Anticipating deregulation, town seeks tax increase
Expected electric
deregulation cited
as part of decision
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Editor
Edenton Town Manager Anne
Marie Knighton announced Mon
day afternoon that she will request
a four cent tax increase in the pro
posed budget for fiscal year 2000
2001. Knighton said she made the
decision reluctantly, but believing
that it was necessary.
In her annual budget message to
the mayor and members of the
town council, Knighton cited sev
eral reasons for asking that the tax
rate be raised to 39.5 cents.
“This four cent tax increase is
the first increase recommended
since 1996,” she said. “There are
two reasons for this recommenda
tion. One, with deregulation cer
tain to come to our state either in
2004 or 2005, we must increase our
efforts to reduce and ultimately
eliminate the General Fund’s de
pendence on the subsidy from the
Electric Fund. Over the past seven
years, we have been reducing the
amount of the transfer by the value
of one and one-half cents on the tax
rate. If we do not accelerate the
reduction, by the year 2004 the
General Fund will have to absorb
almost $63,000 in one year in order
to have the zero transfer by those
dates. I recommend we accelerate
the reduction on the tax rate to 2
cents.”
Knighton said that there is still
considerable discussion and de
bate as to exactly when deregula
tion will take place. The state Study
Commission recommends 2004,
and Electricities is negotiating for
2005. “My projections,” she said,
“are based on the assumption that
we will not have the ability to trans
fer funds in January, 2005.”
She said that the second reason
for the recommended tax increase
is to help reduce the amount of
money the town appropriates from
reserves to balance the budget.
“The Local Government Commis
sion has repeatedly expressed con
cern that we use reserve funds to
balance the budget,” Knighton
said. “When we appropriate re
serves, that reduces our fund bal
ance (rainy day fund). While we
never, ever spend all or even half
of the appropriated reserve, from
the LGC’s perspective the reserve
is not as high as it should be.”
She also noted that no rate in
crease was requested in the water
and sewer fund, or the electric
fund, as outlined in the proposed
budget.
With regard to the water and
sewer fund, Knighton said, “The
capital improvement plan contin
ues for the ongoing upgrade of the
Beaver Hill Water Treatment
Plant. A state loan will pay for the
initial capital outlay of this project;
we have budgeted the first year’s
debt service, approximately
$48,000.
“In the electric fund, we include
expenditures to cover the cost of
extending overhead lines to ser
vice Edenton Bay Phase II and
Colonial Village Subdivision off of
Coke Avenue. The developers are
responsible for installing under
ground service; we provide the cost
of going overhead.”
Knighton added that the pro
posed budget does not include fund
ing for any new staff positions,
however, there are funds included
that would give all town employ
ees a cost of living salary increase
in the amount of 2.5 percent.
One of the most significant ar
eas of interest in the new budget
can be found in its recommenda
tion pertaining to funding of the
Recreation Department.
“Over the lastfive years, we have
been working with Chowan
County, constantly locking at ways
to Improve our joint agreements,”
Knighton said. “One area that has
long concerned the town has been
the double taxation issue with the
Recreation Department. We have
identified this as truly the last
double taxation issue we are fac
ing.
“Since the county contributes to
the department, town taxpayers
are paying twice for this service,”
she added. “As you know, approxi
mately 35 percent of the county’s
tax base comes from town taxpay
ers. The tentative agreement is for
the county to take over the fund
ing of the Recreation Department.
The proposal is to phase out the
town’s financial contributions
See TAX On Page 3-A
Sharing history
r
Elizabeth Vann Moore speaks before a capacity crowd on the topic "Digging Up the Past" during the
first program in the Elizabeth Vann Moore Biennial Series for Preservation Studies, named in her honor,
on May 27 at the Masonic Lodge on the Edenton waterfront. Other speakers included: Peggy L Cornett,
director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, Monticello; and, Dr. Julian D. Hudson, director
of Prestwould Plantation. Moore's neighbor and friend, Edenton Town Councilman Sambo Dixon,
welcomed the crowd and Linda Jordan Eure, site manager for the Historic Edenton Visitor Center,
introduced special guests. (Staff photo by Rebecca Bunch)
County
commission
views DOT
proposal
BY DERRICK ARMSTEAD
Staff Writer
EDENTON—Department of
Transportation (DOT) officials
made a return visit to Edenton to
attend Monday evening’s County
Commissioners meeting to discuss
a revised DOT road improvement
plan.
“We made a mistake at the last
meeting, ” said DOT representative
Don Conner, “...therefore we re
quested to come back.”
Conner went on to state that the
DOT has made the necessary cor
rections that includes paving a
smaller segment of Bear Swamp
Road, which DOT officials believe
will enough room to complete the
two roads ahead of Holly Grove
Tootsie and Blanchard.
See DOT On Page 3-A
Music man
Guitarist Paul Boaz, whose musical influences include James
Taylor, Gordon Lighlfdot and John Denver, will be among those
performing at the free Community Music Festival in the Edentan
waterfront park this Saturday from 4-7:30 p.m. The event, sponsored
by the Chowan Arts Council, will also feature a wide range of
musical styles from blues to rock and reggae. There will also be
Gospel and Contemporary Christian music. Everyone is welcome.
Sheriff’s
Dept, will
be part of
program
BY DERRICK ARMSTEAD
Staff Writer
Chowan County has been desig
nated as one of 77 drop-off points in
the recently created “Call to Pro
tect” program, which was intro
duced by State Senate President
Pro Tempore Marc Basnight (D
Dare)to assist domestic violence
victims.
In addition, the surrounding
northeastern counties of Bertie,
Martin, Gates, Perquimans,
Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck,
and Dare have also been selected
for participation in the project.
“I think this is a great program,”
said Sheriff Fred Spruill ofChowan
County. “They can dial 911 on any
cell phone, and help will be on its
way. Having these phones avail
able will be a good thing for the
public. I look forward to working
with people on it.”
See SHERIFF On Page 3-A
The silver Pontiac beina^riven by Paula Davenport Sutton at the time of her death is shown, door open, still
sitting in the driveway pnher parents' home in Merry Hill. Sutton ran from the car after being shot by her
estranged husband. She was chased under the carport, where she was killed and her husband committed
suicide. Stray gunfire also struck her parents' van. (Cox NC Publications Photo by Jeanette White)
Slain woman’s love for life recalled
BY JEANETTE WHITE
Cox NC Publications
MERRY HILL, NC - Paula Dav
enport Sutton was a person who
loved the outdoors, a character
trait which runs in her family.
She loved to play golf with, her
father, to dip a hook in the Chowan
River, and she really enjoyed work
ing in the yard.
“She had some of the prettiest
flower beds you ever saw,” said
her father, Marvin Davenport.
Paula loved to play softball.
When she and her sister, Penny,
were younger, Paula’s pitchingand
Penny’s catching helped their
teams win championships.
After Paula graduated from
Bertie High School, she earned a
bachelor’s degree in industrial
technology at East Carolina Uni
versity. Last winter she began
work at ECU to earn a master’s
degree.
Paula worked for Greenville’s
Rivers and Associates, Inc., Engi
See WOMAN On Page 12-A
Having a getaway
plan is essential
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Editor
According to Pat Youngblood,
director of Albemarle Hopeline,
deaths like that of Paula Daven
port Sutton serve to point up the
grim reality that women who are
victims of domestic violence don’t
always make it out alive.
In fact, she said, many victims
are at greatest risk of losing their
lives after they escape because the
person abusing them has lost the
sense of control that the batterer
considers absolutely essential in
his own life.
Therefore, it is of vital impor
tance for the person being abused,
typically a woman, to have a good
getaway plan in place for herself
and/or her children.
She said that Hopeline, which
counsels and shelters battered
women and their children, recom
mends taking the following steps:
• Have quick access to a hidden
set of car keys
• Have a hidden emergency cash
fund
• Have suitcase with a couple of
changes of clothes for yourself and
See HARM On Page 3-A
Abuse is present if:
• You are afraid of your partner
• You cannot express your opinions or feelings without
fearing your partner’s reaction
• You always ask your partner for permission to see family
or friends, to spend money, or to buy anything
• You constantly make your children, your environment
and yourself into what your partner wants in order to avoid
confrontation
See MORE SIGNS OF ABUSE ON PAGE 3-A
m I'HOIMN HITS COINCII, PRKLYTS M 'JSIC Edentm Waterfrent Park
FREE COMMUNirY FESTIVAL Saturday jUn«mh 4:W -mpb