Merchants Make Tax Change Without Help From State
BY SUSAN USHER
pvfC^t Sciica vSui »TC
Brunswick County last week, but merchants made the
switch without any help from the state.
Although a representative of the N.C. Department
of Revenue's Sales and Use Tax Division said infomui*
tlun packets were mailed to all registered merchants In
the countj' several weeks in advance, local merviiants
contacted by The Brunswick Beacon said they hadn't
received any such packets before the tax went Into ef
fect last Wednesday.
However, those interviewed said they went ahead
and began charging five cents tax on the dollar, instead
of iVx Cents.
Cecil Kinsland, an administrative officer in the
sales and use tax division, said, “We did have a mailing
hi that county to aU rcgblcred merchants Ln that cminb.-
and to out-of-state businesses with locations in uuii
county.’’
In fact, he said packets were mailed io Brunswick,
Wilkes and Clay counties, since all three added the op
tional half-cent tax beginning this nionth.
Regardless of whether businesses received the
packets or whether they have begun collecting the tax,
t>^y oro rognonQlKjg fnr rwyinw rw Sii'J.
His office may have sent them, but "no one’s gotten
them,’’ said Anne Marie Schettini, director of the South
Brunswick Islands Chamber of Conrunerce. “Some peo
ple have forgotten it, to tell you the truth.’’
Pearl Steele, owner of the Islander Restaurant at
Ocean I.sle Beach, said Friday, "No ma’am. I haven’t
gotten anything. But we're adding five cents on the
dollar. That’s the only tiling we knew to do.’’
It’s “aggravating’’ not to have the new sales tax
rather than calculating the tax on each bill.
A* t 1««
Am stAOMk !•« GKnll#>4l«a
Kurt Meissner said the store adjusted its conip’m u.cu
cash registers Ti.iesday night, but not because it haii
heard from the state.
"Our main office told us we had to do it.”
.At The 'Winds at Ocasn Isis Beach, Manager
Kathy McLaurin said she simply changed the figure in
the office computer. She, too, had not heard anything
from the state.
So it was at Alan Holden Realty at Holden Beach as
well. “We have received absolutely nothing,” said Bet
ty Simpson. "They haven’t sent anything."
And, like other resort rental operations in the coun
ty, she has an additional issue she hopes the state
Department of Revenue can resolve.
Before .April 1, the realty firm made binding
agreements and collected deposits for rentab occurring
after that dste. She wajits to find out if the firm will be
liable for an additional half-cent tax on those advance
rentals, and whether there b any way to collect them
now.
Said Simpson, "We don’t know what to do."
County government will share proceeds of the tax
with the public schoob, with a declining annual percen
tage set aside for school capital outby cosb.
Brunswick County Commissioners agreed In
February to add the tax after tabling discussion of it
last fall.
Businesses that want more information on the tax
or an updated tax chart can contact the Department of
Revenue's Sales and Use Divbion at Box 25000,
Raleigh, NC 27640.
- I.- oj'u'iV:' pINOPFvY
Twenty-fifth Year, Number 22
SPRINGPORT m
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, April 9, 1987
ll^l\
ei9«7 INC MUNSWKK BCACON
25c Per Copy
I iimi
IM
34 Pages Plus Insert
STAfF FHOTO tl SUSAN USHIII
AMONG the Brunswick County Democratic Party of
ficers elected Saturday were Lyim EUb, third vice-
chairman; W.A. "BUT’ Stanley, chairman; Vernon
Ward, treasurer; and Tom Stmmoas, secretary.
AT DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
Stanley Pledges Full-Time Leadership
BY SUSAN USHER
In a contested race, W.A. “BUT’
Stanley of Bricklanding won election
Saturday as chairman of the
Brunswick County Democratic Par
ty-
On the single roU-caU vote, he
garnered 44 votes to Ocean Isle
Beach resident DeCarol
Williamson’s 23, with 17 precineb
vothig.
Hood’s Creek, WooJbuni, Town
Creek and Supply were not
represented at Saturday’s conven
tion.
Both candidates campaigned
heavily during a 15-minule break
called by Chairman Rex Gore before
the nominations and precinct
caucuses though delegate Odell
Williamson questioned that timing.
In hb acceptance speech later,
Stanley told the group, "I’m going to
be very active. I have nothing else to
do but be your chairman.”
By worUng closely with county and
precinct officers, he continued, “We
hope to- have the entire county
organized better than it has ever
been before."
In turn, Treasurer Vernon Ward
chaUenged Stanley to take as a top
priority formation of a men’s
organization that will be as active as
the Democratic Women.
He urged party members, “Get off
your buns and do it. The more active
you are, the stronger you will be as a
party."
St^ey, farmer chairman of the
Brunswick Technical College Board
of Trustees, said he decided only late
Friday to serve if nominated. And, he
told the Beacon, he’d prefer not if it
meant dividing the party.
Abo elected to two-year terms
were Jojuan Somersett of Grisset-
town, first vicehairman; Btherine
Rutler of Shallotte, second vice-
chairman; Lynn Ellis of SheU Point,
third vice-chairman; Tom Simmons
of BoUing Spring Lakes, secretary;
and Vernon Ward of Calabash,
treasurer, who was re-elected.
Outgoing chairman Gore prabed
party members’ involvement in the
1986 elections, noting (hat Brunswick
County had the highest percentage of
voter turnout in the state. Abo, he
said, the county was likely one of the
few to elect a Democratic sbte “top
to bottom.”
Delegates abo adcH>ted a resolution
opposing the possible establbhment
of a low-level nuclear waste site in
Brunswick County by the state
legblature.
And, Rep. E. David "Butch” Red-
wine responded to comments made
by Tommy Harrelson at the
Brunswick County Republican Con
vention in March, saying he couldn’t
let those “completely inappropriate”
remarks go unanswered.
At that meeting, Harrebon had
critized the county’s Democratic
leadership as allowing the county "to
go down the tubes” since 1975.
Not so, said Redwine, noting the
county’s growth and increased pro-
speri^. “We’ve come a long way
because we have had good
Democrab to lead the way. Wc cer
tainly don’t want to have
Republicans running Brunswick
County. We would see the same
things happening here as in
Washington and Raleigh. We would
lose the momentum we have going
now.”
"We have something good going on
here. Otherwise,” he said, "people
wouldn’t want to be coming here
from other ptaces.”
Commenting on what he called the
GOP’s negative view of the county,
he said what b needed b the
Democratic Party’s progressive,
(See REP. REDWINE, Page 2-A)
Commissioners Kill
i_ _ - • _ t A #*jlL
4^ounr/ z.oning vviin
Quick, Quiet 1 -4 Vote
BY SUSAN USHER
On a 1-4 vote Monday night,
Brunswick County Commissioners
quickly killed a proposal by member
Jim Poole’s to begin work on a coun
ty zoning ordinance.
They voted without any discussion
of the issue, with Poole the only one
favoring hb motion.
By hb tally, a majority of the
speakers at a March hearing on zon
ing either favored it or wanted a
referendum on the subject.
At meetings since that hearing,
commissioners have not'dbeussed
the subject publicly. There had been
little dbcussion of zoning before the
hearing as well.
Asked individually about their
votes after Monday’s meeting, other
commissioners said their tally of
public comments on zoning didn’t
coincide with Poole’s.
Said Dbtrict 2 Commissioner Ben
ny Ludlum, “I went with the hearing.
If we were to go with some or
dinances, I’d go for it, but not to send
it straight to the planning board.”
Ludlum added he’d would be will
ing to consider some sort of “spot”
zoning. “I'd be one of the first to say
we need that in my area.”
But he opposes such regulation in
rural areas of the county.
Other commissioners disagreed
with the concept of spot zonbig, say
ing that wuulu “Of
broader regulation.
Chairman Grace Beasley of
District 4 said she doesn't know what
zoning b and doesn't think the
average citizen in the county does
■ cither.
Pius, she added, “the county b so
varied it’s hard to do something that
would be fair to everybody.’’ ^
While District 1 Commbsioner
CJhris Chappell said he thinks a coun
tywide zoning referendum would
pass. District 4 Commissioner
Frankie Rabon said he doesn’t think
people want it.
“Based on the information I’ve
' received from citizens in the county,
they’re opposed to zoning. That’s
where I’m coming from.”
Chappell said he expeeb the coun
ty to eventually get into zoning, but to
first address problems that can be
addre.ssed by Individual ordinances
such as revbion of the county’s sub-
divbion ordinance to provide greater
protection for consumers, or adop
tion of a Junk vehicle ordinance.
“Everybody at the hearing said we
need changes, perhaps not drawn up
and calling it zoning, but some
changes. Then zoning will fit into the
picture.”
Hb own district was split, he said,
with urbanized areas along the coast
favoring zoning and rural areas
against it
As for Poole, Chappell said the
District 3 commisaiiHier’s action
r’''inii^t be misunderstood by people in
^^th^couhty. But, Chai^n aikled, "He
did what he needed to do; he did what
hb people asked him to do.”
The issue may not be settled;
Chappell said he expeeb it to come
up during the next commissioners’
election campaign.
In hb one-page typed statement
Poole said a zoning ordinance b the
process for developing county land
regulation, not premature action as
some critics suggested at the hear
ing.
(See ZONING, Page 2-A)
Holden Beach Administrator
Announces Plans To Retire
BY ETTA .SMITH
Holden Beach Town .Adminstrator
Bob Buck plans to retire July 31,
after having served in that position
for the past SM: years.
Buck submltt^ a letter stating hb
btentions to retire in an executive
session during the commissioners’
meeting Monday night
The commissioners are expected to
discuss Buck’s resignation during a
special called meeting scheduled for
9 a.m. today (Thursday).
Buck said he has pbnned to retire
thb summer for some time, but that
he will be available after July 31 to
assbt in any unflnbhed business if
requested.
“I have had much satbfaction and
pleasure working with the town
employees, the board and the citizens
of Holden Beach,” he wrote in hb let
ter to the town.
Buck retired from the U.S. Navy in
1965 and worked as the Brevard town
manager until he became Holden
Beach’s administrator.
He said he and hb wife Betty will
continue to live on Holden Bearh.
BOB BUCK
Redwine Seeks Opposition To Waste Site Amendment
BY SUSAN USHER
A proposal before the state House
of Representatives pub Brunswick
County in line as a likely site for stor
ing low-level radbctlve waste—and
has Rep. E. David Redwine trying to
arouse opposition to the plan among
rnn.ititiientfl and fellow legblators.
“People in Brunswick (bounty need
to be real concerned,” he said, sug
gesting they contact Rep. Joe
Mavretic, sponsor of the proposed
amendment, or Danny DeVane,
chairman of the Air and Water
While geological and hydrological
features—such as high groundwater
table—.make it an unlikely dbposal
site, politics makes Brunswick (boun
ty a Ukely site, he said.
If the amendment were adopted
and a vote held new, he thinks it like
ly that Brunswick would be chosen.
“If Brunswick County were put in a
lottery with Mecklenburg and Wake
counties, which do you think will
lose?” he asked, noting the dif
ference in population size, political
clout and the sizes of their legbbtive
delegations.
Abo, while pbns now call for an
underground storage facility, he said
those could be changed to specify
above-ground storage, easing siting
requiremenb. It’s a rbk he doesn’t
want to take.
pool with the sharks and count on so
meone else to get me out.’’
He feeb such a storage site would
threaten the county’s major in
dustries tied to Its location—tourism,
real estate, fbhing.
Hb concerns gained some local
momentum and support this week.
Saturday, county Democrats adopted
a resolution opposing location of the
site here, as did the Brunswick Coun
ty Commissioners Monday night
In advocating the resolution, Com
mbsioner Chris Chappell noted,
“Thb issue b one we ali need to be
concerned with. It’s a very uneasy
position we’re in.” He plans to seek
support from hb peers in other coun
ties at an April IS dbtrict county
commissioners’ association meeting.
Chappell has abo contacted groups
in hb dbtrict, suggesting they clr-
Vtimw
At Monday’s meeting, Helen Scanff
of Sea-Aire Estates was one ol four
Holden Beach Senior Citizens
members concerned about the pro
posal, asking what they could do to
oppose it.
At their meeting Monday night.
Holden Beach Ckmunissioners voted
to write Redwine expressing "dbeon-
tent” at the possibility of a site in the
county.
Brunswick, Mecklenburg and
Wake counties would be the only
areas considered for the site under
an amendment Introduced in the
iiouse lasT week by Mavretic, a
Democrat from Edgecombe Ckiunty.
The state’s three nuclear power
generation planb are located in these
counties and he argued that since
they enjoy Jobs and tax revenues
from the pl^b, the three counties
ntsA sK/utl/fai*
for their wastes.
He said Brunswick (bounty’s share
of the plants’ |27.9 million in 1986 pro
perty taxes was $3.5 million paid by
CbroUna Power & Light's Brunswick
Nuclear Pbnt near Southport
Redwine and other legislators,
such as Harry Payne of New
Hanover County, disagreed with
Mavretic’s Ic^ic, saying in that case,
those three counties should figure out
a way to keep electricity produced at
the planb from being dbtributed
around the state.
North Carolina has been chosen by
an eight-sbte compact as the next
site foV long-term storage of low-level
radioactive waste, succeeding the
current Bamweii, S.C., location.
Even if the sbte pulb out of the
comoact. as b now being debated,
there’s no guarantee thb would mean
storage of only waste generated in
thb sbte at any disposal site located
within lb boundaries, he said, since
the sbte can’t prohibit intersbte
commerce. If the sbte has a facility,
it could conceivably have to accept
waste from anywhere In the country.
Redwine said the amendmej^ has
been sent to the House Water and Air
Resources Committee, of which
Mavretic b a member. However, he
said he understands the committee
probably has enough votes to report
it back to the House floor quickly.
An^ OoynA propose
troducing an amendment that would
eliminate the 20 coastal counties
from consideration. To gain more
support, he wanb to include counties
included in the state’s ridge law
governing development in mountain
counties.
Because of ib hydroli^cal and
geological features, the county was
recently eliminated from considera
tion by the sbte as the site of a facili
ty to handle non-radioactive, non-
P(3 hazarous wastes.