Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Jan. 15, 1981, edition 1 / Page 1
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The News Record :< V , yi ' "... '.-?>? i* " ' 1 ' SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY 80th Year No. 3 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N.C. THURSDAY, January 15, 1981 15c Per Copy By $100,000 For Next Year Budget Cuts Foreseen In County Outlook By NICHOLAS HANCOCK Editor County Commission chairman James Ledford announced to those assembled at the commission's January meeting that about $100,000 would need to be cut from the county's budget for the next fiscal year. "I'm going to be recom mending cuts ? a freeze in hiring. We're going to have to tighten belts in all departments," Ledford said. Ledfonfs comments followed a brief financial report by county finance of ficer David Caldwell for the second fiscal year quarter ending Dec. 31. While the county is operating in the black, the talk of future budget cuts stems from anticipated cutbacks in federal and state allocations to the county under the new presidential ad ministration. Ledford said he would be making his recommendations in the wiming months. "We are going to do whatever is necessary to keep the taxpayers of Madison County solvent so they can pay their taxes," Ledford said. During Caldwell's report to the com missioners, the board approved the auditing contract to Green, Skidmore and Smith for 98,900. (A detailed six month county budget financial report will be published in next week's News Record). In other business, the commissioners approved the hiring of Franklin R. Schutz of Asheville as consulting engineer to work with the county's pro posed on-site sewage treatment facilities project. According to Ledford, the project is "a way to provide septic tanks for homes in Madison County with federal money." The application for the federal funds was submitted last February to the Environmental Protec tion Agency which will provide 75 per cent of the money. Ledford said the county needed a sanitary /environmen tal engineer to accompany him to a pre application conference in Raleigh this month. In a report from Louanne Roberts, acting director of the county's Day Care Centers, Ms. Roberts stated 118 children were enrolled in the four centers. She said most of the centers were underspending in their budgets, and the centers had collected $1,273 from staff members for purchased lun ches. The lunches cost the staff members one dollar. Ledford said he "had lots of com plaints" about the teachers having to pay for their lunches, and a motion was made and passed to cease charging Day Care Center workers for the meals. Acting Tax Supervisor, Mildred West reminded the board that an April date needed to be set for a Board of Equalization and Review hearing. The board promised a date for the hearing by the next commission meeting. Mrs. West requested payment to tax listers to help defray cost in their work, and board member Ervin Adams suggested the county "pay them for every name on the books" that they work with. It was decided that the listers would be paid 65 cents per listing. A discussion followed concerning tax listing by mail for next year, and the commissioners polled the audience finding a majority in favor of the mail listing method. The board said they would work toward im plementing the method for next year. In a report on the county's CETA pro gram, Darlene Cody stated the S.O.S. employment program has SO par ticipants, the Youth Work Experience program has IS youth working with positions available for 28 more, and the Public Service Employment Program currently has 13 people enrolled. Chair man Ledford announced that be would continue serving as the director of the CETA program with Ms. Cody as his assistant. The commissioners made appoint ments to a new board, the Madison County Industrial Facilities Pollution Control Financing Authority. Persons appointed to the board and their terms are: Myrtle Ann Ray, 2 years; Joe Justice, 2 years; Leonard Baker, 4 years; Jerry Plemmons, 4 years; Frank Moore, 6 years; Auburn White, 6 years; and Ernest Snelson, 6 years. In a letter from Gov. Jim Hunt con cerning the state's Balanced Growth Policy, the county was notified that Mars Hill, Marshall and Madison Coun ty have been designated as "growth centers" in the state. Chairman Led ford indicated this designation should help Madison County from the state level in the future. Mr. Harold Wallin, county tax collec tor, reported to the board that $514,063.47 in taxes had been collected through the month of December. After a brief executive session held with Wallin, the board announced the hiring of Jan Caldwell as Wallin's assistant in the tax department. Photo by N Hancock ACTING TAX SUPERVISOR Mildred West discusses payment for tax listers and the possibility of listing by mail next year at commissioner's meeting. Marshall Aldermen Hear Water Woes ku ^ I llanrnf I, rnoro oy n. nancocK GARY McGILL, consulting engineer with Butler Associates of Asheville, discusses the work involved in laying a new waterline to the top of Roberts Hill Road with Mayor Lawrence Ponder and Marshall aldermen. Residents of Roberts Hill Road in Marshall flooded the Board of Aldermen's January meeting with unfavorable comments about the poor quality of water and low water pressure they are experienc ing in their homes. "The quality of water is really very poor right now," Julian Carver told Mayor Lawrence Ponder. Ponder assured the homeowners that the town would correct the problem and would begin working on the situation within a week. The residents complained of extremely low water pressure during the evening dinner hours and said iron nut deposits were present in the water. The aldermen said the two-inch water line which ser viced the area from North Walnut Creek Road to the top of Roberts Hill Road is 53 years old, corroded and out dated. Mrs. Clyde Roberts told the aldermen that "for the last two months, you just can't de pend on water." Mayor Ponder said the most obvious remedy to the situa tion would be to replace the two-mile stretch of waterline with six-inch polyvinyl chloride pipe. Cost estimates on the project run up to $70,000, but Ponder told the board the town could afford the installation of the new pipe if repayment of the funds could be spread out over the next two or three years. The mayor said the town could use its timber funds for the work and reimburse the timber fund with revenue sharing funds the town will receive during the next two years. The Town of Marshall main tains its timber fund through the sale of timber from 600 acres of land along Walnut Creek. The town's water supp ly is provided from four wells ; two located on Walnut Creek and two located on the west side of the river in Fortner Hollow. In another matter the aldermen discussed finding a tenant to rent 4,500 square feet of space on the second floor above the Town Hall office and the fire department. Aldermen said the town is willing to remodel the facility, but the rent must be adequate to pay for the remodeling over a reasonable period of time. Mayor Ponder reported to the board that the county "has given the recreational park back to the town to run." Ponder stressed the need to find funds to operate the park in the future. Alderman S.L. Nix brought up the subject of the deteriorating condition of the city cemetery. "We've got to get it fixed up," Nix emphasiz ed. He said the town couldn't go on letting it stay in a state of disrepair. He told the aldermen the major work would involve using a backboe to clean out bushes that have grown up in the cemetery, and the next step would be sewing grass. The town had consulted with city attorney Charles Mashburn who informed the aldermen that the town can sell lots or burial plots in the facility. Charles Crowe repeated his statement from a previous board meeting that the town "needs to set up a fund in the budget to perpetuate the maintenance" of the cemetery. The aldermen said they hoped work on the cemetery could begin in mid February. In the final action of the Monday night meeting, the aldermen approved a motion to provide gasoline expenses to two Town police officers for attending criminal justice school at A-B Tech. Officer Mack Revis explained to the board that he and another of ficer would be driving to Asheville four nights per week for four months in order to upgrade their training. Mars Hill Town Council Town Needs Public Service Vehicles By SCOTT FITZGERALD The January meeting of the Kara HU1 Town Council focus ed oo immediate needi. The council heard its last open hearing In the Longridge pro ject, granted under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that will provide fundi to im dittoes of the public service vehicles used by the fire and police departments. Carl Eller, treasurer of the council, said the town's only police car was in constate need of repair. Maintenance needs such as brakes, cooling system, and major engine repairs ware re quired. Also the car has dose to 80,000 miles logged on it which makes Us reliability Vice-mayor, Gordon Ran dolph reported, The present fire truck will require a great inspection standards fur on costs and benefits will have to be heard before exact monies can be distributed. The council did remark that it was still operating within the budget this year. Mayor Powell said, "The town may still be able to purchase new vehicles and stay within our budgeted finances." The council also announced the winner* of its annual Christmas lights decoration judged in appearenct and ?how of spirit Hie winners were Dennis MB, 1st place, 90; Dr. liar ley Jollpy, hJ place, >15; and Frederick Anderson, 3rd place, ?10 ?On the Inside . . . Skiing Thrives In Madison County See Scott Fitzgerald 's Story And Photos , Page 3 . Gudger To Practice Law , Serve On Committee The formation of a new law firm serv ing Western North Carolina was an nounced last week by former 4.S. Rep. Lamar Gudger. Gudger, a two-term Democrat from the Uth North Carolina District who was unseated in November by Republican William M. "Billy" Hen don, said he expects to spend a good part of the coming year in Washington as a House committee staff member. Asked if he had any desire to seek public office again, Gudger said: "Who knows? Political ambition is usually a product of circumstances. "But right now I am more concerned with rebuilding my law practice." The new firm will be a merger with attorneys Joseph C. Reynolds and Mar tin L. Nesbitt Jr., with Gudger as the senior partner, and will include William M. Patton, David M Ganly and John R. Diltard as associate members. The principal afhcfe will toe at 1 Oak Plaza in Ashevilte. Gudger said he will retain his old Asheville office listing, 253-0766, as well as the firm's 253-5671 Gudger said he will serve as counsel, drawing on experience gained from four years as a member of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Af fairs. "The Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, one of 22 standing House committees, has broad and significant jurisdiction in areas in which I have gained some knowledge,'' he fcaid. "My duty will principally involve work with the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife Conservation and the Environ ment.'* Hendon Takes Oath William M. "Billy" Hendon was sworn in Jan. 5 as the new Uth District representative from North Carolina. Hendon, along with 52 other new Republican members of the 435-member U.S. House of Represen tatives, took the oath of office at 1:35 p.m. following the election of the House leadership. "You are now a member of Con gress," said Rep. Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill (D-Mass), who was elected to a third term as House speaker. Hendon, along with 182 other GOP House members, voted for Robert Michael (R-Dl) as House speaker, but O'Neill won with 234 votes. Asheville businessman John Veach Sr. and Bruce Briggs, Hendon 's cam paign chariman, were also with the Hendon party. Hendon 's new offices are located at 212 Cannon House Office Building in Washington. He had been working out of temporary office space on loan from Rep. Gene Johnston (R-N.C.), another Rep. Bill Hendon Eleventh district constituents should contact the district office in the Asheville Mall at 2W-M37. The local of fice also has a toll free number: (|00) 222-5840 Alley Named As Hunt's Liaison Gov. Jim Hunt officially ap pointed Zeb Alley to be his per sonal lobbyist in the 1981 General Assembly last week, an announcement that was no surprise to Wsstem North Carolina political observers Hunt announced from his of fice in Raleigh that Alley, a Wavnesville a ' 1 orney, will serve as his legislative liaison leader in both the Haoie and ^Alleywiflfv : into late spring or early sum mer, Hunt's office said. There were strong indka hogitwinj (tig second four North Carolina would tas 1981 session next Wednesday, is a close friend of Alley. Ramsey and Rap. Ernest $. Mesaer of Cwrtflti represent the four-county 44th House Dbtrtet nude up of Haywood, Jackson, Madison and Swain bill towering the voting age from 21 to It, and was the author of the portion of Gov. Bob Scott's environmental protection package eliminating conflict* of in-' tereat for members of the oM Board of Water and Air legion and Veterans of n.i. boretgn war?. Alley follows another Western North of Ashevtlle, legislative liaison.
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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Jan. 15, 1981, edition 1
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