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PROGRESS SENTINEL
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VOL. XXXXVI NO. 16 USPS 162-060 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 APRIL 22, 1982 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS T>X
I a
Duplin Budget
Requests Viewed
Initial 1982-83 budget re
quests of Duplin County
department heads to the
County Board of Commis
sioners total $9,350,269, not
including proposed fund
transfers and carry-overs.
The requests exceed the
current comparative budget
by $560,427. The 1981-82
abudget totaled nearly $8,79
Vnillion.
The initial requests will be
pared down during budget
sessions of the commis
sioners in the next week or
two. Board members and
County Manager Ralph
Cottle have said there will be
no ad valorem tax increase in
the county this year. The
present tax rate is 70 cents
per $100 valuation.
A "Under present economic
conditions in Duplin County,
a tax rate increase is not
recommended,'' Cottle said
this past week.
At the 70-cent rate, the
owner of a home and per
sonal property assessed at
$50,000 paid $350 last year in
county ad valorem taxes.
Cottle noted that a recently
completed review of
assessed valuations of three
rural townships in the county
showed an increase of only
1.47 percent, due mostly to
construction of several new
poultry houses. Taking 1.47
percent as the overall valua
tion increase in the county
for this year, he said, would
place the estimated real and
personal property value of
the county at $649,476,827.
Based on a 95 percent
collection rate. 1 cent of tax
levy will bring the county
$61,700, Cottle added. On
this basis, the 70-cent levy
would bring the county
$4,319,000.
The difference between
the sum brought in by the ad
valorem tax and the final
budget total is provide i by
state and federal r<. jnuc
sources. However, counties
are required by law to dc
velop balanced budgets.
The departments' general
fund requests total
$8,863,863. The board ap
proved $8,489,412 for the
general fund last year. Most
county departments as well
as the school system and
social services department
arc included in the general
fund.
The school system is re
questing $3,143,297. Its
1981-82 county funding
totaled $2,470,594. North
Carolina public school sys
tems receive most of their
funds from the state.
The Social Services De
partment is asking for
$917,477. Last year, it re
ceived $826,350 from the
county.
No new positions or pro
grams arc' included in the
proposed budget. The pro
posal does not include a
general pay increase
although it provides for step
or grade increases.
.Rose Hill Panel
Examines Budget
Between mid-April and ,
.June 30. the Tew Boar'1 of .
Rose Hill will vrestle with a
1982-83 budget proposal <
calling for A spending |
? $507,600. ?
The town's 1981-82 ,
operating budget totaled
$488,700. about $6,000
higher than the 1980-81 J
figure. t
The initial proposal calls a
for general fund expendi- r
lures of $204,200. It calls for v
a water and sewer depart- f
mcnt expenditure of r
$154,400. balanced by anti- ..
?cipated income of $154,400. $
The proposal anticipates
$100,000 in revenue sharing c
income which would be $
divided among public safety, p
health, transportation. $
recreation, general govern
mcnt. library and environ
menial protection expendi
tures.
The proposal includes
521).(KK) from stale Powell
Bill funds for street work and
123.000 set aside for debt
?etiremcnt.
The town's assessed valu
ition is estimated at 41<>
nillion. $1 million greater
han a year ago. The budget
inticipatcs holding the tax
ate at 70 cents per $100
aluation. If 100 percent of
he levy were paid, it would
aisc $112,000. but the pro
losal anticipates collection of
75.000 in ad valorem taxes.
If the levy remains un
hanged. the owner of a
50.000 home and $5,000 in
ersonal property would pay
385 in town ad valorem
ixes next fall.
Revenue from sources
other than ad v'alorem taxes
expected for the 1982-83
fiscal year is estimated at
$129,200. including $34,500
in garbage collection fees.
$29,000 in local option sales
tax refunds. $30,000 in un
spent funds from the 1981-82
budget. $14,000 in franchise
tax receips. $4,000 in state
sales and gasoline tax re
funds $3,000 in interest on
investments and $3,000 in
intangible tax receipts.
Major items on the pro
posed budget include
$57,000 for police. $34,500
for sanitation. $24,(XX) for
streets. $18,000 for payroll
taxes and retirement.
$14,000 for the town ad
ministrator and $13,000 for
the fire department.
One man died and three j
people were hurt when a f
tractor-trailer rig loaded with
eggs and a car collided
Wednesday one-half mile
west of Warsaw on N C. 24.
A passenger in the truck,
James Dean Garner, 21, of
Warsaw was killed. The rig
driver, Donald Keith Tucker,
28, of Warsaw, suffered
several fractured bones and
was described as seriously
injured. He is being treated
in Duplin General Hospital in
Kenansville. The driver of
the car, Arlene Hill Stokes,
50, of Warsaw, and a
passenger were treated and
released from the hospital.
State Highway Patrol
Trooper C.D. Rogers Thurs
day said charges are pending
outcome of the accident in
vestigation.
Magnolia Negotiating
'CP&L Payment
Magnolia officials will try
to negotiate a settlement
with the town's engineering
firm to pay part of the $6,300
the town will have to pay
? Carolina Power & Light Co.
for three-phase power ser
vice to two sewage lift sta
tions, the town board deci
ded at their meeting last
week.
The engineering firm.
Rivers & Associates, design
ed the lift stations for three
phase power, which is more
expensive to install than
single-phase. The construc
tion firm. Sopar Utilities of
^ Jacksonville, refused to pay
for the difference between
the cost of single-and three
phase installation, claiming
three-phase is unnecessary.
CP&L has also indicated
single-phase power would be
sufficient.
The town submitted the
matter for arbitration. Mayor
Melvin Pope told the board
Tuesday the town lost its
? case and would have to pay
the additional cost.
Rivers sent the town a bill
for $4,000 ? later reduced to
$1,500 ? for services during
the arbitration procedure.
The board authorized Pope
and town attorney Garrett
Ludlum to seek a settlement
with the engineering firm
that would pay the town at
least part of the additional
cost because the problem
0 stems from the design of the
lift stations.
"As 1 understand it. three
phase would be nice but it's
not necessary." Ludlutn
said.
In other business, the
board directed Bob Sander
son and Doug Daughtry of
Harrclls. who want to estab
lish a mobile home park with
23 spaces on a 6.600-squarc
foot lot on the southwest side
of town, to have an engineer
establish grades on the
property so a sewer line
could be extended to it.
By a split vote, the board
decided to seek additional
payment from Mike Newkirk
for an unusually high water
bill. Newkirk contended his
bill was normally $19 a
month, but that the bill
jumped to $84 one month.
The town office accepted and
cashed Newkirk's check for
$19. on which he had written
"paid in full."
Ludlurn told the board that
when such a check is ac
cepted on a disputed bill, the
bill is considered paid in full.
Voting to seek the addi
tional money were board
members Hubert E. Tucker.
Hubert Howard and Ran
dolph Bccton. Voting to let
the matter drop were Ruth
Quinn and Bill Usher.
The board voted to hire a
public works employee for
the summer to mow grass,
trim weeds and brush and
help with garbage for $3.35
per hour.
Waste Industries Inc. of
Wilmington has proposed
providing once-a-week gar
bage pickup service for
either $3.85 or $4 per month,
depending on the number of
customer signups in the
county. Pope said the town's
present $4-a-month fee en
ables the town garbage ser
vice to pay its own way.
Brothers Found Dead
Two elderly brothers were
found shot to death Sunday
morning behind one man's
house on Calico Bay Road,
Route I, Teachey.
E.G. Baker of the Duplin
County Sheriff's Department
said Floyd and Herbert
Wilson, both in their 60s,
were foun^ lying dead side
by-side behind Herbert's
MM?m 1HMMM IIP ? in?
nousc around 10 a.m. A .22
calibcr pistol was found
beside the bodies. Baker
said.
The Wilsons lived next
door to each other and were i
both employed as brick
' masons.
Autopsies have been sche
duled and an investigation in
continuing. Baker said.
1 Dead, 3 Hurt In Collision
WARSAW ? One man was
killed and three injured
last Wednesday evening in a
collision between a ear and a
tractor-trailer, on N.C. 24
around 5:15 p.m. about a
half-mile west of Warsaw,
the Highway Patrol reported.
The dead man. a
passenger in the truck, was
identified as .lames Dean
Garner. 21. of Warsaw .
Ilu' irui k driver. Donald
Keith Tucket. 2H. also of
Warsaw, was seriously in
jured in the crash. The truck,
operated by PCX of Raleigh,
was loaded with eggs. After
colliding with the car. the
truck smashed cab-first into
a ditch, scattering eggs all
oxer the highway. The acci
dent also severed a utility
pole, knocking out power in
iik jiv.i and Marling a small
brush lire.
Investigating Highway
Patrol Trooper C.D. Rogers
said the eauscof the aeeident
was still under investigation
late Wednesday night.
The truck and trailer,
valued at S70.000. were de
dared total losses and re
mained at the scene while
troopers awaited the arrival
of a crane to carry of the
wreckage. Traffic was
blocked on the highway for
about an hour following the
wreck and one lane remained
closed late Wednesday
night.
Firefighters front the
Kenausv ille Fire Department
were called to extinguish the
fire. Rescue squads from
Warsaw and Kcnansville
earned the injured to Duplin
General Hospital in Kcnaiis
v iile.
I lie others injured were
the driver ot the ear. Arlene
Hill Stokes. 50. of Warsaw,
who had minor injuries and
an unidentified "2-year-old
woman who was a passenger
in the ear.
Rose Hill Likely To
Back Waste Pickup Plan
The Town Board of Rose
Hill looked favorably last
week on a proposal to pick up
residential garbage for $4.65
a month, but it took no action
pending developments in
other Duplin County towns.
Mayor Ben Harrell said he
thinks the proposal would
save the town money. Board
members nodded in agree
ment.
Waste Industries of Wil
mington Inc. has made simi
lar proposals to all (own in
the county. The basic rates of
once-a-week pickup would be
$3.85 per month per house
hold if all the towns signed
up for the service, and $4 per
month if a minimum of 1.700
households were signed up.
Rates for businesses would
be based on the number of
pickups per week and cubic
footage involved.
Harrell said Rose Hill
would want service twice a
week from May through
October and once a week for
the remainder of the year.
Waste Industries spokesman
Carolyn Buchanan said the
firm proposed a charge of
$4.65 year-round for such a
service.
She said 12 garbage trucks
now operate in the county. If
Waste Industries can con
tract with all the towns of the
cuumy, sne said, it could
provide garbage pickup ser
vice with three trucks based
in Duplin and one backup
truck.
Board member Keith
Hinson said Rose Hill now
charges $4 per month for
trash pickup. Hinson said the
fee will be increased to S5 a
month in the proposed 1982
85 town budget, "and that
won't even pay for the ser
vice."
The town has 580 garbage
customers, according to town
clerk C.T. Fussell.
Alumni Association Meeting Rescheduled
Due to inadequate
response to the notification
of the meeting of the JS
alumni association, the bar
becue supper meeting sche
duled for Saturday. April 24,
has been postponed until a
later date. An announcement
will be made on the progress
ot tne alumni association.
The alumni association is
Mill in the infancy stage and
is making efforts to build its
membership. The purpose is
to keep communications and
ties strong among past and
present students of the col
lege and to bring more public
interest to the activities and
>
needs of the college. With
these goals in mind, an
advisory council has drawn
up a working constitution
and plans to contact all
persons eligible for member
ship. Anyone who has com
pleted a minimum of two
consecutive quarters (24
credit hours) in a curriculum
program is eligible for
membership. For further in
formation contacc Mrs.
Cindy Dail at JSTC "in
Kcnansville. 296-1341, ext.
239, or write to James Sprunt
Technical College, P.O. Box
298. Kenansvihe. NC 28349.
Watch for later news.