Sunset Council Cuts Tax Rate By 3.2
Cents, OKs $ 1 .3 Million Budget
BY SUSAN USHER
In a quiet one-hour meeting Mon
day night Sunset Beach council
members unanimously cut its tax
rate by 3.2 cents and adopted a $1.3
million budget for the fiscal year
that begins July 1.
Calculated on an estimated tax
base of $329 million, up $111 mil
lion from a year ago, and a collec
tion rate of 96.7 percent, the tax rate
of 13.5 cents per $100 of real prop
erty valuation is expected to gener
ate $429,715 in revenues. A typical
homeowner's town tax bill will go
up 15 perccnt to 25 percent.
No increase is planned in water
rates this year, even though the
county is increasing the wholesale
rate for water.
Councilwoman Julia Thomas reit
erated her evolving position on the
budget, from first advocating no cut
from the previous 16.7-cents rate to
acceptance of a 14.5-cents rate. "I
was not for the compromise to 13J5
cents because it meant dipping into
reserve funds before even get start
ed," she said, adding that she
tnought the town administrator
should be asked her opinion of the
budget.
Prior to adoption of a tax rate, she
cautioned council members to re
member the town's situation is "un
stable."
"We don't want to have to go to
our reserves in an emergency," she
said.
Town Administrator Linda Flue
gel said the town could "make it" on
the proposed budget based on a
13.5-cents tax rate. "If we end up in
a lawsuit, as I've mentioned earlier,
we'll still need to seek funds else
where."
Saying she was "real comfort
able" with the figure after talking
with Fluegel, Councilwoman Cherri
Cheek, moved adoption of the 13.5
cents tax rate.
The budget includes $175,000 in
contingency line items in case the
town is required to do a stormwater
system study or environmental im
pact statement for the regional sewer
project or is sued over its participa
tion in the project or over its zoning
of Bird Island.
It provides for most of the new
items Fluegel had proposed based
on citizens' requests, such as two
dune crossovers on the east end, to
ken sums for beach cleanup and re
pwa in iiic eveni of a storm or other
event; portable toilets for beach visi
tors' use; benches along the Twin
Lakes; some sidewalk construction;
and monthly collection of yard de
bris.
The only item not covered was
expansion of the street lighting pro
gram. In past years the town has on
ly added six lights a year, which
Fluegel said isn't keeping up with
the demand. The town may still be
able to add additional lights from
any funds remaining at the end of
the fiscal year, at a cost of roughly
$72 per month per light.
Reserve accounts established in
the budget process set aside addi
tional money for longterm capital
projects that include a new town
hall, beach re nourishment, beach ac
cess, sidewalks and public restroom
facilities, as well as water system
improvements.
Cunent estimated pricetag for the
new town hall is $324,000, up from
$250,000 a year ago, excluding re
moval of the old town hall and site
cfeftftyp, anH fumichintrc fryr tH* n?u/
building.
The cleanup cost is uncertain,
said Fluegel, asking, "Do you know
anyone who wants to buy a town
hall?"
Cost has increased with changes
in plans and resulting delays in
bringing the project to bid, Thomas
said. The town hall will be built on a
new location and will be designed to
meet future needs, 4,544 square feet
instead of 4,040 feet. The new loca
tion will require more paving and
more landscaping.
Councilman Herb K1 inker had
asked the project architect for a
breakdown of costs last week,
prompting a lengthy explanation by
Thomas Monday of the process used
in developing the project.
Council fielded only one question
from the audience during a public
hearing on the budget. Former coun
cilwoman Minnie Hunt inquired
whether state law restricts how
chambers of commerce may use
contributions from municipalities.
Sunset Beach allocates S 1 2,000 in
its budget to the South Brunswick
Islands Chamber for tourism promo
tion.
Cable TV Chances Abend?
A proposal to coltcct franchise
fees from Aiianuc Tcicpiiuiic Co.'s
Cabic TV" upcritiun wuuiu tn if?g iii
$7,000 a year in town revenues. But
it would require ATMC tacking on a
53-cents-a-month charge or. resi
dents' cable bills, about $6 a year,
since franchise fees arc not part of
its current rate schedule.
Council members took no action
on the proposal until they hear from
a committee named by Mayor
Barber to explore alternatives for ca
ble service when ATMC's franchise
comes up for renewal in the next
year.
"My preference would be to get
another cable service in here what
ever the rates would be," said Mayor
Pro-tem Ed Gore. He and Barber
have been longtime outspoken crit
ics of ATMC's service, program
ming and use of converter boxes.
Barber said there are other com
panies interested in serving Sunset
Beach, but only if a larger area is in
volved. "They want Carolina
Shores, that area in, but I'm not go
ing to go knocking on doors in
Carolina Shores."
The town committee may invite
Carolina Shores to participate in its
meetings.
Sunset Beach cannot prohibit
ATMC from seeking a franchise or
prevent existing customers from
continuing to receive ATMC ser
vice.
Fireworks Still Banned
I"he N.C. General Assembly may
have adopted a bill sponsored by
Rep. David Redwine (D- Brunswick)
to allow sale of certain fireworks in
the state, but that isn't keeping local
municipalities from maintaining
stricter limits.
"Nothing has changed at Sunset
Beach," Administrator Linda Flue
g-i advised council "Fire
works are still prohibited and police
will continue to confiscate them."
Apology In Order?
Mayor Mason Barber opened
Monday's meeting with an announ
cement that no comments from or
mu..ering among audience members
would be allowed during the busi
ness portion of the meeting.
"There's no need for it and we're
not going to tolerate it," he said.
During public comments at the
close of the meeting, audience mem
ber Theresc Regan pointed out that
Barber had reprimanded the audi
ence's behavior at the June 6 council
meeting, but not Mayor Pro-tem Ed
Gore on his outburst toward an audi
encc member. She suggested that a
public apology was in order.
Barber declined further comment,
saying, "That is between the two of
them. The town is not going to get
involved."
Other Business
In other action, council members:
? heard from Fluegel that she is
hiring two recent high school gradu
ates to serve as code enforcement
officers. They will patrol the beaefc
seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6
p.m., citing violators of town laws
that regulate animals on the beach
strand, walking on the dunes, litter
ing, and using personal watercraft
and surfboards in undesignated ar
eas. She has also directed Police
Chief J.B. Buell to make sure town
officers enforce local as well as state
laws.
? approved the plat for the John
Prink Subdivision, a 24.1 -acre tract
near Sea Trail's Rees Jones course.
Forty-six single family homes are
planned.
? referred a letter from Fairway
Drive homeowner Alfred Cambria
to the planning board tor a recom
mendation regarding his request for
establishment of a platted cul-de
sac.
? moved to the Maples Club
House at Sea Trail a 7 p.m. Aug. 1
public hearing on a proposal to al
low "Hilton Head" -type miniature
golf as a special permitted use in the
island business district.
? tentatively set a meeting for 9
a.m. Tuesday, July 19, with Bird
Island owner Janie Page Price's at
torney, Glenn Dunn of Raleigh.
? agreed to a planning board rec
ommendation to allow the Bird
Island Preservation Society to con
tinue posting schedules of the public
outings it leads to Bird Island if the
notice is approved by council, only
one posted at each beiu:h access, and
all removed at the end of the tour
season in October. The notices were
previously considered a violation of
the sign ordinance.
? voted unanimously, as it has be
fore, not to join Cape Fear Council
of Governments.
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? heard complaints from audi
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Privilege License
Applications Due
Taxpayers who are liable for state
privilege licenses should apply be
fore July 1, advises J.C. Raines,
Brunswick County revenue officer.
Applications for licenses, along
with payment, should be mailed to
the N.C. Department of Revenue,
P.O. Box 25000, Raleigh NC 27640,
or submitted to the local field office
at 143 Holden Beach Rd., Shallotte.
Penalty for failure to comply is 5
percent for each delinquent month,
DtlinM roirl
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Municipal bonds ofYsr h
solid rate of return on
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None. For all the details,
call me today.
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Investment
Representative
Call Today
(910)754-3202
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