Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / June 5, 1985, edition 1 / Page 1
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The NEWS RECORD SERVING THE PEOr ? ^ M ADI$QN COUNTY SINCE 7907 MADISON county L IBRARv . general delivery MARSHALL ^ 25C C 28753 ? ? ? ? County Commissioners Consider Kve-Cent Property Tax Increase By HUBERT KOENIG The Madison County Board of Com missioners gave tentative approval to a five-cent increase in the property tax rate during their monthly meeting Monday afternoon in Mar shall. The tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year was not officially set dur ing the meeting, however. The commissioners have scheduled a public hearing on the 19B5-86 budget for next week At that time, a propos ed budget for the upcoming year will be unveiled. The hearing is scheduled for June 10 at 3 p.m. in the auditor's office in the county coiurthouse. The commissioners gave tentative approval to the five-cent increase to allow budget officer David Caldwell to write up the budget. Caldwell gave a report to the commisioners during a work session held during Monday's meeting. Caldwell told the commissioners that he had received budget requests totalling $3,921,000 from county agen cies for the upcoming fiscal year. The finance officer said it would require a 51. 55 percent tax increase in order to fill all the requests for funding sub mitted by county agencies The Madison County Board of Education had earlier submitted a budget request of $1,594,928.55 for the 1965-86 fiscal year, including a capital expense budget of $332,000 for new computers, a school activity bus and addditional classroom construction at Marshall Primary School. Caldwell told the commissioners that increasing the county property tax rate five cents per $100 appraised valuation would enable the county to increase the school budget by 175,000 over the 1964-85 allocation of 1625,000 The commissioners agreed to the $75,000 increase in the school budget, but said that the Board of Education would have to take over funding for the In-School Suspension program at Madison H.S. Caldwell said the coun ty contributed some $12,000 to the pro rgam's operation in the current fiscal year. School officials expressed disap pointment at the announcement of the $75,000 increase. School superinten dent Robert L. Edwards said that a proposed salary increase for school employees being considered in the General Assembly would eat up much of the increased funding If the General Assembly approves a salary increase for school personnel, the Madison County Board of Education would have to increase salaries of school personnel currently paid with local funds. Specific funding for county agen cies was not discussed during Mon day's work session, but Caldwell did make a recommendation concerning the Emergency Medical Service. The EMS budget proposal including funding for vacation pay and paid leave time for EMS personnel. Caldwell said that eliminating the re quests and the EMS capital budget request would trim $43,000 from the budget. The commissioners did not make a decision on the matter during Monday's work session. In other matters considered during Monday's meeting, the commis sioners tabled a decsion on a request from Donna Ward, operator of the Marshall Recreation Center swimm ing pool. Ward had asked the com missioners to help in paying the pool's bill for chemicals. Ward told the commissioners that she and Linda Jenkins are operating the pool under a contract with the Town of Marshall. She said the pool was opened on Saturday, but was closed again on Sunday when the water appeared unfit for swimming Ward said sh$. has used $453 in chemicals already in getting the pool preparted for the opening. She estimated she would need as much as $100 per week for pool chemicals and disinfectant. The commissioners declines to take any action on the request. Chairman James T, Ledford told Ward, "There's no way we can make a com mittment until we see how our budget stands." Ledford also questioned whether the board could contribute to the operation of the pool by private in dividuals and referred Ward's con tract with Marshall to county at torney Larry Leake for an opinion. Ward also asked for assistance in making repairs to the athletic field on Blannerhassett Island. She told the commissioners that the field's bleachers and fences and backstop are in need of repairs. Again, no deci sion on funding was made during Monday's meeting EMS director Mildred West reported the service made 97 runs during the month of May, collec -Continued on Back Page . 85 No. 23 Marshall. N.C. June 5, 1985 , :: 1 Pictures , Story On Page 5 Community Calendar Marshall Board Meets June 10 The Marshall Board of Aldermen will meet on June 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall for their monthly meeting. The public is invited to attend. Opportunity Corp. Election There will be a public meeting at Hot Springs school June 6 at 7:30 p.m. to elect a board member to the Opportunity Cor poration to represent the Hot Springs area. Everyone is urged to attend. There will be a public meeting at Ivy Ridge Church of God Annex on June 4 at 7:30 p.m, to elect a board member to the Opportunity Corporation to represent the Ebbs Chapel area. Everyone is invited to attend. American Legion To Meet The American Legion Post 317 will hold their monthly meeting on June 6 at 7 :30 p.m. to elect officers for the coming year. All members are urged to attend. Supper will be served by the Ladies Auxiliary. The Ladies Auxiliary of Post 317 will hold their monthly meeting on June 11 at 7 p.m. to elect officers for the following year. All members are urged to attend. Mars Hill CD Flea Market The annual flea market, sponsored by the Mars Hill Com munity Development Organization will be held on Jine 7-8, starting at 9 a.m. in the Anderson's Red Barn. Proceeds will be used for community development projects. Mars Hill Board ivejects Rezoning Request / : . By ROBERT KOENIG Mars Hill aldermen accepted the recommendation of the town's plann ing board Monday night and rejected a rezoning request submitted by a developer for a 48- unit apartment complex outside the town's limits. The proposed apartment complex, to be called the Windsor Hill Apart ments, to be constructed on a 10-acre Site near the Mfcro Switch plant. The developer met with the town's aldermen Monday night after failing to receive approval from the town's planning board during a meeting held on May 13. George Kershaw, a managing part ner with Windsor Hill Apartments, told the aldermen that his company planned to construct six two-story brick buildings housing eight apart ment units on the site. He said the plans called for the construction of 32 two-bedroom units and 16 single bedroom apartments designed for families and senior citizens with in comes between $10,000-$20,000 per year. Kershaw said the construction of the $1.5 million complex would be funded primarily through a loan from the Farmers Home Administration Rural Rental Housing program. Ker shaw said the projects developer, D and K Management, Inc. would fur nish five percent of the construction cost, with FmHA loans making up the difference. Kershaw addressed many of the concerns the project raised during the meeting with the planning board, including traffic flow, water and fire protection and the income ranges of residents expected to reside in the development. The developer told the aldermen that his company would welcome an In other matters considered during Monday's meeting, the board reap pointed Walter Smith, Leonard Briggs and Ruth Anderson to the town board of elections. The aldermen endorsed a proposed agree ment between the Mars Hill V.F.D. and swimming pool owners submit ted by fire chief Eddie Fox. . Under tfee. terms of, the agreement, the fire department would supply water at a cost of $10 per 1,000 gallons within fivemiles of the department station. In the event of a fire, the department would have a right to use the water in the pools if necessary. The aldermen rejected a proposal to purchase a new patrol car for the police department until after the budget for the upcoming fiscal year is approved. Police chief R.J. Cutshaw had obtained bids for a Ford cruiser at a cost of about $12,000. The chief said the town's present car has more than 100,000 miles on it presently. The board approved a request for funding the construction of a pressbox and concession stand at the Crooked St. athletic field. Aldermen approved <1,500 for the project and planned to ask for matching funds from the county commissioners. The meeting opened with the aldermen hearing a request from Lloyd Cassiday to bring a trailer into the town limits on Rice Rd. The trailer will be used by Cassiday's daughters who are attending college. Board member John Chandler, who earlier had introduced an ordinance banning trailers, introduced a motion to grant Cassiday a temporary per mit for the trailer. Approval of the permit was made subject to the approval of adjacent landowners. The temporary permit will be reviewed annually. Hot Springs Board Approves Budget . fx. . ' / , V,-; By ROBERT KOENIG Hot Springs officials approved a budget for the upcoming fiscal year during their monthly, meeting Satur day morning at Town flail. The 996, 300 general fund operating budget will not require a tax increase in the coming year. The town's property tax rate will remain 85 cents per $100 of valuation. In presenting the proposed budget, town clerk Lillian Whitten warned that tax rates will have to be raised in the future, however, if federal present budget permitted. The aldermen also voted to take the town out of the septic tank installa tion business The resolution passed Saturday states that there will be no sewer charges for residents who in stall and maintain private septic tanks after June 1. Existing systems previously installed by the town will be maintained The board also awarded a cable television franchise to Vision Cable Co Us ? to nexation into the town limits if the zoning variance was granted. The site is currently zoned R-t, for single family residences. In a letter to the aldermen, the town planning board advised rejection of the rezoning request because of op position to the project voiced by adja cent property owners. Mayor Powell also read the board members a petition signed ^ many of the adjacent property owners, in cluding Marshall attorney Joe Huff, his brother. Alf, and Mars Hill Col lege instructor Dr. David Knisely The petition called for rejection of the request as well. Although they accepted the plann ing board's recommendation, town officials expressed regret that the project failed to receive approval. A motion to reject the request was made by Art Wood and seconded by John Chandler, who called it, "one of the toughest decisions I've had to make on this board." Mayor Bill Powell noted that the project could have added some $1 million to the town's tax base, and told Kershaw, "Some of the people who signed that petition did it for per sonal reasons. Some of the objections aren't reasonable." Bogrd member Dr. ,W.O. Duck sug gested that the developers look for another site in Mars Hill for the pro ject and meet with the planning board again. Before leaving the meeting, a disappointed Kershaw thanked the aldermen and said his company would explore other locations. The developer told the board members. "I think I'm a pretty good salesman, but I don't think I can sell that site to those people. I feel like their minds w^re made up before we ever had a chance to talk." 1985-86 Budget Considered No , Tax Hike Seen Mars Hill property owners won't . face a tax increase in the coming | year if a proposed budget preesented , to the town's alderm?n is approved . later this month. h ' , Town manager Darhyl Boone i presented copies of a proposed $468,200 budget to the Board of Aldermen during their Monday night meeting. The aldermen have schedul ed a June 24 meeting to vote on the budget for the 1985-86 fiscal year which begins on July 1, Boone's proposed budget would hold the town's property tax ??(eat 70 cents per $100 vacation r In addition to the town's general fund, Boone presented a $150,400 budget for the town's water service Under the proposed budget. Mars Hill would raise $135,000 in pruyrty taxes. An addition $i5.ooo^vould come from federal revenue sharing rhe town's Powell Bill alocation will be $32,000 while $55,000 will be obtain ed through the local option sales tax. rhe Utilities Franchise tax would also contribute $42,000 to the town's treasury. Boone said he expects the town to carryover a budget surplus of $140,000 from the curent fiscal year The town will also have some $30,000 in unexpended Powell Bill funds Police protection will be the town's largest expense, $93,000, up $4,500 from the present year's budget. Ad ministration costs will account for $72,450 in the proposed 85-86 budget Sanitation will receive $63,936, in cluding $38,836 targetted for the pur chase of a new truck Street repairs are budgetted for $62,000, due largely to repairs following installation of the sewer system Marshall Pays Bonds, , - . V . Considers Town Budget Marshall made its latest bond payments on time last week, according to town secretary Linda Dodson The town made payments totalling $31,220 on outstanding sewer bootite ?ho? were due on June I. Dodsor. said the payments were ma<k by withdrawing $10,670 from the sanit
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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June 5, 1985, edition 1
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