Newspapers / The Duplin Times (Warsaw, … / Feb. 25, 1982, edition 1 / Page 1
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PROGRESS SENTINEL ^VOL^XXXXVm^ ^^JSPS^82-8?0 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 FEBRUARY 25. 1982 18 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX Duplin Mayors Favor Bigger Local Sales Tax 1 Most Duplin County mayors said they favor an additional 1 -cent sales tax for local governments during a meeting of municipal offi cials last Thursday night. Their comments followed a discussion of current and anticipated funding pressures on towns by Leigh Wilson, executive director of Athe N.C. League of Muni cipalities. More than 60 people attended, including all Duplin mayors, with Rose Hill Mayor Ben Harrell pre siding. Wallace Mayor Melvin Cording, while agreeing with the need for more money, questioned whether towns would get any money from the proposed tax hike, which is under study by the N.C. {^General Assembly. Cording said money could b^ saved if the county and towns cooperate . on public services such as garbage collection and law enforce ment. The local governments would have more equipment and labor than needed if they would cooperate to make the best use of them, he added. Mayors Sam Godwin of Warsaw, Melvin Pope of Magnolia, Alex Brown of Greenevers and Ruby Ramsey of Teachey said they favor the 1-cent sales tax increase. Wilson said grant funds for all towns and cities are being sharply cut. He re minded the group that the state clean water bond fund is nearly exhausted. "One-fourth of town reve nue has been in the form of inter-governmental transfers from Washington or Ra leigh." Wilson said. "The league favors giving more authority to towns and states, but the cuts are coming too fast. We need time to make sure what (programs) we want to con tinue and what we want to phase out." He also urged the officials to support a proposed exten sion of the clean water bond measure. "Unless some help is provided smaller towns, they cannot meet clean water standards," Wilson said. "There are 120 towns in the state that cannot add cus tomers to sewer lines." Wilson said a local-option, I-cent sales tax proposal has been approved by the state House and will come before the state Senate in its spring session. The bill would allow each county to decide whether to add a penny to the current l-cent local option sales tax, which 99 of the state's 100 counties levy. Wilson also discussed a proposed statewide 1-cent tax hike that has not come before the legislature. This proposal, put forth by State Treasurer Harlan E. Boyles, would allocate 40 percent of the proceeds for schools, 40 percent for counties and 20 percent to a clean water fund. Wilson said the league has not taken a stand on the suggested division of local option sales tax revenue. He said the proposal for the statewide tax probably would require a referendum. Wilson also warned the officials that the state's city annexation law is under attack and urged their support of it. "It is the only way towns can grow," he said, calling it "a good law." Students Get .Break ? On Aid Cutoff j The Duplin County Board of Education has paved the Arty for county high school seniors receiving Social Se curity benefits to continue receiving payments after JMav I if they remain in ^school. The board last week agreed to permit these seniors to take the state high school graduation equiva lency tests this winter so they can enter post-secondary schools before their benefits are cut off. The federal government has ordered that Social Se uulurity payments to students ?tnd May 1. Normally, only people past high school age who have dropped out of school are permitted to take the high school equivalency (GED) tests. The May cutoff date af fects students entitled to Social Security benefits in August 1981. However, monthly payments can be Continued until a student nnishes school, reaches 22 years of age. or through April 1985, whichever comes first, provided the student is in full-time attendance before May 1982 at a college or other approved poSt secondary school. Assistant Superintendent Alice Scott said students could not enroll in most universities prior to May, but they can enter most technical Colleges according to enroll ment deadlines. She said most area colleges and tech nical schools will accept stu dents who have passed the GED tests.. Seventy-four seniors in the county receive Social Secu rity benefits. Ms. Scott esti mated that 57 may be in terested in attending post secondary schools. Most of the students are eligible for the benefits because of death or disability of parents. There are 245 high school students in the school system receiving such Social Security benefits. The sys tem has about 2,600 high school students. "This is a poor way to run a railroad." board Chairman Graham Phillips said of the federal cutoff. "This is the worst legislation to come through yet." Ms. Scott added. "We are not happy with this. It's a one-time thing. But It's our duty to help the students." Policies adopted by the board on the subject include: ? Allowing concurrent enrollment to permit the students to enroll full-time in an approved post-secondarv school while completing high school work. ? Allowing these stu dents to withdraw from the tegular high school program to take required courses in extended day school while enrolled full-time in a post secondary school. ? Allowing students to take the GED tests and withdraw from high school without receiving diplomas to enroll full-time in post secondary school. Superintendent L.S. Guy warned the board tfye school system may need additional money for heating buildings this winter. He said he could give the board a definite situation report at its mid March meeting. Guv said the system might need about 25.000 gallons more fuel oil at a cost of $25,000 if weather in the next six weeks turns cold. Based on last year's needs, he said, the system likely will need an additional $25,000 for elec tricity. The board approved a resolution calling for a state wide one percent sales tax increase, with 40 percent of the revenue going to schools. It discussed requiring pregnant teachers to leave their jobs several days before giving birth. Phillips said there is con cern that pregnant teachers are staying in the classroom i " until "the last minute." He said he believes the hoard should set a policy requiring ' teachers to leave the job a specified number of days before the birth. "When I was delivering babies. I told the mothers-to be to keep on working as long as they could," board mem ber Dr. E.L. Boyette said. "The children in school are not that naive." Phillips replied. "To me it's just a bad policy to let them teach en until the baby's born. Everybody's expecting the birth to happen any time." Ms. Scott said. "You should treat it no differently than any other medical prob lem." "If wc set a policy (of so many days) the court will challenge it." Boyette added. The board decided to check with area industries on their policies on pregnant workers and discuss the issue at the next business meeting. The board directed Guy to offer $200 a week for a temporary worker to inven tory fixed assets of the school system. Guy estimated the job would require about three months. "tobacco Assessment Projected An assessment of three to five cents a pound will be needed to free the tobacco _ price support program from Wany cost to the federal government, according to Fred Bond, general manager of Flue-Cured Tobacco Co operative Stabilization Corp. Bond made the statement at the District S Stabilization meeting Friday in Kenans ville. The district includes the southern counties of the Eastern Belt ? Pender, Duplin, Sampson, Wayne, AGreene and Harnett. The U.S. House subcom mittee on tobacco was di rected by the full House to develop a proposal of no cost to the government to present to Congress this winter or spring. The assessment idea has been discussed at regional congressional hearings. Farmers have indicated that if it means survival of the 0|sice support and production control program, they are willing to go along with the idea. In return for limiting to bacco production to an amount specified by the secretary of agriculture each year, tobacco farmers are guaranteed a support price on their tobacco. Each year. Stabilization borrows money from Com modity Credit Corp., a finan cial agency of the federal government, to pay farmers for tobacco that fails to receive bids higher than the support level. It sells this tobacco later and repays CCC. The outright loss in 43 years has been less than $50 million, but when the dif ference between what Sta bilization has been charged in interest and what the government has paid for money is included, the cost has been higher. Stabilization pays market interest rates on money it borrows. The rate is adjusted every six months. Last spring the rate was 14.5 percent. In January it was lowered to 12.5 percent. The next ad justment will be in June. Bond said a study of past costs is being made with interest figured at present rates to determine what Sta bilisation will need to build the necessary reserve to operate free of cost to the government. "It's (the cost) going to be bigger than you think. What's really going to hurt is the interest on the money borrowed," Bond said. The crowd of about 100 farmers, representing all counties in the district, re acted as if shocked at the possible size of the assess ment. While indicating dis like of the amount, the farmers acknowledged by nods the necessity to pre serve the support program. Tom Newman of Kitty Fork in Sampson County said, "We better get on with iL it and get some equity" in the Stabilization reserve fund. Bond said the subcom mittee will attempt to get legislation authorizing such an assessment through Con gress in time for the 1982 marketing season. Bond said Stabilization re ceived 106 million pounds or 9 percent of the 1981 tobacco crop, down from 137 million pounds or 12 percent of the 1980 crop. During 1981. it sold 213 million pounds of tobacco. It paid farmers $172,175, 729 for the tobacco, bor rowing the money at 14.5 percent interest from CCC. Bond said the farmer owned cooperative's board of directors is recommending the assessment, adjustment of the price support formula to price weaker grades of tobacco more competitively than at present, and keeping any profits from sales in a reserve fund H TOBACCO TALK ? Buck Williams and Thomas James of the Magnolia area, both tobacco growers, tell J. Michael Moore of the Agricultural Extension Service of Kenans villc of problems encountered on last year's tobacco crop. The meeting took place at George Henry Lee's country store near Magnolia on Kural Koad #1003 West. Moore told about 25 tobacco growers of tobacco diseases, practices, good and bad. as well as some helpful steps for the coming tobacco season. It was one of several countywide meetings held on tobacco bv the extension service in Kenansville. Big Cheese Giveaway a The Duplin County De partment of Social Services will begin issuing cheese on Thursday and Friday, March 4 and 5. Issuance and certi fication will be from' the old surplus commodity warehouse near the dogpound on Highwav II. south of Kenaruville. ? Households who are cur rently receiving food stamps will be automatically eligible. Those not receiving food stamps will need to bring verification of their income with them. Duplin County will be get J^. I .'MO pound1; -f chee?e and it will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis. Applications will be com pleted at the distribution site and issuance will be made at the same time to eligible househouids. Everyone interested in the <;*iatr' ieesc viM ha., ic come to the distribution warehouse on March 4 or 5. It is anticipated that the allocation can be issued to all interested persons who are found eligible on those two days. Students Due Close Look At Government The Duplin County Board of Commissioners agreed last week to participate in a county school "close-up" program April 1-3 at James Sprunt Technical College. In this program, 150 juniors and seniors from the four county high schools will be brought to Sprunt to meet county and municipal officials and hear their de scriptions of their duties. The county board will stage two mock meetings from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. April I. After short meeting ses sions. the board will accept questions from the students. At the same times, state Rep. Doug Clark and state Sen. Harold Hardison will discuss legislative pro cedures and actions. Half of the students will attend each session. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., April I, the students will neet with municipal offi :ials. The second day of the migrant will open at 8:30 i.m. with Gerald Ouinn and lohn Gurganus heading the jrogram. Ouinn is treasurer >f the Ouinn Company of Varsaw and Gurganus is .ounty industrial develop nent director. Other busi less people will be present. At 9:45 a.m.. agribusiness leople will tell their story. Among the speakers will be Jill Prestige of Carroll's -oods of Warsaw . Bill Hen lessee of Cates Pickle Co. of :aison. and Lois Britt. ounty extension chairman. Representatives of the tate Employment Security rommission, migrant work :rs and farmers will meet vith the students at 11 a.m. he afternoon of April 1. the students will tour the de partment of corrections prison unit south of Kenans villc and county court facili ties. On April 3. the students will meet with political party officials, county executives and representatives of human resources agencies such as schools, social ser vices. mental health and the hospital. In other business, the board awarded its annual audit contract to William Boyette of Warsaw on a bid of $5,750. $250 less than last year. Bids were to be opened at 10-30 a.m. Feb. 22 on an ambulance for Warsaw. Blue Cross insurance pre miums for county employees will increase 38 percent this year after a 33 percent increase last year. County Manager Ralph Cottle told the board. The county paid $125,417 in premiums last year. Of the total, $13,645 was for ad ministrative costs for Blue Cross. The county had claims of $122,000 last year. Cottle said the average claim was $1,700 to $1,800. Most claims come from depen dents of employees, he said. Cottle said 160 of the county's 220 employees are covered by the insurance. Policies cost $36.84 per month for a single person. The family plan costs $101.73 per month. The county pays $24 a month per insured employee. The board directed Cottle to meet with department heads and have them de termine what their em ployees want to do about insurance. . Wallace To Seek New Well Bids The Wallace town board will readvertise for bids for a town well, with the opening at 2:30 p.m. March 3 in town hall. The town received only two bids after its first call. For a contract to be let on a first round of bidding, three ( bids must be received. There is no minimum number re quired for a second-round opening. The new well is to be 40Q to 600 feet deep. The deepest of the present nine welts is 330 feet. The water level is dropping in these wells, ac cording to Steve Routh, town administrator. Two of the present wells have been removed from service. A two-inch test well will be drilled and if water flow and quality meet requirements, a 10-inch well will be drilled about 30 feet from the water ?J* tan* neat the town hall. The wells that failed were beside the water tank and on West Se.vens Street. The casing shifted in the well by the water tank, preventing the pump shaft from revolv ing to lift water. The city was unable to overcome odor and color problems in the Stevens Street well. Mayor Melvin Cording said the life of a well is about 25 years. He said the town pumps about 100 million gallons of water per month. J.P. Stevens Co. has used about 88 percent of the water, although reduced production schedules are ex pected to cut water usage of the plant. Cording added. The cost of the new well .to be paid through utility fees, is estimated at about 580,000. The city is seeking a grant that would pay 25 percent of the cost, Cording added. * ? >
The Duplin Times (Warsaw, N.C.)
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Feb. 25, 1982, edition 1
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