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'Get Patriotic in Person' The Courier Times Weather Outlook TODAY: Hi 41 Lo27 THURSDAY; Hi 38 Lo 23 See page A2 for info FRIDAY; Hi 46 Lo26 WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9,2011 Serving All of Person County Since 1881 Copyright The Courier-Times inc. 2011 All Rights Reserved 75c Our 129th Year — No. 12 Roxboro, North Carolina Two Sections — 20 Pages www.personcountylite.com Currier named director of county's Economic Development Commission By PHYLISS BOATWRIGHT C-T Staff Writer pboatwright@roxboro-courier.com Barbara Wagstaff Currier has been named director of the Person County Economic Development Commission (EDC). The Person County native said Tues day that she was “thrilled to be back home.” She added that she was also happy to be working with Jim Stovall, who is chairman of the EDC and has served as unofficial director for the past year. Currier said she was look ing forward to working with the entire EDC board and “all our partners,” which include Piedmont Community College, where she served as executive director of the PCC Foundation for 13 years, as well as the school system, county com missioners, Roxboro City Council and the Tourism Development Authority Prior to going to PCC Foundation director, Currier worked as director of public information, director of admis sions and as a counselor at PCC. After leaving the college in 2005, Currier went to the state office of the North Carolina Community College System, where she served as director of the North Carolina Community College Foundation and Alumni Affairs. Before her time at PCC, Currier served as director of Person County Partners in Education and as commu nity schools coordinator of the Person County Schools system. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from UNC-Chapel Hill. Stovall said Currier’s work with the schools, PCC and the state office of com munity college, and the contacts she had made in those positions, as well as the fact that she was a native Personian, would allow her to “hit the ground run ning” in her new position. County commissioners approved the position last month, which will allow Currier, through the Person County Business and Industrial Center and the Economic Development Commission, to direct economic development activities in the county. Currier will operate out of a county office and he accountable to both the EDC and the county manager’s office. She will receive an annual salary of $40,000, with no benefits. The county will also furnish office space, a computer, access to a copier and telephone, and will reimburse mileage See CURRIER back page Barbara W. Currier Revaluation delayed by # • commissioners until 2013 By TIM CHANDLER Courier-Times Editor tchandler@roxboro-courier.com The Person Board of Commission ers voted unanimously Monday night to delay property revaluation for an additional year. Property revaluation for the county is now scheduled for 2013. At that time, the county will be required to perform the process. The county last had a revaluation in 2005 and, prior to the last few years, had operated with a four-year revaluation cycle, which is also permissible. The delay approved Monday by com missioners will, according to Person County Tax Administrator Russell Jones, “give the real estate market one more year to stabilize.” Jones said that a delay in the revalu ation should allow time for the market to adjust and the county/taxpayer will not be locked in to a value that is incor rect —either too high or too low—until the next revaluation cycle. Jones told commissioners Monday that the county’s current assessment rate is 96-percent accurate, based on a sales ratio sampling. “Values are higher today than they were in 2005; however, there has been a recent decline in values,” Jones said. “A revaluation is not needed at this time, since values are so close to the current market value.” Jones further explained that delaying the revaluation for another year would allow taxpayers to keep their 2005 tax values for another year. “This will take away some of the uncertainty concerning their property tax bill,” Jones explained. “This will be our final delay since revaluation is required every eight years.” In other matters Monday, commis sioners approved advertisement of delinquent 2010 real property taxes in The Courier-Times on March 5. State law requires the newspaper advertisement, Jones explained, and it can be published at any time between March 1 and June 30. SCENIC SUNSET rr Phyliss Boatwright / C-T PICTURESQUE — A winter sunset brought vivid colors to the Rougemont sky Sunday night. Support gained for occupancy tax hike By TIM CHANDLER Courier-Times Editor tchandler@roxboro-courier.com Citizens plea for continued funding of recreation/senior citizen services By TIM CHANDLER Courier-Times Editor tchandler@roxboro-courier.com See DELINQUENT backpage “Progress has to still continue to take place.” Johnny Myrl Lunsford, the former chairman of the Person Board of County Commissioners, spoke those words to the current board of commissioners Monday night during the informal com ment portion of its regularly scheduled meeting. Lunsford was one of five citizens who encouraged commissioners to keep fund ing for recreation and senior citizens in the county a priority heading into budget discussions. “I appeal to you to keep these pro grams at the front,” Lunsford said. “I’m concerned. I’m not going to sit back and relax because I’m retired.” County Manager Heidi York has projected a budget shortfall of $4.8 mil lion for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1. In addition to the four other citizens who spoke, a host of persons who utilize the county-hosted exercise programs were also in attendance. Ethel Brann Tillman of Allensville told commissioners that “males and females from pre-teens to senior citi zens” wantaproposedrecreation/senior center to be constructed. In the November 2008 general elec tion, Person County voters approved a bond referendum for the center. The bond referendum authorized approval of up to $6 million to fund the recreation/senior center. The proposed center would include a swimming pool, basketball courts, racquetball courts, exercise rooms, meeting rooms and offices. In 2008, approximately 55 percent of the 15,934 votes cast favored the referendum, which passed by an 8,761 to 7,173 count. The bond referendum was favored in 11 of the 14 precincts in Person County This past November, however. Per son County voters soundly defeated a proposed quarter-cent sales tax by a vote of 8,553, or 79 percent, against to “I see it as another way of revenue. If [a] property tax [increase] is not one, then this is the next best thing.” Commissioner Ray Jeffers spoke those words Monday night before join ing three other commissioners in voting in favor of a resolution supporting an increase in the occupancy tax rate in Person County. The Person County Tourism Develop ment Authority (TDA) is seeking state legislation to increase the county’s occupancy tax rate from five percent to six percent. If allowed, the additional revenues would be used to promote tourism in Person County. County Manager Heidi York esti mated that the increase would generate $27,000 annually. The tax would only affect persons utilizing hotels, motels and extended stay facilities in the county. Commissioner Kyle Puryear cast the lone vote against the resolution. “It is not time for it,” Puryear said. He later said that the “way to solve [budget issues] is not through increas ing a tax.” Jeffers pointed out that a host of persons seeking continued support for recreation services in the county were in attendance at Monday’s meeting. “We are going to continue to have a slew of people here,” Jeffers said, “We’ve got to find some way to support them.” Commission Chair JimmyB. Clayton pointed out that Personians pay occu pancy tax rates in other counties and states when they travel for vacation or business. “If we are willing to pay it when we go elsewhere, they should be willing to pay it when they come here.” In another TDA-related matter Mon day, commissioners voted, 4-1, to sup port a resolution that would increase the current size of the TDA Board of Direc tors from six members to nine members. See CITIZENS back page See SUPPORT back page Roxboro's Junior Miss Carson Allen preps for next week's state competition By GREY PENTECOST C-T Staff Writer greypentecost@roxboro-courier.com Carson Allen Last October Carson Allen was named Roxboro’s 2011 Junior Miss, but her practice and preparation didn’t end that night. Since then she’s been getting ready for the state level of competition, set to take place next week. Allen leaves for Greensboro Friday, where she will spend a week with a host family and other contestants before the competition on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19. Since winning the local competition, Allen said she’s been practicing and perfecting and making some changes to the dance she will perform during the talent portion of the program. During “workdays” in Greensboro and Fuquay- Varina she learned and practiced the fitness routine, which includes push-ups, sit-ups and v-sits. In order to keep in shape Allen has been participating in Jazzercise, and thanked Stacey Davis for helping her with that. “The fitness routine is some intense cardio,” Allen commented. She said she was a little nervous on the first workday, but that everyone was “nice and sweet,” and she found it comforting to know that all of the girls were in the same position. The competition is made up of fitness, talent, self-expression, scholastic and interview portions. The Roxboro Jaycees helped Allen hone her interview skills on Sunday, and INSIDE Wednesday Agenda A2 Boatwright Business A3 Ciassified.. Commentary A5 Editoriai A4 Extension Notes AS Lifestyle A4-5 Mini-Page B7 Obituaries A9 Do You Know.... Entertainment.. Legal Notices... Looking Back... Movies People. Sports A6-7 TV Listings.. A2 ..B8-9 A3 B2 3 B9 A3 A3 B5 B6 6 9 6 Allen said she is continuing to follow current events, which may show up in the judges’ questioning. Allen’s roommate in the comingweek is a contestant from Pitt County She said the two discovered that they share a mutual friend, someone that Allen had met at a summer camp. The girls will be staying with Jack and Cathy Bayliss in Greensboro. Allen will meet her hosts on Friday. Allen said she is looking forward to the “opportunity in general,” but most of all the chance to spend time with the other contestants and getting to know them. See JUNIOR back page
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