewed. Reviewing the bill,
the committee found that
Rep. Clark had added a
section to the original school
board proposal and required
a general election vote before
the bill could become law.
A general election vote is
not necessary to change the
method of electing the board
of education. But, Rep. Clark
explained in a newsletter
that a vote is necessary when
changing the method of
electing county commis
sioners, house representa
tives, and members of
Congress. Rep. Clark stated
the work of the board of
education is no less impor
tant than the jobs of the
county commissioners,
congressmen, and represen
tatives, and the general
public should have a vote on
the election process.
However, the executive
committee rejected Rep.
Clark's addition to the school
board proposal and returned
the draft bill asking that the
section requiring a general
election in November be
dropped. And. the
committee requested the bill
be introduced in the 1980
session of the state legis
A ? ?
lature, stating to Rep. Clark
in a letter, that a general
election would be a waste of
the taxpayers' money.
Rep. Clark announced that
he would introduce the
school board districting bill
in the June session of the
state legislature. He added,
the bill will not include the
section requiring a general
election vote before the bill
could become law. Rep.
Clark said he based the
decision not to include the
general election vote on the
lack of public interest in the
issue. Clark has not been
contacted by any of the
county citizens requesting a
copy of the bill. However,
Clark added that if a contro
versy arose within the
citizens of Duplin concerning
the school board bill, he
would not introduce it in the
1980 legislature.
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j mmm A m
PHILLIPS BECOMES EAGLE SCOUT - John Thomas
Phillips, Jr.. of Warsaw, was awarded the Eagle Scout
award last Sunday at Johnson Baptist Church. Pictured
\\V _____
above are: Carlton Rice, Croatan District Executive
Director, Mrs. Tommie Phillips, John Thomas, and
Tommie Phillips. Sr. See story on Page 2.
Proposed, No Tax Increase
the water department in the
proposed budget amount to
$44,325. the sewer, $46,800,
and total $01,125.
lgoe informed the Board
that $10,000 had to be
trimmed from the capitol
reserve fund. The Board had
requested $27,500 be put
into the capitol reserve fund
for the future purchase of a
fire truck ant' ->ther vehicle
replacement, lgoe explained,
during the budget presenta
tion that $17,500 was al
*
located to the capitol reserve
fund. $10,000 for the pur
chase of a fire truck and
$7,500 for vehicle replace
ment.
Revenue sharing monies
totaled $9,325 and the pro
posed budget calls for the
funds to be spent on side
walks, recreation, and the
fire department. A total of
$18,500 allocated in the
powe|l bill will be used for
maintenance, improvements,
and new construcion.
1
?*
"We have been conserva
tive in our revenue es'imat
ing and the revenue might be
a little higher," Igoe said.
"And we've been hard nosed
on the expenditures in order
to make cuts and balance the
budget."
According to town admin
istrator, Neil Mallory, the
proposed budget needs to be
adopted by July 1 when
Faison begins its 1980-81
fiscal year. However, before
the budget can be adopted
the Board will need to ho'd a
public hearing on the
budget. Mallary said, a copy
of the proposed budget
should also be available to
the public at the town hall,
A public hearing will be
held on the proposed budget
June 11 at the town hall
beginning at 7 p.m. Further
discussion of the budget by
the Board was scheduled for
the regular meeting of the
town commissioners, June
4th.
i
Sign-Up Limited
On HUD
Water System
The water system between
Kenansville and Greenevers
will be in use by mid-July,
said Duplin water systems
coordinator Alfred Dixon.
Construction of the distri
bution system for the water
project, which is being
funded by the Department of
Housing and Urban Develop
ment, has been completed
Dixon said contractors would
begin the process of connect
ing homes to the system this
week. According to Dixon 51
percent of the 177 potential
users have signed up for
connection to the system.
The remaining 87 users will
have the option to sign-up for
service but will have to come
to the finance office in the
Duplin Courthouse, Dixon
said.
All potential customers
had been contacted at their
homes and connection to the
HUD water project was ex
plained during that meeting,
Dixon said. Any user who
signs up before the contrac
tor passes their home during
the stage of connecting
homes to the distribution
system will pay only a $10
connection fee. Persons
wishing to connect after the
conractor passes the resi
dence will be charged a $255
tap-in fee, Dixon said. He
added, contractors will be
connecting homes for the
next three to four weeks,
after which the water will be
turned on the 18 mile
system.
Water rates will be $7.50
for a minimum of 2.000
gallons, and the average bill
will be approximateliy
$9-$10. Water for the system
will be purchased .from the
Greenevers and Kenansville
systems. The county will
purchase water from Green
evers at a minimum price of
$25 a month. The minimum
will include provision for up
to 20,000 gallons each month
and addition water each
month will be purchased at
55 cents per 1,000 gallons.
The town of Kenansville
signed a water supply agree
ment under similar terms as
the Greenevers contract.
I