TAX PAYMENT DEADLINE FRIDAY
No New Taxpayers Crack County's Top W List
BY RAHN ADAMS
With only a couplc of changcs in
ranking, Brunswick County's "Top
10 Taxpayers List" for 1989 in
cludes no new additions, according
to the county Tax Administration
office.
Once again, Carolina Power &
Light Co., with its Brunswick Nu
clear Project near Southport, ac
counts for approximately one fifth
of the county's total 54.16 biliion
tax base, which increased from
$4.01 billion in 1988.
The deadline for paying 1989 pro
perty taxes is Friday. Tax Collector
Nancy Moore said that, as usual,
only about S6.8 million of the coun
ty's total $24.8 lax levy was paid
prior to the Christmas holidays.
As a result, the tax office expect
ed its normal rush of last-minute
taxpayers this week. A change from
previous years is that ihc la* depart
ment has installed a "drop slot" in
the office lobby, in hopes of cutting
down long lines and speeding up
tax collections for individuals who
drop off their payments in petson.
The county mailed 88,360 proper
ty tax statements in late July. Tax
payers who don't meet the Jan. 5
payment deadline will owe an extra
two pcrccr.i ir- interest for the.
month of January and three-quarters
of a percent for each additional
month that their payment is late.
The names of delinquent taxpayers
generally are published in local
newspapers in April.
1989 property taxes are a bit more
"taxing" than they were last year. In
Juiy, commissioners raised the
county's tax rate tc 59.5 cents per
SI 00 of property value, from a 54
cent tax rate in 1988.
At $794.3 million, CP&L's 1989
valuation dropped by about $9 mil
lion from its 1988 level. Still, the
company's $5.04 million tax bill in
creased by approximately $348,000,
due lu the county's 5 1/2-ccnt tax
rate hike.
Released last week by Tax Ad
ministrator Boyd Williamson, the
1989 Top 10 list also includes, in
order, the N.C. Eastern Municipal
Power Agency, a consortium of
municipalities which owns part of
the Brunswick Nuclear Plant's pro
duction capacity; E.I. du Pont de
Nemours & Co., a manufacturer of
polyester fiber, Pfizer Inc., a citric
acid producer; Cogentrix, a co-gen
eration plant that sells processed
steam to Pfizer and uses surplus
steam to make electricity for sale to
CP&L; Ocean Isle Bcach developer
Odell Williamson; Bald Head
Island development company Bald
Head Limited; local power cooper
ative Brunswick Kleclrk Mem
bership Corporation (BEMC); and
the county's two largest timber
products companies. Federal Paper
Board Co., and International
Paper Co.
The 10 largest taxpayers account
for approximately 35 percent of the
county's tax base and almost 37
percent of the county's projected tax
revenue. Their values total aim st
SI. 46 billion, while their tax bills
total more than S9.12 million.
The current Top 10 list includes
two, notable changes from 1988.
Odell Williamson jumped up a
notch to the sixth spot, changing
places with Bald Head Limited.
Also, BEMC rose from 10th place
to eighth place, passing Federal
Paper and International Paper.
1 0 Largest Toxpoyers For 89
PROPERTY OWNER VALUATION
Carolina Power & Light Co $794339,019
N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency.. 228,961,165
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co 218,790,083
Pfizer Inc 52,965,061
Cogentrix 36,667,400
Odell Williamson 27,016.250
Bald Head l imited 24J253.292
Brunswick Elvcuic Membership Corp. .. 25,408,154
Federal Paper 3oard Co 24,626,568
international Paper Co
24,279,144
TAX AMT.
$5,042,660.93
1,453,903.40
1.301,800.99
336.328.15
232,837.99
160,747.44
154,009.00
152,210.07
146,542.14
144,460.92
SOL'KCK: BRUNSWICK COUNTY TAX ADMINISTRATION
The 1989 valuations of four Top
10 taxpayers ? Du Pont, Pfizer, Wil
liamson and BEMC ? increased
from their 1988 levels, while the
other six decreased in value.
Du Pont had the largest individu
al increase, from S213 million in
1988 to S218 million in 1989. Next
to CP&L, Cogentrix showed the
second largest single drop, from
S43.7 million in 1988 to $36.6 mil
lion in 1989.
However, due to the county tax
increase, nine ot the 10 taxpayers
arc paying larger tax bills for 1989.
Only Cogentrix's taxes dropped,
from S255.9 million in 1988 to
S232.8 million in 1989.
Boyd Williamson told the Bea
con Friday that CP&L and Cogen
trix's drops in value apparently re
flect "normal depreciation." He
added that the decreases were not
significant enough to be causcs for
alarm.
THr
Twenty-eighth Year, Number 8 c.-o the bbunsw** beacon Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, January 4, 1990 25c Per Copy 24 Pages, 3 Sections
STAFF mOTO BY KAHN ADAMS
COUNTY TAX ADMINISTRATOR Boyd Williamson (right) and Assistant Administrator Ronnie Young
last Thursday unload approximately 60,000 envelopes that were mailed with personal property tax ab
stracts to county property owners beginning last week.
Brunswick Mails Tax Season's
Greetings To Property Owners
BY RAHN ADAMS
The Brunswick County Tax De
partment is making a list this month
that will he checked at least twice in
the coming year, to make sure coun
ty taxpayers have listed all their
"toys" ? or raiher, aii their personal
property such as cars, boats or farm
equipment.
According to county Tax Admini
strator Boyd Williamson, all proper
ty owners who listed personal prop
erty in Brunswick County should
receive abstracts on that property by
the end of this week. The tax de
partment began mailing approxi
mately 30,000 abstracts last week.
A change this year is that taxpay
ers are expected to list only non
household personal property and
not real estate during the lanuary
listing period. In late 1988, county
commissioners instituted a perma
nent real estate listing system for
the county.
As a result, individuals who own
land here will not receive an ab
stract for their real estate, William
son said. Those property owners
will be billed automatically for their
land when tax statements arc mailed
out later in the year.
"It's a labor-saving device and a
cost-saving device," Williamson ex
plained. He noted that the county
prepared and mailed more than
90,000 abstracts last year at a cost
of at least $35,000. That expense
should be cut by two-thirds this
year, he speculated.
Due to the permanent real estate
listing system, the usual 10-percent
late listing penalty is not added to
real estate. Non-household personal
property ? which must be declared
every year ? remains subject to the
penalty, if the property is not listed
with the tax office by Jan. 31.
Williamson also reminded that
for the second year, his office will
enforce a special 3100 fine on mo
tor vehicles that are not listed this
month. Brunswick County did not
enforce the penalty in 1988 ? the
first year it was available. The fine
was approved by the N.C. General
Assembly three years ago.
The tax administrator said laci
year's enforcement of the car penal
ty resulted in the discovery of an
additional $9 million worth of per
sonal property in the county. Some
$12.8 million in personal property
was "discovered" ? found after the
listing period ? in 1989, compared
to S3. 8 million in 1988. He said the
difference amounted to about
$50,000 in taxes and penalties.
Property owners may list their
taxes this month either by mail or in
person at the tax office in the
Brunswick County Government
Center in Bolivia during regular of
fice hours.
List takers also will be available
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Jan. 30 and
31, at the Shallotte Volunteer Fire
Department, Tri-Beach VFD, Wac
camaw Community Building,
South port VFD and Lcland Sanitary
District office.
The current tax rate is 59.5 ccnts
per $100 of property valuation.
Brunswick County's tax base last
year amounted to $4.16 billion.
Property owners who have ques
tions about listing their taxes can
call the Brunswick County Tax Of
fice at 253-4341 or toll-free 1-800
527-9001.
FBI Speculates That Would -Be
Bank Robbers Fled Toward N.C.
BYRAHN ADAMS
About 10 local and state lawmen
assisted South Carolina authorities
Tuesday morning in searching for
two armed men who tried to rob the
Little River, S.C., branch of South
ern National Bank. No arrests were
reported as of late Tuesday.
The attempted robbery was a
familiar event foi Brunswick Coun
ty lawmen, who had been called to
five financial institution robberies
in the South Brunswick Islands
since June 1989. Suspects have
been arrested in only two of the
hold-ups.
Four of those robberies ? the lat
est one Dec. 15 ? occurred in Cal
abash, which is located just across
the state line from Little River. The
robber remains at large, according
to Agent Larry Bruns of the FBI
office in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
"At this point, we don't have
anything to indicate that they are
(related)," said Bruns of a possible
relationship between Tuesday's
incident and any of the Calabash
robberies. "The M.O. (method of
operation) was quite a bit different."
Of the four unsolved area hold
ups, Tuesday's incident was the first
one to involve more than one sus
pect, Bruns said. Also, the pair
broke into ihc building through a
front window before the bank op
ened and waited for employees to
arrive.
A female bank employee, who
authorities would noi identify, was
injured in the attempted robbery.
Bruns said the woman suffered a
small cut to the forehead when she
was struck by one of ttie masked
susperV- both of whom were
armed with small handguns.
Brunswick County Sheriff John
C. Davis said the woman was taken
to an area hospital and apparently
was released from care. She re
turned to the bank Tuesday before
local officers left, Davis added.
Three bank employees were
inside the building when the sus
pects fled. The pair left before the
bank opened at 9 a.m? after they
were unable to open the bank vault
Bruns said the robbers probably
were scared off by the anticipated
arrival of other employees and cus
tomers.
The sheriff indicated that mem
bers of his department, the N.C.
Highway Patroi and the SBI assist
ed in a search of the area between
the bank. located on the east end of
Little River on U.S. 17, and Cal
abash on N.C. 179 ? the direction in
which the two would-be robbers
fled.
? "All of it was in South Carolina,"
Davis said of the manhunt. "I put
people in Calabash, to assist the
South Carolina authorities."
Sgt. J.W. Brooks of the Wil
mington Highway Patrol office said
Trooper J. V. Dove used the
Hlgiiway Patrol's new tracking dog
in the search Tuesday morning.
Brooks said the dog picked up a
w.nl and trd lownj it through a
wooded area toward N.C. 179 for
about one-half mile.
The suspects were described as
white men, both between. 5 feet, 10
inches and 5 feet, 1 1 inches tall, and
both weighing between 180 and 200
pounds. One wore a dark shirt and
blue jeans; the other wore a dark
jacket and blue jeans. Both wore ski
masks during the attempted robbery.
Bruns also noted that one of the
suspects carried a walkie-talkie ? a
possible indication that the robbers
were in contact with someone in a
vehicle outside the bank, he added.
He said authorities theorized
Tuesday that the robbers fled
toward North Carolina, since areas
around U.S. 17 in Brunswick Coun
ty are less densely populated than
those around U.S. 17 south of Little
River.
Nine Candidates File For County Primaries
Ever, '.hough turnout was heavy
Tuesday on the first day of political
filings in Brunswick County, only
one primary race was guaranteed in
the six county offices that are up for
grabs this year. Filing closes at noon
Feb. 5.
According to Brunswick County
Elections Supervisor Lynda Britt,
nine candidates ? six Democrats
and three Republicans ? filed for
May 8 primary elections for sheriff,
clerk of court, and the District 2 and
5 seats on both the school board and
county commission.
In the sheriff's race, candidates to
file Tuesday included Democratic
incumbent John C. Davis, 61, of
Bolivia, who has been sheriff since
1983; and Republican David L.
Gause, 60, of Shallotte. Gause, a
Shallotte alderman, was an unsuc
cessful Democratic candidate for
sheriff in 1986, losing to Davis.
Incumbent Democrat Diana
Morgan, 37, of Long Beach, was
the only candidate to file Tuesday
for clerk of court ? a post she has
held since the resignation of former
Clerk of Court Greg Bellamy in
August 1987. Ms. Morgan was
elected to a special two-year term in
1988.
District 2 county commission
candidates Tuesday were Democrats
Joseph Stevenson, 41, of Route 3,
Supply, employed by DuPont; and
Allan Dameron, 43, of Holden
Beach, employed by Alan Holden
Realty. They will vie for the com
mission seal currently held by
Democrat Benny Ludlum of the
Holden Beach area. Ludlum an
nounced last month that he docs not
intend to seek re-election.
Incumbent District 5 Commis
sioner Grace Beasley quietened any
speculation about her intentions by
filing for re-election Tuesday on the
Democratic ticket. The Route 3,
Leland resident is running for her
second term. On the Republican
side, Federal Paper Board employee
Donald Shaw, 49, of Route 1,
Leland, entered the District 5 com
mission race.
Candidates filed for only one of
the two school board seats Tuesday.
Shallottc lawyer W. James Payne,
29, of Brierwood bsiatcs, and local
daycare center operator and former
public schoolteacher Polly G. Russ,
39, also of Brierwood Estates, sign
ed up to run for the District 2 seat
now held by Democrat Dot Worth
of Shallotte. Payne is a Republican;
Ms. Russ is a Democrat.
There were no candidates Tues
day for the District 5 school board
scat now held by Democrat James
CIcmmons of Leland.
Lawmen Apprehend Cedar Grove Teens After Foot Chase Near Holden Beach
TWo Cedar Grove teen-agers
were arrested on shoplifting and
weapons charges Monday after
they led local lawmen on an hour
long foot chase in the Holden
Beach area.
Brunswick County Sheriff's SgL
Ronald Hewett identified the sus
pects as Terry L. Davis, 16, and
Wellington Grissett, 19. Both were
charged with shoplifting and going
armed to the terror of the people.
Davis also was charged with mis
demeanor marijuana possession
and intimidating a state's witness.
The intimidation charge stemmed
from a separate incident last week.
According to Hewett, Delores
Robinson of Holden Beach
CRIME REPORT
Seafood Maiket on Holden Beach
Road called the sheriff's depart
ment Monday at 2:56 p.m., and
said she suspected that two young
men were shoplifting inside the
store. Hewctt added that as he
talked to Ms. Robinson, he heard a
"confrontation" between her and
the suspects.
Holden Beach Patrolman Robert
Cook was ilic first iawmen to arrive
on scene, Hcwett said. He added
that Cook advised authorities that
the two suspects were armed and
that they had fled the store into a
wooded area off Stanbury Road.
Heweu indicated that the sus
pects were not armed inside the
store and that they apparently had
hid weapons outside before enter
ing the business. "They went back
outside, grabbed their weapons and
ran," Hewett noted.
He said Highway Patrol Trooper
J.V. Dove was dispatched to the
crime scene with the Highway Pa
trol's new dog, "Marcus Augustus
Caesar," and quickly tracked the
suspects down in the woods about
600 yards behind Ocean View
Church on Stanbury Road. Sur
rounded by officers, Davis and
Grissetl "dropped their weapons
and came out" without incident,
Heweu said. *
Officers seized a sawed-off, .22
caliber, semi-automatic rifle that
Davis was believed to have been
carrying. Heweu said the rifle was
"fully loaded, its safety off, (a bul
let) in the cliamber, and ready to
go," when it was found. A small
amount of marijuana also was con
fiscated from Davis.
Lawmen also searched Monday
evening and Tuesday morning for a
handgun that Grissett was believed
to have been carrying, but did not
locate it, Hewett said.
Other officers involved in the
manhunt included Holden Beach
Patrolman Mike Hamilton, Deputy
James Stanley, Troopers B.D.
Earnhardt and Danny Harvell, and
Highway Patrol SgL J.W. Brooks.
"I was very, very pleased ax the
quick response," Hewett said of the
various agencies' cooperativ e ef
forts Monday. "It was a job well
done, and it was a professional
job."
Davis was released Monday
from the Brunswick County Jail af
ter posting a $4,000 secured bond.
Grissett remained in custody Tues
day under a S2.000 secured bond.
Hewett said the intimidation
charge against Davis stemmed from
an occurrence last week in which
Davis allegedly waved the sawed
off rifie as Cedar Grove resident
Phil Bryant ? a Brunswick County
jailor ? drove past Davis in the Ce
da r Grove area. Davis earlier had
been charged wish breaking into
Bryant's home and was awaiting
trial, Hewett added.
Robbery Reported
Two suspects were being sought
Tuesday in connection with an
armed robbery and car theft Sunday
outside a Leland church, Hewett
said.
According to a report on file at
the sheriffs department, Signe
Lossen B Ian ton of Leland told offi
cers that she was unlocking the
back door of Woodbum
Presbyterian Church on Village
Road Sunday just before 9 a.m?
when a black man approached her
(See LAWMEN, Page 2- A)