Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / June 2, 1994, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Sunset Proposes 1 4.5 <t Tax Rafe; Most Bills Would Rise 40% BY SUSAN USHER A proposed 14. 5 -cents ux rate for Sunset Beach would raise property [axes for most residents about 40 percent while allowing the town to meet its current needs, provide for the possibility of several hinted-at lawsuits, and continue to set aside reserves for future needs. After hours of discussion spread over three work sessions, council members tentatively agreed Tuesday afternoon on a proposed $1.3 mil lion operating budget that would raise approximately $461,600 in property tax revenues and cut the tax rate from 16.7 cents to 14.5 cents per $100 valuation of real property. At their regular June 6 meeting council will set the date for a public hearing on the proposed spending plan for 1994-95. Council members may also discuss two possible changes that could affect budget rev enues. Sunset Beach is investigating collection of franchise fees from Atlantic Cable TV on its profits from the Sunset Beach area, and haviag btssiaessss pay fcr their Sssfc collection costs in excess of stan dard residential service. Taxes col lected from businesses aren't cover ing their share of sanitation fees, members were told in May. After two workshops on the bud get, council members had tentatively compromised on a 14-ceab per SI 00 valuation rate, only to learn from Town Administrator Linda Fluegel that wouldn't cover several needs of the town. A half-cent in crease tacked on Tuesday will allow SI 0,000 in overtime pay for police officers in addition to pay raises, and offset the anticipated loss of $6,000 in state intangibles tax revenues. The budget includes money for two more dune crossovers on the east end, additional street lighting, benches at Twin Lakes, pot table toi lets for use by beach visitors and monthly collection of yard debris, all items Town Administrator Linda Fluegel said local residents have aopL Finance officer Julia Thomas ini tisliy advocated us iwtofa> in inc tax rate following revaluation, citing the town's current and tag-term needs and uncertairties relating to the sewer system. The budget is based on an estimated property tax base of $329 million, up $111 mil lion or 51i percent Gram a year ago and reflecting the county's revalua tion of property as well m growth. "1 don't see any need in reducing it when we don't know what to ex mrt tfiM vmt* <V ?ak!. "! des't be lieve in choking our town for $100 apiece." Councilman Herb Klinker, who was absent from Tuesday's final budget workshop, had initially advo cated a 12.5 cents tax rate, which he estimated would have most property owners paying about the same amount in Sunset Beach property taxes next year as they do now. Fellow council members agreed some reduction was in order, but that the town should not neglect its future capital outlay needs, includ ing reserve funds ibr a new town k?ii eronoa prirtwtiiMi. beach aooeacways, public reatrooms and sidewalks, or the potential for in creased expenses related to the sew er system or Bird Island. "It will be a lot easier if we end up with a lot of money we don't know what to do with to drop the tax rate next year," Mary (Catherine Griffith suggested at a meeting last week. Mayor Pro-tem Ed Gore also counseled that the town should be gin setting aside funds for protection of the eastern tip of the island along Tbbbs Inlet A reclamation project by the Gore family in 1970 restored the beach, but a final cap of armor type rock is still needed to protect the shoreline from future shifting of the inlet that would result in destruc tion of town property tax base. "Some day, historically, the need will arise and there will be no devel oper around because I have sold all of that property," he said. Toe revised budget re fleets em ployee pay increase* of up to 6 per cent in sens instsncc., S 12,000 for (tifrtrr clean-up and repairs, $50,000 for legal defense funds should the town be sued over the zoning of Bird Island and/or the town's participation in a regional sewer system. 150,000 for a possible stormwater system study and $75,000 for an environmental im pact statement, in the event those are required for the sewer system; con tributions of $12,000 to the South Brunswick Island Chamber of Com merce for economic development; and $650 total to four charities: the Brunswick County Chapter-North Carolina Symphony Society, Bruns wick County Literacy Council, Hope Harbor Home and Brunswick Vblunteer and Information Center. The largest single department is police, budgeted at $233,812, of which $156,000 goes toward wages for foil- and part-time employees. Should the contingency funds in duded Jsr legs! de related studies not be needed. The separate iBlssp! sk (wtsr sud sew er) budget of $751,926 will oover the higher rate the town will pay for county water next year without rais ing retail rates, and provide $80,000 for water tank painting and line maintenance and repair, $73,000 to cover engineering work already ob ligated for the sewer system; $50,000 for possible legal expenses; and $66,500 set aside in a capital re serve rand. The town already has approxi mately $400,000 each in unappro priated funds set aside from the gen eral and enterprise funds. That doesn't preclude the need to contin ue setting aside additional reserves, said Town Administrator Linda Fluegel. "If we had to fight a legal battle or if we had a disaster, that would only be a drop in ibc bucket," she said. "We would still have to get money somewhere ebe." Gilley Gets Maximum Term For Minimum Conviction BY ERIC CARLSON After a two-week trial that ended last Wednesday (May 26), a Bruns wick County jury was unable to find accuscd murderer David Dwain Gilley guilty of that offense and in stead convicted him on the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. But the iudse who heard the case had no difficulty imposing the maxi mum sentence allowable for the conviction ? 10 years in prison. Which means that under current department of correction policies. Gilley is likely to serve about three years behind bars for shooting 28 year-old Juan Hernandez to death in an Ash tavern last yes? "if I had it in my power, you would serve every last minute of it," Judge Knox Jenkins said in sentenc ing Gilley. Witnesses to the shooting testified that Gilley intentionally confronted Hernandez at the Junction Lounge on the night of Jan. 30, 1993. They said Gilley pulled his 380-caliber pistol out of his pants and shot Her nandez in the chest. Hernandez died in the back of a pickup truck on the way to the hospital. Others who saw Gilky earlier on the night of the shooting testified they heard him say he was "going to kill a Mexican" as he and two friends headed for the night spot, which was a popular gathering place for Hispanics. Taking the stand in his defense, Gilley denied making the remark and insisted that he harbored no ill will toward Mexicans. He said he thought Hernandez was coming at him with a knife when he took out the gun to protect himself. Gilley said his finger was not on the trigger when his pistol "discharged" while he struggled with Hernandez and his wife. Gilley also testified that he was not fleeing prosecution when he drove to Texas in a rented truck the day after the shooting He said be went to Houston so he could arrange to sell a car and raise money "to pay some bills." Coast Guard Aids Sailboat Aground At Shallotte Inlet A sailboat ran aground near Shallotte Inlet Monday evening and was assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard and a marine salvage uuoipa ny, according to a weekly activity report from BMCS J.D. Arndt, chief of Coast Guard Station Oak bland. Al about 6 p.m., the station re ceived a call from the sailing vessel PrisciUa saying that the boat was aground in near the inlet, Arndt said. Because the situation was not deemed to be an emergency, the sta tion issued a Marine Assistance Radio Broadcast (MARB) to give local commercial salvors an oppor tunity to respond. A salvage opera tor was located and agreed to assist the vessel, Amdt said. However, due to the age of the PrisciUa 's crew and the approaching uiikuCss, the aSSuCu auG Isuncbsd its 21 -foot fast-response inflatable boat to help the boat set its anchor while awaiting assistance. The sail boat was safely refloated a short time later. About two hours earlier, the Oak Island station was called to aid a capsized sailboard that was reported about 300 yards off the Long Beach pier, Amdt said. The 2l-tootcr was already under way and was diverted to assist. Upon arrival, the boat's crew learned that the sailboarder had n i! c*_i I D ^1 IVOUTI1 16 JU IUUI rci 5UI II ICI A#4i/\nc AnnrAuA^I f tvnwa m f y|>/a vt vva m+j wwaa va Several routine personnel actions were approved last Friday by the Brunswick County Board of Education following a dosed door session called to discuss several ia The board: ? approved the hiring of Connie Run of Ash as an interim therapeu tic assistant and Vickie Powell as an iinjMin ?pwi?i education tnrhr* at WKcamaw Elementary; ? accepted resignations from They Smithson, school psycholo gist; Charles Alexander, a mid 0 SEASHORE DRUGS Ed Thomas, registered pharmacist, and staff welcome Mike Langley (formerly with JMte-AldJ > I Mlkr Langlry Registered Pharmacist Ed and Mike Invite you to come by and visit them at l Seashore Drugs. Hwy. 179 ? Calabash 579-3200 die grades teacher at Leland Middle; ? approved leaves of abaence (ed ucational, parental for Kathy Rub lein, Leland Middle elementary tea cher, Denise M in too, Waccamaw cher, Icciean Bellamy, Waccamaw Elementary cafeteria aimtant; and Romia Davit, exceptional children's program secretary; ? approved four new substitute teachers. CONVENIENT TOURS AND TRAVIL KOK \1 I H TK \ V 1 t St I I)S Pannyalvania Dutch & Magra Fa*o July 25-30 Nova Scotia & Cabot Tral. Prince Edward leland Sept. 12-25 HaahdBt Tann Oct 6-9 Braneon, MO (Saa Via Start!) Oct 18-24 Pba many more ? Oqpaafci needed Call 754-4222 for ail your travel needs made his way to shore, wtfh Long Beach Police standing by. Last Thursday at about 3:30 p.m., the Oak Island station was caiied by USCG Station Wrightsvilk, report ing two people in the water on the west side of the Carolina Beach bridge. Both stations launched rescue boats, with Wrightsville's 21 -footer arriving on scene first. Its crew re covered the two people safely from the water and began towing their vessel ashore while Oak bland per sonnel assisted in recovering the boat's extra gear, which remained floating in the waterway. Arndt said. On May 21 at about 9 p.m., the Oak Island station was called by the sailboat Ban Accord itself disabled about two miles west of Buoy 2 at Frying Pan Shoals. Because it was a 1100 -emergency sit uation, a MARB was issued. When no radio response was re ceived and with the weather worsen ing. the station liunched its 44-foot patrol boat to assist. The Coast Guard boat found the Bern Accord still disabled in six-to-eight-foot seas with winds blowing at 25 to 30 knots. Arndt said. The 44- footer took the sailboat in tow and brought it to the nearest safe haven in Southport Earlier that morning, the station was called by a passing vessel re porting that a small catamaraa had almost capsized, lowered its sails and was drifting across Jaybird Shoals toward the open sea. The sta nce !y_?~*ed :ts 21 fccicr, whku located the catamaran and towed it back to Southport. Making Decisions About Your Financial Future? Life insurance, annuities, and retire ment plans from Modem Woodmen can help you provide for your family's financial security. Find out wftafs right for you. Call me for MOOERN WOODMEN SOLUTIONS MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA A HATMNAl UH WSUKANCt SOCKTY MOMtOmCI ? ROCK ISLANO. KUNO* ShaNotte 910-754-5454 LIFE ? ANNUITIES ? IRAS ? FRATERNAl PROGRAMS When you leave the Brunswick shores/* ^ the Beacon with you! . PAYING TOO MUCH? AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE DWI? TOO MANY POINTS? Call Debbie Wheeler 754-2888 for low down payment and low monthly payments Now Representing | Seacoast . . . Insurance Services ^0^ iBST J 143 Promenade Park, Suite 4, Hwy. 130. Shallotte NON-OWNER POLICIES AVAILABLE COMMERCIAL ? AUTO - RESIDENTIAL - PERSONAL William Temple Allen, CPA, P.A. Income Tax Preparation/ Representation (tederal and all state return?) Accounting onri Bookkeeping Services" Computerized Payroll Tax and Estate Planning Former IRS Assistant Director Technical Division, Washington. D.C. 25 Years Tax Experience Ragpatch Row, Calabash 579-3328 i~S ? High credit card debts? Large hospital bills? Bankruptcy may help. Contact WILLIAM D. EZZELL Attorney '*'"12^ " *""1 ,li " O .dE (bM .ysivuttfi HVl tshu (910)467-9586 or (910)253-5600 % I ? 1 A 111 LICK i\UK6S i We Have The Gifts That Make Grads & Dads Happi Great Selections Summer Merchandise Nautica ? Woolrich Alexander Julian D oc kers and" Mo re T ??? ? ? m a SAVANE^Wrinkle Free CmfcM ftlaHra QQ MON.-THURS. FRI. ASAT. 9-7 COASTAL PLAZA, SHALLOTTE ? 754-5000
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 2, 1994, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75