Citizens }
BY RAHN ADAMS
In light of a proposed 16'^-cent property tax rate
crease in the coming year, Brunswick County Comn
sioners Tuesday were urged to be "responsi
stewards" of county taxpayers' money.
About 50 individuals attended the ll4-hour hear
Tuesday night at the Public Assembly Building
Bolivia. They came to discuss the county's proposed
million budget, which includes a proposed 67-cent
rate.
Of the 11 taxpayers who addressed the full boarc
commissioners, at least four speakers said they opp
the proposed tax rate hike. Remaining speakers cit
voiced their support of specific budget items or questi
ed the hoard about the budget, process itself
Tk?. * ?? ? ---
i iic uiusi uuispuKen critic or me proposed budget i
Uix rate increase Tuesday was Ocean Isle Be,
developer Odell Williamson, who is one of the count
largest property owners. According to Brunswick Cou
Tax Department figures, Williamson paid more tl
$151,000 in taxes last year on his $30 million worth of p
perty in Brunswick County.
J ?
HOAG & SONS BOOK
SF'RINGF'ORT MI L
^ Twenty-sixth Year, Number 31
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Nevei
Gary Galloway of Varnamtown pulls with all his ml
as lead man on the Lockwood Folly Seafood tug-of-<
team, which eventually lost this grueling final mate
the Brunswick County Parks and Recreation Dep
County Offici
BY RAHN ADA:.:i Represents
Although there was some confusion ed United Ba:
last week over how and when the sioners last V
matter will be decided, Brunswick discuss local
County Commissioners began con- I-eague Class
sidering a proposal to build a minor the new Nortl
league baseball stadium in Park off U.S.
Lcland?a $500,000 facility which John Moss o
would house a franchise that was presents
originally had its sights set on Wiim- Benny iAidlui
ington. sioner absent
However, county officials ap- Moss expl
peared to be leaning against the Rro- Atlantic I^ag
posal last week, due to the expense of to 14 baseball
the stadium and its questionable league currei
economic benefits to Brunswick North Carol
Countv. te villa.
"I've got to look at it from the Greensborobusiness
standpoint," said Commis- Carolina?CI
sioner Chris Chappell. "I'm scared Myrtle Bea<
Wilmington is going to get the im- Sumter. Lea
pact, and we're going to get the locate the tu
stadium." North Carolin
Voice Opposition T<
In what Commission Chairman Grace Beasley later (
in. called a "rousing speech," Williamson spoke for about 20 I
[lis- minutes, admonishing commissioners to "produce a ]
ble responsible budget."
"I do love Brunswick County ... and I want to make <
ing sure we're going to exist," Williamson said. "We can't |
in exist if we keep over-taxing people and driving them
11.8 away." i
tax He suggested that the proposed 16.5-cent rate in- i
crease was a scare tactic being used by the board to
1 of soften the shock of an eventual lesser increase in the final |
ose tax rate. I
her Williamson also spoke against the proposed im- |
on. plementation here of a one-percent real estate transfer
tax. a measure which is used now in Dare and Currituck <
md counties to offset the expense of development. 1
ich In presenting his budget to commissioners iast |
y's month, County Manager John T. Smith suggested that
nty they "explore" the tax as an additional source of
ian revenue. The tax requires legislative approval for im- i
(ro- plementation.
Calling the tax a "fine shame," Williamson said Mon
!95* THf SXUNSWtCK MACON Shallotte, North Carolina, 1
iW3!,
^ ' ''' * ' FhOtOtr
r Say Die J
Ight raent during Saturday's Brunswick Islands Beach
war Festival. The story and mere photos are inside this '
h to issue.
art- 1
als Consider Benefit C
tives of a company call- 7'm scared Wilmington is 1
ieball met with commis- . . ... s
Wednesday in Bolivia, to 9om9 9eI e 1
ting a South Atlantic (economic) impact, and 1
;-A expansion team at we're going to get the
west Township District , , 1
74-76. League President Stadium. ,
t VI X. * ?
i rvui&a muujiuim aiso c.nris t_nappeil i
or the labour meeting. District 1 Commissioner '
n was the only commis- !
ained that the South Benefits Outlined i
ue is expanding from 12 While emphasizing a minor league
teams next season. The baseball team's value in providing
ntly has four teams in family enteriaiiunent, Moss said a
ina?Asheville, Fayet- franchise in Brunswick County would
Gastonia and also have an estimated $4Vi million
-and five in South impact on the community as an "intarleston,
Columbia, dustrial, corporate citizen."
:h, Spartanburg and He cited the economic worth of
gue officials want to having the team's 25 players live in
io expansion teams in the area and having the league's 13
ia and Georgia, he said, other teaias visit the area for the
d Proposed
Jay, "I hope I don't hear any more abo
oecause Dare's got it doesn't mean
Brunswick."
He said he felt a real estate tran
Jiscourage the sale of property and sti
growth.
Another speaker, Eileen Kellagher
llso was highly critical of what she tei
responsibility" on the part of commissio
"If we're in such dire straits, why dc
laxpayers' money away," Ms. Kellagl
later added, "You're bleeding us, and I v
?oing to stop."
She said the board should hold the
when the budget is closer to being comp
having the hearing at such an early sta|
process.
Among the taxpayers who spoke on
items, Brunswick County NCAE Presi(
iiiuils uigi-u commissioners 10 support ]
increases for teachers and teaching a
county school system.
Thursday, June 9, 1988
Lawmen Se
In Marijuan
BY RAHN ADAMS <
State and local lawmen got an early
start on this year's marijuana 2
harvest by seizing almost 1,400 plants t
in northern Brunswick County last g
week. i
The marijuana, with an estimated
street value at maturity of more than t
52.2 million, was found last Wednes- s
lay in the Maco area during a two- J
Jay air search that covered a major f
portion of the county, according to ?
Brunswick County Sheriff John C.
Davis. >
No arrests were made in connec- <
tion with the operation. "All of the '
patches were in remote areas," 1
Davis said. "The only way (to make
n arrest) would be to catch i
somebody going to them." 1
Last Wednesday's marijuana find, t
which Mas orunswicK s largest one- s
lay seizure in the past 10 years,
:ame a day after lawmen searched t
niddle and southern sections of the t
Shallotte Pro|
BY DOUG RUTTER $
A three-cent tax hike and large- a
scale expansion of the wastewater n
reatment plant are included in next t
,ear's proposed $l.j million budget a
or the Town of Shallotte. r
In the tentative budget, which was
jresented to town board members $
ast week, the tax rate would in- *
srease from 44 cents to 47 cents ner i
100 of property valuation. With an r
istimated valuation of $56.3 million 1
ind collection rate of 95 percent, the s
own expects to collect $251,332 in
axes. t
t
If approved, the tax hike would be c
the first since the county underwent a j
property revaluation three years t
ago.
The town board was to have held a
budget workshop Wednesday at 7:30 a
p.m. in town hall. A budget hearing r
will be held at the next regular f
meeting, June 15 at 7:30 p.m. I
The major expenditure included in f
tiext year's proposed budget is (
>f Bringing Pr<
ocal club's 70 home games. Another v
substantial benefit would be major b
eague subsidies tor goods and ser- s
/ices such as food and travel.
Dr. Eric Margenau of New York,
N.Y., and Alan Lewis of I-os Angeles, 4
3alif., whose United Baseball owns $
Franchises in South Bend, Ind., and h
Watertown, N.Y., told commis- c
doners that a team here would bring d
jobs, sales tax revenue and new F
businesses to the county. 1
"We feel that there are tremendous c
economic spin-offs that result from
bringing a minor league team to a r
community," Margenau said, noting c
that stores, restaurants and motels l
have "sprung up" near South Bend's r
new stadium. a
Margenau also pointed out that the J
county-owned stadium could be used 5
to hold other money-making events \
such as concerts and professional c
Tax Rate t
ut that.. . Just Smith said aftei
it's good for plement increases a
about a 50 percent
sfer tax would school personnel hai
fie Brunswick's in the past six year:
Bernie Carlisle
of \jong Beach, inent also encouragi
med "fiscal ir- of the county's fire c
ners. need everything we
i we keep giving Jim Hankins, wl
ler asked, then High School Booster
,-onder when it's prove $50,000 aliocal
improvements to atl
public hearing three high schools, i
leted, instead of that the funds woul<
>e in the budget the individual schoc
Also, County Pa
specific budget Morry Watkins and
lent Janis Sim- bringing a minor 1
pay supplement County through cor
ssistants in the
(SeeC
25c Per Copy
>ize $2.2 M
a Through
rounty with no success, Davis said.
"We flew both days and didn't find
inything on Tuesday," Davis said. "I
hink we're kind of early ... We'll
;et the plane again, and keep trying
t."
Early or not, the two-day effort neted
more marijuana plants than were
eized during each of the past two
rears. The sheriff's department
ound only 338 plants in 1987 and
ibout 1,100 in 1986
1-ast year, the SBI spotter plane
vas used here for only two
iajs?uulc m Juiy anu once in
\ugust. Poor weather conditions
Hampered both operations.
According to a sheriff's department
report on last week's searches,
1,333 plants?ranging in height from
wo inches to two feet?were found in
iix separate plots located off N.C. 87.
The plane flew from treetop level
o an altitude of about 1,200 feet while
he SBI spotter directed ground
Doses Three-Cer
118,950 for improvements of water
nd sewer service. This represents
nore than 10 percent of the total
ludget and will be used mainly for
xpansion of the wastewater treatnent
plant.
Other large appropriations include
65,000 for a fire truck and $192,790 in ,
own employee waces. The Dronoseri
ncrease in salaries is $24,760,
epresenting a four percent cost-ofiving
increase and merit bonuses for
everal town employees.
Also in the tentative budget, the
own has appropriated $75,000 for
rash pickup instead of the $60,000 it
urrently pays. This 20 percent proected
increase is mainly the result of
own growth.
The proposed budget also includes
i $10,000 appropriation for adninistrative
costs of the volunteer
ire department, $5,500 for the West
Iranswick Branch Library, $1,000
or the South Brunswick Islands
Chamber of Commerce and $1,000 for
d Team To Bi
restling. A joint commission would
e set up to oversee scheduling of
pecial events, he said.
Costs Projected
Margenau said construction of a
,000-seat stadium would cost from
500.000 to $700,000. That expense,
owever, could be reduced since the
ounty already owns the 35-acre
iistrict park site and since
Imnswick County Parks and
tecreation could handle part of the
onstruction work.
Parks and Recreation Board
nember Foxy Howard noted that
onsiderable funds already have
>een allocated for the park, which is
IOW unripp rnnctrnrtinn Rut PnrWc
ind Recreation Director Bobby
lones said after the meeting that the
1300,000 now being used for the park
vould not reduce the stadium cost
estimate. A concrete stadium with
I
-like
r the hearing that the proposed supmount
to about $80,000 and represent
increase. Simmons noted that the
/e not received supplement increases
i.
of Navassa Volunteer Fire Departed
the board to continue their support
lepartments and rescue squads. "We
can get this year," Carlisle said,
tio is president of the West Brunswick
s Club, asked that commissioners apUnnC
in tho cphnnl Knnri-I'o Knrliinf fr\w
muim kiiv dvnvui uuai u o IVJI
lletic facilities at each of the county's
\fter the hearing, Hankins explained
i be used to match monies raised by
ils.
irks and Recreation Board members
Foxy Howard expressed support for
eague baseball team to Brunswick
istruction of a 4,000-seat stadium at
:iTI.ZENS, Page 2-A)
???? ?V
38 Pages ^
illion
Airbearch
teams to the marijuana patches. The
ground teams consisted of two SBI
agents and 15 members of the
sheriff's department.
Detective Sgt. David Crocker said
the May 31 search included the
Southport, Supply, Shallotte, South
Brunswick Islands and Ash areas.
Although no plants were found, officers
did locale plant beds that they
suspect are intended for marijuana
growing, he said
According to the SBI, lawmen
across the state seized 89,273 marijuana
plants last year. A total of 1,611
plots were found in 94 of the state's
100 counties.
Wilkes County was the top producer
last year with 11,132 plants in
59 plots. Bladen ranked second with
6,690 plants in 12 plots.
The SBI estimates the street value
of a mature marijuana plant at
$1,600.
i
it Tax Hike
the Shallotte Volunteer Rescue
Squad.
General fund revenues are expected
to increase almost $140,000
nex' fiscal year to $597,579. This is
primarily due to the increase in
taxes, which should bring an extra
$30,000 to the town; inclusion, for the
first time, of the fire department's
$40,000 in savings and certificates of
deposit in the budget, and an additional
$25,000 in county revenues.
In the water and sewer fund,
revenues are expected to increase
nearly $150,000 next fiscal year to
$511,465. In addition to $118,950 from
the capital reserve fund, extra
revenues are also anticipated from
two other sources.
Sales tax revenues are expected to
be $27,000, an increase of $15,000 over
the current fiscal year, while water
charges should bring in $278,104 in
the 1988-89 fiscal year for an additional
$30,000. The proposed budget
reflects no change in water or sewer
rates.
runswick
dugouts and dressing room facilities
would cost about $100 per seat, Jones
estimated.
Responding to commissioners'
questions, Margenau speculated that
the franchise vyould pay the county
from $15,000 to $60,000 per year to
lease the stadium, depending on
whether the lease agreement was
based on a flat fee or on a percentage
of profits. He admitted, though, that
the county probably would not
recover its investment through the
rent paid by the team.
But the franchise representatives,
Moss and local recreation officials
countered that the team and stadium
would offer other less tangible
benefits, such as instilling community
pride in young athletes and
creating incentive for future commercial
growth in the Leland area.
(See BENEFITS, Page2-A)
4