Commissioners finally approve budget
$.99 rate carries $137,000 increase
t
f he Board of C o)u n t y
Commissioners yseterday ap
proved a 4 tents increase in
the tax rate to 9g cents per
$100 valuation for next year
and a $1,634,761 budget,
calling for increased expend
itures , of $137,761 for the fiscal
year.
The pressure for increased
school appropriations brought the
tax increase despite a windfall of
$100,000 in ABC profits promised
during the year and included in
the expected revenue.
School spending will account for
81 cents of the 99 cents ad val
orem lax rale, believed to be the
highest percentage of tax revenue
appropriated for schools by any
county in North Carolina.
Unanimous okay 1
The Commissioners approved the
budget and tax rate unanimously
after two months of hearings and
discussions of the requests from
various county departments.
Other notable changes in the
Dfiage* included salary rams
for most county employees, ap
propriations totalling $11,428 to
place the Sheriff’s department in
county-owned cars for the first
time, and a $20,000 appropria
tion to begin a fund to construct
a $80,000 addition to the coun
ty agricultural building.
The rate of 99 cents per $100
valuation represents at in
crease of 51 per cent in the coun
ty tax rate since 1954 when the
last property revaluation took
place. After the revaluation the
•* tax rate was placed at 62 cents.
It went up to 72 cents in 1957, to
82 cents in 1958, and then to 95
cents last year.
Over million for schools
Tlie new budget calls for spend
ing $849,979 for schools during the
next fiscal year, including $198,
127 for school debt service, pay
ment of principal and interest on
bonds previously sold for school
building purposes. Capital outlay
appropriations to both the coun
ty and Chapel Hill school systems
i total $331,928 and the current ex
pense appropriation to the two
units totals $319,924.
Last year’s budget totalled
$731,192 tor schools, Including
$231,278 tor current expenses,
$296,804 for capital outlay and
$283,110 for debts.
The current expense budget was
granted on the basis of the county
system request, $187,643, which
gave the Chapel Hill system on a
per capita basis as required by
law $132,281, considerably below
the $163,452 requested. The coun
ty . system's budget .ncluded an
appropriation for 12 additional
teachers to be paid completely
from county funds.
Fond for Northside
In tie school capital outlay dis
tribution, the county was given
$95,378, Chapel Hill $136,550, amd
an additional $100,000 was set up
in a building fund to replace the
present Northside school in Chap
el Hill.
The Welfare department bud
get of $448,919, representing a
slight decrease from the previ
ous year, was adopted as pre
sented, including $73,97* for gen
eral welfare and administration,
$123,MO for old age assistance,
$179,10# for aid to ependent chil
dren, ~nd $81,840 ia aid to the
permanently and totally disabled.
Other appropriations to the var
ious funds included: farm pro
gram $41,936, general fund $220,
120 (completely from non-tax re
venues, no tax levied for these pur
poses); district health department
*32.500 (increase of $2,500); bonds
and property revaluation.
No supplement change
Also levied by formal resolutions
passed yesterday were the Chap
el Hill Special School district tax,
20 cents per $100 valuation (no
change); Greater Chapel Hill Fire
District tax. $.10; poll tax $2;
dog tax $2 and $1; and Schedule
B licenses as prescribed by the
Revenue Act.
Most employees get
raises
Most Orange County county of
ficials and employees under the
jurisdiction of the county com
missioners got salary increases
in the new budget for 196041 ap
proved yesterday.
General exception to this were
personnel of the Farm and Home
Agents’ offices and the Judge
and Solicitor of the County Rec
order’s Court Two members of
the farm staff were granted
raises, however. The former are
paid principally from State funds
and only partially from the
county.
Following are the officials and
increases approved: County Ac
countant and Tax Supervisor Sam
Gattis, up $500 to $8,250; Sheriff
C. D. Knight, up $400 to $5,200;
Clerk of Court E. M. Lynch, up
$200 to $5,200; Register of Deeds
Betty June Hayes, up $200 to
Brush arbor classes won't be necessary
Despite unexpectedly high
enrollment increases this fall.
Chapel Hill public school pu
pils will have a roof over their
heads.
This, in essence, is what Su
perintendent of School Joseph
Johnston told the county com
missioners during their school
budget deliberations. The
Board members asked John
ston if there’d be enough space
to accommodate all of the pu
pils this year if all of the re
quested money for school
buildings wabn’t granted.
The Superintendent noted,
by way of reply, that he’d re
ceived 90 additional enroll
ments since issuing his previous
vious estimate/ of 3,630. This
would bringahe expected total
to 3,720—an increase of 250
over last year^ even though
more enrollments are expected.
$4,600; Tax Collector Ortense
Dickson, up $200 to $3,800; De
linquent Tax Collector Frank
Frederick, up -$300 to $3,480;
Appraiser Frank Miller, up $312
to $3,312; Assistant Court Clerk
Lucius Cheshire up $240 to $4,
080; Dog Warden Cashe Boggs,
up $180 to $3,300.
Veterans Service Officer W. G.
Wrenn, up $180 to $3,300; Mr.
and Mrs. Jack Childress, jailer,
up $200 to $3,000; Deputy Sher
iffs up $360 per year, ranging
according to their tenure in the
Merit System from $3,480 to $3,
840. Clerical and other person
nel in the courthouse received
increases of $10 to $12 per month
in accordance with the establish
ed pay scal$.
Authority was granted the
Sheriff to establish the position
of Chief Deputy who will be paid
$336 per month, one merit step
above the other deputies in the
highest rank.
Here Tuesday night. . .
Flat tire halts
Terry's tour
at Chapel Hill
A flat tire at the end of a
trip to inspect the state hos
pital in Morganton caused
Governor-Nominate Terry San
ford to spend Tuesday night
in Chapel Hill. . - ,
Mr. Sanford started his foui
day tour of the institutions on
Monday, as a part of his pro
gram to learn their problems
and needs. He was accompan
ied by State Hospitals Board of
Control Chairman John Urn
stead of Chapel Hill.
On Tuesday they looked at
the Broughton State Mental
Hospital and the School for tke
Deaf in Morganton. Mr. San
ford also took time out to talk
informally to about 190 per
sons in the county courthouse
there, re-emphasizing his sup
port for the Democratic na
tional ticket.
Following the flat tire epi- P
sode on their return to Chapel ,
Hill Tuesday night he decided
to stay over here, rather than
press on to Raleigh. With him
was his aide, Tom Lambeth.
Yesterday and today Sanford^ „
completed his tour by visiting \
hospitals in Goldsboro, Kin
ston, and Butner.
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