i ? ? Tax hike backed (Continued from page 1A) for someone to stand up and say I appreciate paying taxes," Com missioner Wyatt Upchurch said. Hoke County School Superin tendent Dr. Robert Nelson did ex actly that. - -According to Nelson, he likes paying taxes because he gets so rruach in return. know that my trash is going to be picked up," said Nelson. The superintendent also said he likes knowing that there is a health department, an ambulance service, police and sheriff protection, recreation facilities and educa tional services available for his use. "Those are things I can't do for myself," he said. "I think I'm getting a bargain in return," said Nelson. Lillie Rheams, representing the Hoke County Civic League said she and her organization want to keep the present services the way they are. In a letter read by Rheams, the Civic League agreed to the tax hike if it is needed to keep services at their present level. "Start absorbing costs today," said Rheams. County employee Ben Hadden said: "I'd go aJong with seven cents if it will help county employees." County employees need the salary benefits that can be derived from a tax hike, said Hadden. In the last budget work session held by the commission, Commis sioner James Albert Hunt sug gested that a penny could be cut out of the tax hike by reducing cost of living salary increases to county employees from 5*0 to 3%. One cent added to the tax rate will produce S3 1,280, Cowan said in that session. Tax cutters missed "Where were all those people who called me and said they just couldn't take another raise in taxes?" Commission Chairman John Balfour said after the public hearing was over. In other action during the meeting, commission members voted to sign a contract with American Refuse Systems, Inc. (ARS) to pick up garbage from dumpsters in the county next year. According to the contract passed by the commission, ARS will emp ty the dumpsters in the county for one year with an automatic renewal for another year if neither party wants out of the contract. Any raises in the rates of the ser vice must be based on the con sumer price index (CPI), the con tract says. As an example, Cowan said that if the CPI went up three percent, the rates for dumping trash boxes will go up three percent. The estimated value of the con tract is $138,500, said Cowan. That value is "strictly an estimate" based on the amount of garbage hauled last year, said Cowan. The rate is based on $6.72 per box, he said. Also included in the contract is a clause saying that ARS will pay a $75 fine for every box scheduled for pick-up that is missed, said Cowan. Tabled by commissioners until a later meeting was a vote on the proposed secondary road improve ment program presented by members of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT). According to a summary sheet given commissioners, Hoke Coun ty's "anticipated 1985-86 alloca tion" will be $97,585. About 15% of the allocation will be for road additions, property owner participation projects, volunteer fire departments, project overdrafts and drainage projects. Another 15% will be used for "unpaved road stabilization pro jects." About 20% will go to paved secondary road improvement pro jects such as widening. The balance of the money will be used to pave secondary roads, ac cording to DOT officials. The total amount that can be used for paving projects is $48,792. Based on priorities, the paving will begin with State Road 1491, State Road 1487 and State Road 1414, officials say. Any money left over will be used to begin other projects. Other business Commissioners also: ?Passed a motion to pay legal fees to County Attorney Duncan McFayden for the period ending June 13. P1M4* k) Brcty !??> Season 's beauty LiUies in gardens around Hoke County make the landscape brighter this time of year. These flowers were found in a Raeford bed. . . . Tests scores rise (Continued from page 1A) ning to catch up to the region, the figures show. Reading scores from grade six show a gain in scoring of two months, from 6.0 last year, to 6.2 this year, said Nelson, adding that this represents a gain on the region and the state which remained cons tant at 6.7 and 7.1 respectively. Out of 23 possible comparison points between Hoke County and the region, the county gained on the region in 13 places, said Nelson. "We held our own in six places," said Nelson. "In four places we lost ground and all of them were in the second grade. And, we don't know why," said Nelson. When comparing state figures with Hoke scores, the county students gained on state averages 15 out of 23 places or 62.5