Reconciling school current expense requests
is major block to county budget adoption
Major decisions yet to be made reconciling the cur
rent expense budgets of the Orange County and Chapel
Hill school units will determine the 1960-61 tax rate, sen
timent expressed at the Board of Commissioners’ meeting
this week seems to indicate.
Thrown into consideration also is a decision on the
$1.5 million school bond issue recommended for next year
by the School Finance Study Cora
missicn.
Revenue picture ‘bright’
Based on the new estimated val
uation of $92,009,006-, unforeseen
success of the delinquent tax col
lection program and expected re
venue of $100,000 from ABC stores,
the revenue picture is described
as exceptionally bright for main
taining services at last year’s le
vel, granting most of the requested
increases in the various depart
mental budgets other than schools,
and even granting some school
increases without a tax increase
this year.
The crux of the matter, how
ever, is that school' requests are
up considerably and there is a
wide difference in the Orange
County and Chapel Hill current
expense requests, in which funds
must he allocated on a per
capita basis wider the law.
The Orange County administra
tive unit has requested its current
expense money on the basis of ex
penditures of $37.73 per pupil while
the Chapel Hill unit would spend
for current expenses at the rate
of $46.62 per student. Last year's
current expenses money„ was al
located
student.
Possibly $1J1 rate
Assuming appropriation of about
the name amount as last yew for
capital improvements, about $300,
Boards talk
again Friday
on site plan _
Another discussien round on
Hie propose! to purchase a 10B
acre site north of Hillsboro for
school purposes is scheduled.be
fore the Board of County Com
missioners tomorrow night at t
o'clock.
The Board of Education asked
for reconsideration and a re*
hearing on the site purchase
proposal last Thursday and it
was granted Monday.
Meanwhile, members of the
board have indicated they will
press for approval of the prop
osition by the commissioners at
an early date and point out that
the Board of Commissioners
have no authority in the matter,
spent for the site."
except "as te the amount to bo
This, it seems, is indicated in
General Statutes 115-78 which
states "No contract for the pur'
chase of a site shall be executed
nor any funds expended there
for with out the approval of the
Board of Commissioners as, to
the amount to be spent for the
site." ’
The sum of $30,000 which the
school board proposes to pay S.
T. Latta for the property has
already been allocated to the
county board for school site
purchase from the sum received
from the sale of the old Carr
boro School to the Town of
Carrboro.
• The commissioners also ex
pect to consult the school board
members on its budget request
at this meeting.
000 between the two uaits, the
alternate current expense requests
would still push the tax rate to
$1.01 if the Chapel Hill request is
adapted and 97c if the County’s
request is adopted. Last year’s
tax rate was 95c.
If the Chapel HOI request is
adopted, the canty school unit
wiD pet $99,122.33 mere than the
$187,048.31 it has asked for. If
the County’s request is adopted.
Chapel nm schools will get $31,
170.94 less than the $103,452.32
they bare requested.
Chapel Hill has requested $1,
005,100.00 for capital outlay in this
year year’s budget, including two
new schools. The county asked
for $179,402.33.
Urged five-cent hike
The Finance Study Commission
recommended an increase of five
cents on the 95c tax rate this year
and a bond issue of $1,600,000 next
February. + •
It is the reconciliation, of these
matters which must done by the i
Commissioners before a final
budget can be adopted for the
County by. July' »v tho legal
'Right novv, the sentiment seems
divided as to whether to hold the
present tax rate in view of the
! bond election possibility in Febru
ary or to raise it five cents, as
recommended by to Study Com
mission, as a cushion for increases
which are sure to come in pro
viding the new buildings, either
by bond issue or by raisnig the
| annual rate.
I S aid . Commissioner Clarence
! Jones, “If we are going to call a
bond election, I think we ought
to hold the tax rate to the present
•level this year-”
Commissioners pare
elections board budget
The Board of County Commis
sioners continued to grumble
about the high costs of elections
at its meeting Monday night. But
in the end it adopted most of the
budget submitted by the election
body for the new year.
The elections board had re
quested $4(776 for next year.
After going over the request in
detail with Chairman S. T. Latta
and Republican Member Frank
Klingberg, the commissioners de
leted a special item of $250 for
"purging” the books and another
$25 generally and set $4,500 as
the amount to be budgeted.
Paid too much
Chairman R. J. M. Hobbs ex
pressed the general feeling of
the Commissioners, stated by
them in various ways, that the
Board of Elections is “being paid
OO much.’* Member Clarence D.
lones said: “I think the Elections
Board should be answerable to
somebody for what they charge
For their services.'’
The discussion brought out
'that the Elections Board mem
bers ere paid $15 per day end
they ^submit e bill ter. the num
ber of days worked in puffing
on the elections. What deter
mines a day is left to the dis
cretion of the members them
reives. (
For the first primary in May,
Chairman S. T. Latta received
(431, Secretary Clyde Carter
(242.57, and Member Fra i)k
Klingberg (122.65. For the sec
ond primary, Latta’s bill totalled v
(105, Carter’s (76.88 and Kling
berg’s (60.20. * ;
Group Dresses
$2<>o
Each
OTHERS AT $5.00
and
%
price
Group Uniforms
$|00
Each
ALL SPRING & SUMMER COATS,
TOPPERS* SUITS at
Reg. price
Group Shoes
$100
Pair
Clearance Sale Now In Progress
On Spring & Summer Shoes at
Reg. price
Group Swim Suits
$|00
Each
All Spring & Summer Sportswear
f (Except Swim Suits) at.
Reduced Prices
More
Special .
The House of Fashion
Chapel Hill