| VOLUME 64/ NUMBER 1 8
-r*v. ■
VI
SOUTHPORT, N.C.50 CENTS |.
28, 1994
JBob Boyd, a Long Beach
newcomer, is the newest
member of council — Page 2
We’ve blow the whistle on
our county editor, who looks
really sharp in stripes — IB
The South Brunswick girls
host an 8-team tournament
starting this afternoon -- 9B
Racial iivjustice charge meets sheriff at door
Black group protest
surprise to workers
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Sixteen days into his new administration, Brunswick
County sheriff Ronald Hewett is sitting at his desk
shaking his head in disbelief.
A committee of black residents has accused him of
racial injustice when it comes to hiring and firing
officers. The black men had approached Hewett after
his December 5 swearing-in with their concerns, but
this time the gloves were off. They opened the debate in
the local media, and in the process caught the young
sheriff off guard.
"1 feel," said Hewett, "that it is certainly not fair to
judge my administration in 15 days while citing statis
tics, which are in themselves false, for the past two
years."
The Concerned Citizens for Equal Justice (CCEJ) is
represented by the Rev. Sam Flowers; Willie Fullwood,
a Brunswick Community College trustee; former school
board member Thurman Gause; Democratic party ex
ecutive Bemest Hewett and Dr. George Saunders of
Calabash.
CCEJ formed, the group says, because of "persistent
rumors" that Hewett’s goals now include "the removal
of all Afro-Americans in the department within six
months."
Rumors were further fueled by the demotion and
transfer "to a position much less visible to the public of
the highest ranking Afro-American in the department
(Capt. John Marlow) and apparent clustering of Afro
American deputies in the much less desirable jailer
positions preparatory to forcing retirement and/or resig
4flSn8<l,w'a press release states. '
Captain John Marlow and jailer Kim Thomas say
they haven’t heard rumors that blacks are targeted
by sheriff Ronald Hewett. "I don’t try to deal with
Marlow had served as chief deputy under former sheriff
John CarT Davis and was reassigned with no cut in pay to
take over the jail,
ffewettfespohdetl tothe i
Photo by Terry Pope
rumors. I just try to do my job," says Ms. Thomas.
Marlow has been a member of the department for
18 years.
his employees together, both black and white, to discuss
the allegations in an open forunr before the press. The
CCEJ held a press conference December 21 in Calabash to
jalsgiwiRjnctheThaigesj^^'^^W^’^-"-^
"The consensus and opinion is that they (black em
ployees) were never asked about this situation," said
Hewett, "and they found it unfounded, and that I was
fair. I met with all of my employees that I could
physically gather here, and they were unaware of the
press conference. They simply spoke out and said,' It is
not us doing this."’
‘(Hewett) has put me as cap
tain over the jail. I accepted
the position he gave me. Vm
going to do exactly what he
asks me to do. This is his ad
ministration.’
Capt. John Marlow
CCEJ says it investigated the rumors and claims the
following:
*There has been a steady decrease of blacks in
positions of lieutenant over the past two years. The
trend also holds for supervisory positions below rank of
captain.
*The number of women deputies is far below parity
and is not making significant improvement.
*The one woman promoted to a supervisory position
under Hewett (detective Zelma Babson) is in the de
partment because of a settled lawsuit.
*There have been a number of blacks transferred to
less desirable jail positions or prisoner transport (Larry
See Injustice, page 6
Grave desecration
lawsuit mediated
An out-of-court settlement has been reached by family members who
claimed a pastor and Leland area church relocated their loved ones' graves
without permission.
Jerry Calvin McKinney and the Christ Our Redeemer World Evangelism
will pay the defendants $41,750 within six months to settle the case heard
before mediator William E. Wood of Whiteville.
The parties carried the dispute before a mediator rather than head to trial in
Brunswick County Superior Court. A settlement was reached after just two and
a half hours.
The families filed suit in January against McKinney and the church,
formerly called the Damascus Road Church on Old Fayetteville Road in
See Lawsuit, page 12
Work continued this week on repair of the leaky City Hall roof. It is
hoped by installing a pitched roof on the building a repeat of the
damage caused by Friday’s storm will be avoided. Water poured in
side City •Hall, flooding the old courtroom upstairs and damaging
records and carpeting on the ground floor.
Brunswick is_big business
County protected from loss
State has law
that prevents
finance abuse
By Terry Pope
County Editor
If Orange County, Calif., can go
bankrupt and squander away the tax
dollars can Brunswick County, too?
County finance director Lithia Hahn
assures commissioners her office op
erates nothing like Orange County.
North Carolina wouldn’t allow it,
even if new boards of elected county
officials attempted to adopt unusual
financial practices.
There would still be someone at the
state level to guard the cash drawer.
At times some may consider the ap
proach too conservative, said Ms.
Hahn.
Brunswick County collected more
than $32 million in taxes in 1994. Of
that amount, $ 18.7 million came from
individual property owners and $6.3
million from corporations.
Another $6.8 million was paid by
the public utility companies. Running
county government is big business.
The funds are invested, with hopes
of making a profit in interest pay
ments. The N. C. Capital Manage
ment Trust, as established and admin
istered by the State Treasurer's office,
owns no investments similar to the
type that led to the embarrassing bank
ruptcy of Orange County.
NCCMT invests only in securities
that qualify as permitted investments
Dosher will receive
$900,000 in taxes
In addition to collecting taxes from individuals and corpora-,
tions, Brunswick County tax administrator Boyd Williamson also
manages tax accounts for the towns of Navassa and Vamamtown.
His office also administers the Dosher Memorial Hospital
District four-cent tax levy within Smithville Township, which
includes all of Southport-Oak Island.
For 1994, Dosher hospital will receive $898,6^7 in taxes based
on a total property valuation of $2.24 billion.
That amount is based on the following:
individuals, $835,684,543 valuation, for $334,308 in taxes.
•Corporations, $292,044,009 valuation, for $116,837 in taxes.
•Public utilities, $1,116,015,497 valuation, for $446,406 in
taxes. .
The county also collected $117 in late listing penalties for
Dosher. '
under state statutes, said Ms. Hahn.
Diversification of the investment port
folio is also a major part of the state's
strategy.
Orange County's troubles devel
oped from investing primarily in re
verse repurchase agreements for high
leverage as well as extensive use of a
See County, page 12
Holiday
closings
Banks, post offices and all munici
pal and county government offices
will be closed Monday, January 2, in
observance of New Year's Day.
Brunswick County libraries will
close Sunday and Monday, but will
be open Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Students throughout Brunswick
County, including those attending
Brunswick Community College, will
resume classes Monday.
The State Port Pilot will be open
for business on Friday and Monday as
usual.
Long Beach audit
'Strongest cash position ever'
Fiscal year 1993-94 was another in
a series of strong years financially for
the Town of Long Beach.
Independent auditor Menton
Padgett told council last week the
town increased unappropriated fund
balances in its two government funds
and increased retained earnings in its
two enterprise funds.
"The town is probably in its stron
gest cash position ever," said Padgett,
of the Southport accounting firm
Brock, Padgett and Chandler. "The
books and records are in proper or
der."
Council accepted the state-man
dated audit of accounts for 1993-94
without comment or question.
The end-of-year unappropriated
fund balance in the town's general
fund was $1.48 million -- about 48
percent of budgeted general fund rev
enues and expenditures for the cur
rent year. Revenues received in 1993
94 exceeded expenditures by about
$96,400, and general fund investments
increased over $146,000.
Property tax collection rate in 1993
94 was 97.16 percent, down from'
97.5 percent the previous year.
The accommodations tax fund
ended the year with an unappropri
ated fund balance of $279,917 - about
170 percent of the budgeted revenues
and expenditures for the current year
and some $128,000more than at year
end 1992-93.
Accommodations tax revenues
were nearly $66,500more in 1993-94
than in the previous year andexpendi
tures from the fund were about
$46,700 less. Fund investments in
creased from $116,628 in the prior
year to $250,878 in 1993-94.
v The town's water fund generated
$84,305 in excess revenues over ex
penditures, down $18,850 from the
previous year. Retained earnings,
however, increased by nearly
$110,500. Operating revenues were
up about $40,000for the year, as were
expenses. Invested funds - restricted
end available - increased $83,419 in
the one-year period.
The town's solid waste fund, which
See Position, page 7