Working' County Budget Includes Four-Cent Tax Rote Increase
BY SUSAN USHER
A budget document presented to the Brunswick
County Board of Commissioners last week includes a SO.S
cents tax rate per $100 valuation for 1987-88, an increase
of four cents over the current rate.
The owner of a $50,000 house and lot could expect to
pay $252.50 in county taxes.
That rate is based on a total real property valuation
of an estimated $3.8 billion and the current 95.6 percent
rate of collection. If adopted it would yield the county
about $18.f million next year, or close to $365,000 per pen
ny.
As changes in the state law go into effect, property
owners will not pay personal property taxes next year.
Finance Officer Uthia Hahn, budget consultant
William Carter and Acting County Mamiger David Clegg,
who put together the package, stressed the “working”
nature of the budget conunissioners are studying. They
said it is based on current board policies. It will be
reshaped through additions and deletions and policy deci
sions by tl>e board before going to public hearing in June.
A budget must be adopted by July 1, the start of (he next
fiscal year. Commissioners are currently aiming for
adoption on or before June 26.
In Its review, the board also will look at the possible
realignment of county departments requested in but not
included in the proposed budget These include a county
utilities authority, created from the existing engineering
and water departments and utility operation board, and
making the building inspections program a separate
department rather than part of the planning department.
Conunissioners continued their work on the budget
Tuesday night, with additional sessions expected to be
scheduled during the coming weeks.
Revenues, Expenses
In addition to property taxes, other major sources oi
revenue in tlic $27.4 million budget Include $1,090,000 of
the Revenue Sharing fund balance; $3.7 million of the
general fund balance; and $2 million from the last two
haif-cent sales taxes adopted by tiie state, which go to tiie
capital reserve fund for county and school projects.
On the expcn.se side, various departments requested
more than 30 new employees; budget shapers trlnuned
the list down. It Includes five of nine employees sought by
the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Department.
However, conunissioners questioned where new
employees would be pb-ced in buildings that are already
overcrowded. Among items left out of the working budget
is n building project to provide more office and storage
space at the complex. The county currently has set aside
reserves of $800,000 for this, to wliich it expects to add $1.8
million after July 1st.
Other expense items included are the first of three
annual payments ptOposed for lease-purCiiase of 26 elec
tion result tabulators for the Board of Elections, a
replacement backhoe in Operation Services, and replace
ment garbage truck and trash compactor for I.,andfill;
two ric-w poaitioria ufid two repiacemeni cards for the Tax
Supervisor’s office; and a replacement car for Landfill’s
solid waste control officer.
Also, addition of one position in the County Attorney’s
office to provide both a legal secretary V and an ad
ministrative assistant II who would seve as clerk pro
tempore to the board and assistant county public infor
mation officer.
Also in are Iti positions in the Register of lXK(ds of
fice; $15,000 for professional services each both that of
fice and the Clerk of Court’s, for computer programming.
Others items included are a replacement 14'4-ton
truck for Building and Grounds, 10 replacement patrol
vehicles, a body mike, logging recorder and two base sta-
See BUDGET, Page 2-A
HOAG
mm' mm iab ■ ri^ii
SPRINGPORT MI 4’32S4"'^''’‘^
Twenty-fifth Year, Numoei
jhallotte. North Carolina, Thursday, May 28, 1987
25c Per Copy
32 Pages Plus Inserts
Cathy Carlisle
m. M
f bnucKs Her Way
^ To State Capitol
GOV. JAMEIS MAR’TIN (left) presents National Oyster Shucking Champion Cathy Carlisle of Boone’s Neck a plaque recognizing her accomplishment as
Rep. E. David Rcdwlne stands by.
BY DOUG RUTTER
For The Brunswick Beacon
Gov. James G. Martin and State
Rep. E. David Redwine honored local
hero Cathy Carlisle in Raleigh Tues
day for her capture of the National
Oyster Shucking Championship last
October.
Ms. Carlisle, 23, of Boone’s Neck,
was recognized first In the State
House of Representatives by Red-
wine. She then paid a visit to the
governor’s office to talk with Martin'
about her success.
According to Redwine, ’’Cathy’s
accomplishments are a tribute to her
hard work and determination. Our
state is proud to honor lier, and we
wish her the best of luck in the world
cliampionships.”
Martin presented a plaque to Ms.
Carlisle in recognition ci her national
title. It will be displayed in the South
Brunswick Islands Chamber of Com
merce office in Shallotte.
Conunented Martin to Ms. Carlisle,
"I have heard an awful lot about you,
and I am happy to finally meet you.”
Also while in Raleigh, local af
filiates of the three major networks
interviewed Ms. Carlisle.
“The Interviews were a lot of fun. I
felt like a real celebrity.”
Accompanying Ms. Carlisle to
Raleigh were South Brunswick
Islands chamber of Conunerce
representatives J. Alan Holden,
president; Allan Dameron, 1987
Oyster Festival chairman; and Anne
Marie Schettini, executive director.
“We hope, that this publicity in
troduces more people to the area,”
said Ms. Schettini. “It should bring
tourists here in the fall and help the
local businesses in an otherwise slow
period of the year.”
The delegation also presented Mar
tin with 1987 Oyster festival sweat
shirts.
Ms. Carlisle will compete in the
World Oyster Opening Championship
in Galway, Ireland, Sept. 24-27,
against 11 other national champions.
For winning the U.S. title on Oct
11,1986, her expenses for the Ireland
trip will be covered by the Leonard-
town Rotary CHub, which sponsors
(See CARLISLE^ Paee 2-A)
o
r
rOjjuSkKi Bill Aims To Help Roods Thot Fall In Cracks
BY SUSAN USHER
Residents of roads that fall bet
ween the cracks of current state
highway programs are targeted for
help in a local roads bill proposed by
the Brunswick County Conunis
sioners.
The bill was to be sent to Rep. E.
David Redwine, hopefully in time for
consideration during this session of
the N.C. General Assembly. Commis-
requirements for having the st^te
take them over. After that date,
almost all 100 counties In North
Carolina began requiring subdivi
sions to build their private roads to
state standards so that they could
later be taken over for maintenance
and improvements such as paving;
Brunswick Chunty did not.
ding a draft revision of the ordinance
submitted to them by the Brunswick
County Planning Board.
The second group includes
residents of roads that are already on
BIUIICI9
its
of o ftm efofo ettefofn tHof fioira IIHto
Meanwhile, Chappell said last
Wednesday night he would like to see
the county "extending the hand of
government a little to the properly
owners.” If passed the bill would
affect only the coimty. It would allow
75 percent of the landowners along a
road to petition the county for help.
The work would begin. The county
would assess all property
owners—including those who didn’t
sign the petition—based on the lot
frontage they own along the road,
plus a 10 percent fee to cover its ad
ministrative and overhead costs.
As other property owners pay their
assessments, then the citizens who
put the money up for the project
would be reimbursed all but their ac
tual share of the cost.
state’s property owner participation
plan, but will also be speedier.
The bill had a bumpy road to follow
to its adoption by commissioners,
with several amendments and votes
before they completed the final ver
sion. Chappell first intended it to app
ly only to the old subdivision roads,
but agreed with other commissioners
that a way should be found to help
residents of other roads unlikely to be
paved or improved by the state in the
of something, then Frankie Rabon
will be for iL
“This is the only way many people
are ever going to get better roads,
regardless of who’s governor,” he
told fellow members.
When it was deaf Uk original mo
tion wouldn’t meet approval, Chap
pell asked the board to approve the
measure for District 1 only, which
drew a 3-2 vote of opposition.
budget session/meeting last Wednes
day night
Suggested by Commissioner Chris
Chappell, the bill is intended to offer
the coimty’s help to two specific
groups: 1) residents of subdivisions
developed before October 1975 that
are sold out and don't meet minimum
likelihood of qualifying for im
provements and may have been
waiting for years to be paved.
Rep. Redwine has suggested the
county revise its subdivision or
dinance to keep the problem from oc
curring in the future. So far commis
sioners have taken no action regar-
AJIC CVtAIlkj
ing to decide whether to accept the
road project. These landowners, with
someone acting as their represen
tative or “developer,” would then
have 90 days in which to come up
with all the money for the project.
The money would go to the N.C.
Department of Transportation.
Thirty days after the due date, the
county would have the right to begin
foreclosure of assessment lieas
against property owners who did not
pay their assessment.
According to County Attorney and
Acting County Manager David Clegg,
the program will cost more than the
While suggesting on one hand that
the program would create more
bureaucracy and possibly force
citizens into doing something they
don’t want, on the other Conunis-
sioner Frankie Rabon noted, “If you
can find 75 percent of the people in a
community ... or anywhere in favor
He didn’t drop
pressing until the board arrived at a
compromise solution.
Commissioner Benny Ludlum
afterwards told (Hiappell he was con
cerned about the DisMct 12 commis
sioner’s blood pressure. “I was get
ting scared you were taking it too
serious.”
Holden Beach Water Line Causes One Last Headache
BY TERRY POPE
Water from Phase II of the
Brunswick County water system is
scheduled to reach Holden Beach
within the next week.
That’s good news for Holden Beach
officials, for as Town Administrator
Bob Buck phrased it, "We have a pro
blem.’,’
The problem may exist with the
12-inch line that now supplies county
water to Holden Beach from Oak
Island, a route that carries the
polyethylene pipe under the
Lockwood Folly Inlet
Holden Beach officials believe it
might have a leak. Ten to 101^ million
gallons of water used by the town
went unacco(mted for during the
months of January, February and
March, said Buck.
However, county officials believe
the water loss will be discovered due
to error, and not a leak.
“It could very easily be a computer
error,’’ said Kenneth Hewett,
Brunswick County water system
supervisor. "Right now, we’re check
ing what water went on the beach and
what went off the beach.”
If the water loss is not discovered
in billing errors, Hewett said, then
the main valve on the beach will be
shut off and water going through the
meter on the Oak Island side will be
moniioreu. if water continues to pass
through the meter, it would indicate
a leak in the inlet.
“We’re still assuming that there is
a leak,” Hewett said. “But we don’t
know for sure.”
The inlet line will be shut down
after the county begins pumping
water through Phase H of the coun
tywide water system. Hewett said
Tuesday that Piiose II of ihe system
will "hopefully” start up within the
next ten days.
The island will then be supplied by
another 12-inch main that follows
N.C. 130 from Shallotte and crosses
the Intrac(»stal Waterway on the
causewav The inlet main will then
be used for bac'nup.
way for a while,” Hewett said of the
additional water Une.
Buck told the town board last week
that he has monitored a steady in
crease in the amount of water usage
that has gone unaccounted for by the
town since October 1986.
For the first three months of 1987,
the town lost 10 to 10^ million gallons
of water, Buck said, which
represents a 66 percent loss factor.
The loss is deterrnined by the amount
of water billed to town customers
compared with actual usage by the
town.
Hewett said he had not noticed a
drastic change in the town’s con
sumption of water in recent months.
From October to Decenibcf, die
town recorded a loss factor of 26 to 28
percent in its billings. Buck said.
"We may find an explanation for
the 68 percent loss,” Buck said.
A leak of that size would be
detected on the island, he added, but
there has been no evidence of
leakage.
“if ii is a leak, it hastc be in that ui-
let,” Buck said. “It sounds like it
could very well be a blowout.”
Buck has asked the coimty to In
vestigate and to verify the meter
readings at Oak Island.
Hewett said polyethylene pipe
generally doesn’t experience such
problems as leakages or breaks.
“I don’t think it's leaking," Heweii
said. "It could be either a computer
error or a bad meter. I’m trying to be
optimistic because that would be the
best thing. I just Oat hope it’s not
leaking.”
Erosion problems in the inlet last
winter had threatened the under
water pipe, but had not damaged it,
he added.
In 1983, the water line was raised
by a boat passing through the inlet
and had to be secured to the bottom
again.
“That 68 percent scares me, for the
welfare of this island,” said Mayor
John Tandy.
Sid Swarts, a resident on the west
end of Holden Beach, said he has not
noticed a decrease in water pressure
recently.