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THE STATE PORT PILOT
^6-19^
Volume 47 Number 47
June 9, 1976
Southport, N. C.
24 Pages
10 Cents
THE SCALE MODEL of the proposed Brunswick County courthouse -
complex was presented to county commissioners on Monday. Com
missioners Franky Thomas and Steve Varnam, Jr., Designer Lesesne
Monteith, and Commissioners W.T. Russ, Jr., and Willie Sloan, shown left to
right, discuss plans for the complex.
School Board Trying
To Make Budget Fit
By EMILY HIGHTOWER
Staff Writer
Faced with resolving a $2.3
millon difference between the
budget request for next year
and the proposed ap
propriation from the county,
the Brunswick County Board
of Education asked school
Supt. Ralph C. King to bring
recommendations for budget
cuts to the next meeting.
The board also heard
spokesmen for two citizens
groups express support for
two persons who have applied
for the position of principal of
Southport Middle School.
The board had requested a
$6.5 million budget for fiscal
year 1976-77. The county
Board of Commissioners has
proposed it receive an ap
propriation of $4.2 million,
more than 35 percent less
than requested.
Although final allocation of
the money will be left to the
school board, the com
missioners recommended
slightly more than $2 million
go to current expense and $2.2
million to capital outlay. The
board of education had
requested $2.8 million for
current expenses and $4.2
million for capital outlay.
Mrs. Betty W. Higgins of
Long Beach presented board
members with petitions
containing several hundred
names supporting Joseph
Butler of Shallotte, now
assistant principal at
Shallotte Middle School, for
principal of Southport Middle
School.
Mrs. Higgins said the
persons who signed the
petitions had children or
grandchildren attending the
school
Ralph Parker of Southport
spoke for a group of ap
proximately 10 to 15 citizens
in support of Mrs. Elizabeth
Young, assistant principal at
South Brunswick High
School. “She has proven
herself,” he said. “Her
character and integrity are
without question.”
Mrs. Higgins said the group
she represents does not feel
Mrs. Young “is as a qualified
as the man (Butler) to be
principal.”
Parker said his group was
not aware of the other group’s
petition drive, or they would
have presented petitions in
support of Mrs. Young.
The board discussed the
principalship during a 42
minute executive session held
later in the meeting but took
no action.
The board received the
architect’s plans for the
school bus garage and gave
them preliminary approval
contingent upon the approval
of transportation supervisor
Herman Love, maintenance
supervisor Thomas Allen and
the county commissioners.
The board approved hiring
Ballard, McKim and Sawyer
as architects for the facility
Court9 Administration
May Be Moved First
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
Brunswick County has the
money “on hand” to do the
proposed construction in
Phase I of the 'relocated
courthouse-office complex
project.
Chairman Steve Varnam,
Jr., who made the an
nouncement during the
regular monthly meeting of
the county commissioners on
Monday, said the county
actually has $3,243 more than
the projected costs of Phase I
at the present time.
Chairman Varnam,
reporting on a meeting held
to discuss the complex, said it
has been estimated that the
county has $2,213,000 on hand
to pay the projected $2,209,757
cost of Phase I.
■f't
He said all the recom
mendations contained in the
“memorandum for record”
were tentative. “They are not
final and the funds may
change,” he declared. “They
are for you to study and make
recommendations. ’ ’
The plans outlined at the
meeting call for constructing
Group V, Group VI and Group
I in the first phase of the
project.
Group V includes court
facilities, district attorney
offices, adult probation and
parole, magistrate, Clerk of
Court, Register of Deeds.
Sheriff’s Department, jail
facilities and coroner.
The Tax Supervisor and
Tax Collector are included
under Group VI. Group I
includes county ad
ministration and governing
board, the Personnel and
Purchasing department and
Finanace department.
Chairman Varnam said the
selections for location in the
complex under Phase I were
made “because of the groups
are co-related to each other.”
Chairman Varnam read the
letter after officials of LB
C&W, architects and
engineers on the project, had
presented the board with a
scale model and color
drawing of the complex and
site plan.
The plan looked practically
like the ordinary one
presented to the board at the
May meeting. LBC&W
Designer Lesesne Monteith
said several changes,
suggested by the board, had
(Continued on page 2)
and set the architect’s fee at
64 percent of the total ex
penditure for the project.
This action also was taken
contingent upon the approval
of the county commissioners.
The board agreed to allow
the SENCland Community
Action agency to use three
schools for a summer feeding
program. Assistant Supt. P.
R. Hankins said SENCland
wants to seve approximately
400 meals at Southport
Primary School, ap
proximately 100 at Lincoln
Primary School at Leland
and approximately 75 at
Bolivia Elementary School.
The program would
provide meals for children 19
years of age and younger. All
food would be prepared at
Southport, Hankins said, and
would then be carried to the
other schools to be served.
The board also authorized
the superintendent to
negotiate for the purchase of
land adjacent ot Bolivia
Elementary School and the
Southport Middle School.
By board authorization,
three one-week sessions of
basketball school will be held
at North Brunswick and three
one-week sessions of sports
clinics will be held at West
Brunswick.
The board also voted to
allow William A. Kopp of
Boiling Spring Lakes to offer
tax-sheltered annuities to
school system employees for
the Integon Life Insurance
Corp.
King said employees may
now purchase annuities from
three or four other com
panies, but none of these have
a representative who lives in
Brunswick County.
The board acknowledged a
letter from the U. S. Postal
Service which said the ser
vice has decided the old
Southport Primary School
location is not large enough to
serve their needs. The postal
service had inquired about
buying the site for con
struction of a new post office.
Members approved a
request from the Brunswick
County Extension Service to
use an activity bus for a one
day field trip to Lenoir
County.
Schools Cut, Budget
Still 22 Cents High
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
The proposed 1976 - 77
Brunswick County tax rate is
still more than 22 cents
higher than last year after
three days of budget hearings
came to an end Thursday.
Chairman Steve Varnam,
Jr., announced that com
missioners will continue
holding hearings to review
the budget in an effort to
reduce the tax rate. “This has
been just preliminary," said
the chairman, who was the
only commissioner to attend
all the budget review
sessions.
Commissioners cut 24.60
cents off the proposed tax
rate of 85.87 cents to bring it
down to 61.27 cents after the
three days of hearings. Most
of the reductions came when
the Board of Education
request was sliced 21.60 cents
on Wednesday. (See related
story in this edition of The
Pilot).
Last week, county com
missioners were presented
the proposed 1976 - 77 budget
that called for a tax rate of
85.87 cents per $100 valuation.
It was 47.37 cents higher that
the rate last yearof 38.5 cents.
Commissioners were able
to cut 1.32 cents off the
proposed tax rate on Thur
sday. Most of the reduction
came when the Board of
Health budget was reduced.
Several proposed budget
cuts were left ending more
study or official action. The
board did not reach a decision
about how much to remove
from the Resources
Development Commission
request.
After completing the
“preliminary review,” the
board heard several requests
for salary increases.
The Board of Health budget
was reduced from the
recommended $335,289 to
$269,587. The Health board
had requested $393,404.
Most of the reduction
resulted from cuts in the
salary section, which was
reduced from $233,806 to
$197,062. Personnel Director
David Swain said the
department, which has re •
classified employees,
requested a 2.5 - percent
salary increase plus merit
increases to bring the pay
scale in line with the
Department of Social Ser
vices as required by state
law.
Commissioners were able
to reduce the salary section
by eliminating the requested
ten new positions, including
two for sanitarians. Board
members noted that the
department was asking for
the new positions despite the
fact it has un-filled vacancies
at the present time.
Because the new positions
were eliminated, the board
was able to reduce telephone
and postage, travel,
department supplies and
materials and equipment that
will not be needed.
After discussing the
Resources Development
Commission budget with
Director Jackie Stephenson,
the board took no final action
about how much to cut out.
Chairman Varnam
recommended that the
$82,000 budget be cut to
$65,000, which is $3,000 more
that the commission received
(Continued on page 2)
Hospital Vote May
Depend On Courts
The State Board of Elec
tions will make the final
decision about whether the
Smithville hospital district
referendum can be held,
Brunswick County Board of
Elections Chairman Johnny
Mills announced this week.
Mills said that the State
Board of Elections has been
asked to make the decision.
The state decision will be
followed by the county board.
“We would be foolish not to
do what the state board
tells,” Mills stated. “If they
say hold it, we will hold it. If
they say not to hold it, we will
not hold it unless a court tells
us otherwise.”
The Brunswick County
Board of Elections contacted
the state board after
receiving two letters from the
N.C. Attorney General’s
office that did not resolve the
matter. “We are not taking
sides,” Mills pointed out.
“We want to do what is
right.”
Assistant Attorney General
Robert R. Reilly said in a
letter to Mills on May 27 that
“the Brunswick County
Board of Elections is without
authority to hold an election
on the question of
establishing a public hospital
for Smithville Township.”
In a second letter, dated
June 2, Reilly said the opinion
rendered in the May 27 letter
’’does not settle the question
as a matter of law.”
“Only a court of competent
jurisdiction can render a final
opinion on the matter,”
Reilly said in the second
letter. “An opinion of this
office is advisory only to the
city, county or state official
who requests the opinion.”
Both letters to Mills were
signed by Reilly under the
printed signature of Attorney
General Rufus Edmisten.
The legal question in the
issue is who is the governing
body of a township? Both
County Attorney James
Prevatte, Jr., and Southport
(Continued on page 2)
Long Beach Tax Rate
Dropped To 39 Cents
By ED HARPER
News Editor
The Long Beach Board of
Commissioners tentatively
adopted a 39-cent tax rate
Monday night after the last of
three lengthy budget
hearings.
The rate, down con
siderably from the 61-cent
levy last year, was made
possible by reducing the
amount of the town’s
“resuve” fund. And all of the
reserve has been budgeted
“not hidden from public
view” - it was noted.
Added to the budget before
the cutting began was $10,000
in capital reserve for the
purchase of a new fire truck.
The Fire Department had
asked for $43,500~the total
cost-but Chief Jim Somers
said Monday night that
$10,000 would be okay for a
Two previous budget
hearings by the Long Beach
Board of Commissioners
were conducted during the
week. For reports on these
meetings, see inside today's
Pilot.
start.
The emphasis Monday
night was reduction of the tax
rate.
It was reported that as of
June 1 the town had a balance
of $203,100. And the town
might collect $5,000 in
remaining unpaid taxes for
the current year, bringing the
total to $208,100.
Subtract from that,
Commissioner Ellis Dudley
asked, $10,000 that must be
refunded to Carolina
Natjonal Development
because of adjustments made
by the office of the county
Tax Supervisor. Then sub
tract $32,000, the amount
Town Manager John Berry
said would be needed to
operate the town this month.
That leaves a balance of
$166,100. Then subtract
$70,000, which Berry said is
the net amount required
duringthe slow-collection
months of July, Augustand
September.
Shadow Cast
On Beach Aid
By ED HARPER
News Editor
The negative Yaupon Beach vote on the matter
of consolidation will have an impact on the
services the town can expect from its neighbor,
Long Beach commissioners indicated Friday
night.
Discussion came during budget talks by the
Long Beach town board. Specifically, Com
missioner Russell Morrison asked Town
Manager John Berry if Yaupon Beach had
offered any compensation for help by the Long
Beach Police Department. The answer was
“No.”
“It goes back to what we tried to pass March
25,” Morrison said, referring to the vote on
consolidating the two Oak Island towns. The
issue easily passed in Long Beach, but was
(Continued on page 2)
That leaves $96,100, the
amount the board decided
could be applied to the budget
as revenue. At the time of the
discussion the rate would
have been 40.5 cents, based
on an estimated valuation of
$79 million and a collection
rate of 93 percent.
Later in the budget
discussion, the board agreen
to reduce the $70,000 estimate
for July, August and Sep
tember to $62,000 -adding
$8,000 in revenue; and re
estimated in revenue
collection of building fees and
interest on savings to add
$3,000.
Later in the budget
discussion, the board agreed
to reduce the $70,000 estimate
for July, August and Sep
tember to $62,000 -adding
$8,000 in revenue; and re
estimated collection of
building fees and interest on
savings to add $3,000 in
revenue that addition of
$11,000 reduced the tax rate
one and one-half cents, to 39
cents.
The $62,000 July-August
September reserve, which
some have objected to, has
been divided and budgeted in
the following manner; $15,000
to contingency, leaving that
section within the accepted
range; and the other $47,000
divided and put in capital
outlay for the Street and
Sanitation sections. The
funds cannot be spent without
<Continued on page 2)