arrentonMem.Library X
17 S .Main St.
irrenton, N.C. 27599
Qtye Harren Hecorfc
Volume 86 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, October 5, 1983 Number 4
a .
Commissioners Considering Giving Increased Assistance To Schools
warren uouiuy commissioners are considering
allocating more than the mandated 40 percent of the
proceeds from the newly-enacted one-half percent
sales tax for the county's public schools.
Mrs. Eva M. Clayton, commission chairperson,
proposed at the regular meeting Monday, that a
larger portion be designated for the schools, based
on the amount collected.
Warren County School Superintendent Mike
Williams, contacted yesterday, said he was "very
pleased" that the commissioners were considering
additional funds for the school system.
"From the outset, we've requested consideration
(in the disbursement of the tax proceeds) and I'm
pleased to hear that our requests have fallen on
sympathetic ears."
State statute requires that at least 40 percent of
the revenues from the tax over the next five years
be allocated for capital school construction and 30
percent over the following five years for the same.
Mrs. Clayton suggested that the commissioners
might want to consider as much as 50 to 60 percent
for the schools.
County Manager Glenwood Newsome reported
that the county may receive as much as $192,800
from the tax for the remaining fiscal year.
Proceeds from participating counties will be
distributed on the basis of population, rather than
point of sale.
As of last Thursday, 69 counties had adopted the
tax, and seven were scheduled for decisions thu
month.
The county will not receive the first proceeds
from the tax, which went into effect in Warren
County this month, until February.
The county commissioners, who have received
several requests for consideration in the
distribution of the tax proceeds, have made no
decision as yet.
Fireman Walter Gardner of Warrenton stretches a banner
across Main Street in preparation for Saturday's Fireman's Day
festivities. Main Street will be the scene of a 10:30 a. m. parade of
fire trucks and musical units before firemen switch their activities
to the Warrenton National Guard Armory for a barbecued
chicken lunch and an afternoon of field events. (Staff Photo)
Local Firemen
Planning Special
Events Saturday
Several events are
planned Saturday in
connection with the
county's observance of
National Fire Prevention
Week.
A parade will begin
the festivities at 10:30 a.
m. on Main Street in
Warrenton.
County and municipal
fire departments will
participate, along with
six departments from
outside the county.
Also in the parade will
be the Warren County
High School Band, the
Louisburg Shriners
Calliope and the W. C.
Steppers.
Lunch will be served
following the parade at
the National Guard Armory
at a cost of |3.50 a
plate. Proceeds from
the lunch will go toward
(Continued on page8)
Allen Is Named
To Health Post
Irvin M. (Marty)
Allen beganJWs duties as
a Warren County
sanitarian and environmental
health
coordinator Monday,
filling the vacancy left
by the retirement of
Palmer W. King, according
to Joe Lennon,
county health director.
Allen, 33, is a native of
Warren County and a
1968 graduate of John
Graham High School.
He received a B.S.
degree in geology from
East Carolina University
in Greenville in
1974, and has studied on
the master's level in
geology.
He was a soil scientist
for Bertie County for six
years before returning
to Warrenton for family
health reasons.
He has most recently
been associated with his
father in the operation
of Warren Auto Parts.
Lennon said he felt the
county was "very fortunate"
to have someone
with Altai's qualifications
on board.
i .M ...
Hospital Task Force Is Established
By Warren County Commissioners
A task force to study
the issues and programs
affecting the operation
of Warren General Hospital
was put in place
Monday by Warren
County commissioners
at their regular
meeting.
Composed of
representatives of county
government, the
hospital board, private
providers, the county
health board, HealthCo,
Inc., and consumers, as
well as two state representatives,
the task
force was proposed by
Commission Chairperson
Eva M. Clayton.
According to Mrs.
Clayton's proposal, the
task force will foster
cooperation and greater
utilization of the
hospital by private
physicians currently
practicing in the county;
will develop a
cooperative and joint
relationship between the
hospital, HealthCo, and
the county Health Department;
will consider
the feasibility of birthing
centers and other
health program expansion
and improvement
of the physical facilities
at the hospital; and explore
the possibility of
relationships with other
hospitals.
The task force will
also fulfil a federal
requirement that each
county operating a
hospital have an advisory
board to review
changes evolving from
the recent restructuring
of the Medicare and
Medicaid rate
schedules.
Mrs. Clayton told the
commissioners that she
had contacted N. C.
Human Resources
Secretary Sarah
Morrow, who had
promised support for
the task force from her
department.
Those named to the
task force are: Mrs.
Clayton, Commissioner
W. J. Harris, Hospital
Board Chairman Roy P.
Robertson and board
member Nathaniel
Davis, Hospital Administrator
Frank Hinson,
Drs. D. R. Coffman,
James Perry, James P.
Green, and Kirit
Trivedi, County Health
Director Joe Lennon
and board member
George Shearin;
HealthCo, Inc.
representatives Phil
Williams and Mrs.
Geneva Fitts; Mrs.
Anna Butler, John J.
Hawkins, Eddie
Clayton, a representative
of Carolina Sports(Continued
on page 8)
Tax Supervisor Tells Board
Irate Calls May Be Forthcoming
By KAY HORNER
Staff Writer
Warren County tax supervisor Janice Haynes
warned Warren County commissioners in their
regular meeting Monday morning that they may
receive calls from irate taxpayers in coming weeks
in connection with the results of a field survey being
done for the county by CarrolJ-Phelps Co. of Winston-Salem.
"The appraisers have been picking up quite a bit
that has not been listed," Mrs. Haynes said,
referring to improvements to real estate not listed
with the tax collector's office. She indicated that
some county residents may face bills as high as
12,000.
In a later interview, Mrs. Haynes said that the
appraisers have three more townships to survey,
Warren County became $100,000 richer Tuesday
evening when State Representative Frank Ballaace
(above right) presented Warren County Commission
Chairperson Eva M. Clayton and (left to
right) Commissioners Jack Harris, George Shearin
and Francis Alston with a check from the State of
North Carolina. Rep. Ballance sponsored legislation
in the last session of the General Assembly
which requested $1 million in restitution to Warren
County for the location of a hazardous waste landfill
in the Aftoa area of the county. Although the check,
earmarked for industrial development, represent
and that their work may not be completed until next
spring.
Her office would like to get as many tax listing
updates as possible before sending out tax bills, she
said, but indicated that mailings would begin before
the end of this year.
Failure to list real estate and improvements
thereon involves a penalty of 10 percent for the
current year, 20 percent for the preceding year and
10 percent added cumulatively for each year up to
five years, excluding the current year. The tax for
each year is figured separately, and then all are added
together for the total tax due, depending on the
number of years involved.
If a property-owner will not tell the tax office
when the improvement or addition was made, the
tax collector assumes it was made five years ago.
ed less than the amount originally hoped for, Rep.
Ballance told Warren Comity commissioners Monday
that he Intended to sponsor a bill in the next
session of the Legislature requesting additional
funds. Mrs. Clayton expressed appreciation to Rep.
Ballance and the county's entire legislative
delegation for their support of the bill. Rep. Ballance
noted that Rep. Billy Watkins, who he termed
one of the bill's "prime movers," had planned to he
on hand for the presentation, but hnd been detained.
(Stuff Photo)
After Grant Bid Fails
More Aid Sought
By Hospital Board
By KAY HORNER
Staff Writer
The denial of Warren
County's application for
$160,000 federal Economic
Development Act
grant last Thursday
brought Warren
General Hospital representatives
before county
commissioners Monday
with a request for additional
funding.
The grant, along with
a $60,000 local match in
county funds, would
have meant a total of
$200,000 earmarked for
hospital renovation.
Roy Pat Robertson,
chairman of the hospital
board, requested that
the commissioners
allocate a portion of the
proceeds from the
recently-enacted onehalf
percent sales tax to
the hospital.
"At a time when we
need more funds, we're
getting cut in operational
funds by $41,000,"
Robertson said. In this
year's budget, the
hospital has been
allocated $111,000 from
the county. However,
$60,000 has been
allocated for roof
repair, leaving $51,000
for operating expenses.
Robertson noted that the
hospital is left with only
$51,000 in operating
funds, as opposed to
$92,000 last year.
"There is upgrading
that we need to do," he
said. "If we keep the
hospital open, we must
attract doctors and
patients, and to do this
we must have a decent
building."
County and hospital
officials have expressed
deep disappointment
over the denial of the
EDA grant for Warren
County.
Newsome told the
commissioners that
2,862 applications had
been received and that
190 had been considered
by the agency. Of this
number, 150 were funded.
North Carolina
projects were funded in
Woodland, Mt. Airy,
Cherryville, Wilmington,
and New Hanover
County.
County officials had
been extremely optimistic
that the ap
plication would be approved,
and as late as
last Thursday at 5 p. m.
Warren County was still
on the list, according to
Newsome.
"It's my personal
opinion that we were
sacrificed for another
project," Newsome told
the commissioners.
Warren County had
been commended by
EDA officials for its
promptness in responding
to requests for information
needed to
process the grant, and
county officials who had
recently traveled to
Washington to lobby for
the grant had returned
feeling that Warren
County's chances of
landing the grant were
good.
Chairperson Eva M.
Clayton asked if
anything further could
be done on the county's
behalf, but was told by
Newsome that only $44
remained in EDA's contingency
fund, and that
the project was "dead."
The commissioners
took no action on the
request for funding by
hospital officials, but
Mrs. Clayton said the
denial of the grant did
not mean that the county
would not continue to
seek funding for the
hospital.
Voter Registration
Drive Begins Oct. 8
The Warren County
Board of Elections will
conduct a voter
registration drive
beginning Saturday,
Oct. 8 and continuing
through Oct. 22.
Chairman L. C.
Cooper reported that the
county has 9,229 registered
voters out of 11,717
eligible citizens, leaving
over 2,000 unregistered
voters throughout the
county.
Precinct registrars,
judges, Board of Elections
members and
special registration
commissioners may
register people to vote
seven days a week for 52
weeks yearly. Those
authorized to register
voters are as follows:
Carla B. Williams,
Jeanette Newsome,
Venetta Grant, Carolyn
Adcock, Ruth Warwich,
Nina Goode, Elizabeth
D. Baskerville, Brenda
Y. Keeter, Carolyn Mayfield,
Ann Gavin, Edith
T. Booker, Myrtice M.
Richardson, Margaret
Jordan, Betty Allen,
Laurie G. Worth, Susie
M. Williams, L. Diane
Williams, Alma S.
Short, Saundra Alston,
Anna Fuller, Edward
Sommerville, Weldon C.
Capps, Pearlean R.
Pulley, Omelia C.
Spruill, Juanita
Spruill, Juanita Richardson,
Elnora Sommerville,
Jessie W.
Nicholson, Margaret J.
Pettaway, Cornelia W.
McGrier, Joseph N.
Alexander, Lucy M. P.
Alston, Frandne A. Alston,
Mary E. Alston,
Grace Williams,
Elizabeth G. Jones,
Suzann Bumgarner,
Lucille J. Young, Magnolia
H. Alston, Thelma
B. Davis, Margaret J.
Cheek and Mary G.
Harris.
Also, Cora Green,
Patsy T. Hargrove, T. T.
Clayton, Mary D.
Williams, Richard
Alexander, W. E. Exnm,
Loyd Hawkins, Odessa
Hawkins, Milton Davis,
Annie Bullock, Charles
Worth, Joyce E.
Shearin, Patsy L.
Alston, Diane R. Moody,
Ronald Hargrove,
Helena Hargrove, Betty
Wagstaff, Dortie T.
Green, Ann B. Oawford
(Continued on page I)