Board Listens As Split
Crowd Reacts To Budget
BY TERRY POPE
A mixture of supporters and an
gry opponents told Brunswick
County Commissioners what they
thought of the proposal 1991-92
county budget and related personnel
decisions Friday.
It wasn't planned as a public fo
rum, but Chairman Kelly Holden
said he received so many requests
from residents wishing to speak that
the meeting format was amended to
allow each speaker three minutes.
There had been rumors of a pos
sible protest march at the govern
ment complex in Bolivia in re
sponse to the board's recent contro
versial budget decisions, but a
march was not held. About 75 peo
ple were at the meeting, which was
held in the Public Assembly Buil
ding rather than the hoard's usual
smaller meeting room.
A public hearing attended by
about 30 people was held on the
budget June 4, but only four people
spoke then. However, commission
ers have since cut a number of coun
ty workers and trimmed department
allocations from the S35 million
budget to cover an anticipated short
fall in funding from the state.
lesv Bryant of Supply, nast presi
dent of the Cedar Grove-Brunswick
County Chapter of the NAACP, told
commissioners the personnel cuts
carry with them "a foul odor of dis
crimination".
Rcgina Alexander, a black and
c.lrrk to the board for 17 years, was
among those fired. She had retained
her duties as clerk when the new
board took office in December, but
she was neve officially reappointed
to her post
In a 3-2 board decision June 17,
her duties were reassigned for the
coming year to Kelly Barefoot,
County Manager David Clcgg's
secretary, who is white.
Ms. Alexander did not attend Fri
day's meeting.
Clegg, who is president of the
Miss Brunswick County Scholar
ship Pageant, also was absent. He
was at the Miss North Carolina
Scholarship Pageant in Raleigh.
"We are disturbed, dumbfounded,
flabbergasted and downright insult
ed by what we perceive to be racial
unfairness," said Bryant.
However, not all of those speak
ing Friday criticized the board for
its cuts in county spending.
Sunset Beach Developer Tom
Pope praised the board for its
"statesmanship" in making some
unpopular and tough decisions.
"I appreciate the fact that we
have businessmen on the board,"
said Pope. "We'll stand behind your
decisions, the voters of Brunswick
County."
Speakers from both sides of the
issue drew rounds of applause.
Rosetta Short of Oak Island criti
cized the board for firing Gary Mc
Donald of Supply, an environmental
health supervisor I in the Brunswick
County Health Department.
"If the knowledgeable people are
cut," Ms. Short said, "then the
health, safety and welfare are put in
jeopardy."
She said the board should be at
tacking the N.C. Health Services
Commission and not McDonald.
Ricky Parker, former chairman of
the Brunswick County Board of
Health, said if money was the rea
son for firing McDonald then three
trainee positions at the health de
partment should have been cut first.
New departments are being add
ed to the budget at a lime when peo
ple arc losing their jobs, said Frank
lin Randolph of Supply.
"There's a lot of waste that can
be cut," said Randolph. 'There's
more waste than all of these people
that you let go and their salaries."
When Randolph's three minutes
were up, Holdcn asked that he step
from the lectern.
"When I start stepping on your
toes, Mr. Chairman, you call time
on me," added Randolph.
Speaking on behalf of senior citi
zens, Bcrnice Stanley of Bolivia
criticized the board's decision to cut
funding for the Department of Older
Adults.
"Why would you want to cut the
budget and keep them home?" she
asked. "We want five days a week
and we want transportation for
those people that can't get around."
Commissioners cut the Older
Adults' congregate meals program
from S65.740 in 1990-91 10 S7,135
in this year's budget.
Holdcn said the Older Adults
program has grown to cost taxpay
ers one cent on the tax rate. He said
Older Adults Director Ronnie Rob
inson was allocated enough state
and federal funds to continue to op
erate the meals program.
People arc walking in off the
street to cat free meals at the senior
citizens' ccntcrs, which wasn't the
intent of the program, Holdcn said.
Funding for the senior centers has
not been cut, he said. They should
be able to operate five days a week.
"If he (Robinson) can separate
the needy from the not so needy, the
funds arc there," said Holdcn.
Annie B. Sullivan of Lcland also
spoke against budget cuts for senior
citizen programs.
"Why cut funds to give to newly
created things?" she asked. "If you
take this away from us, we won't
have nothing."
Warren "Bud" Knapp of Cala
bash said he was pleased commis
sioners arc "interested and concern
ed in the ctficiency of employees in
various departments" and with the
action the board has taken to make
county government more effective.
However, he criticized the county
for not making public an organiza
tional chart of county government
employees.
Budget cuts have cost Paul Law
son his job twice in private industry,
but he still praised commissioners
for the cuts made.
"1 know it hurts anytime you
cut," said Lawson.
Praise was also given to the
board by Bob Williams of Boiling
Spring Lakes.
"We're in full support of what
you're doing," he said.
/wi i / i a # .1 ? rr*
Normal weatner in erring
"A fairly normal first week" of
July is in store for area residents,
Shallotte Point meteorologist Jack
son Canady said Monday.
He expects temperatures to aver
age around 70 degrees at night to
the upper 80s during the daytime,
with about three-quarters inch of
rainfall.
For the period June 25-30, he
recorded a maximum high of 91 de
grees on June 30 and a minimum
low of 62 degrees on June 25.
A daily average high of 87 de
grees combined with an average
nightly low of 68 degrees for a daily
average temperature of 77 degrees,
which Canady said is about 2 de
grees below average for this time of
year.
At his home Canady recorded .46
of an inch of rainfall for the week.
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PAID TREE REMOVAL for the county's 911 building was labeled by Commissioner Gene Pinkerton
as an example of wasteful spending at a time when board memoirs are voting to cut employees to save
money.
Final Budget Vote Is Split
(Continued From Page 1-A)
ing to do or mmhi do."
Rabon said it didn't make sense
to fund a new SI. 5 million 911
building while cutting funds to local
fire and rescue units.
"We're just trying to fool these
people sitting out here and the other
55,(XX) people in the county," said
Rabon, to applause from the audi
ence.
The county will delay hiring six
emergency medical technicians for
six months. County Soil Scientist
Walter Marley will be transferred to
a technician post in llie engineering
department, along with his truck,
eliminating the need for a S16,(XX)
vehicic for that department.
Personnel Cuts
A! its June 17 meeting, the board
voted 3-2 to lire three county em
ployees, including Regina Alexan
der, 17-year veteran clerk to the
board; Pearly Verccn, assistant di
rector of operations/water manage
ment: and Gary McDonald, envi
ronmental health supervisor I with
the Brunswick County Health De
partment.
Two other proposed positions
were also eliminated, helping to
create the $153, (XX) transferred to
solid waste. Board members voting
for the cuts say it was to eliminate
top-heaviness within the depart
ments.
Rabon, who serves on the Bruns
wick County Board of Health, made
a motion Friday to reinstate Mc
" Unfortunately , / think the boards divided.
We' re not having any dialogue."
? Gene Pinkerton,
Disirici 3 Commissioner
Donald to his job.
It failed 2-3, with Rabon and
Pinkerton voting for it.
"I feel that if this position is not
reinstated in the budget, it's going
to have a very, very serious impact
on Brunswick County," said Rabon.
Rabon said McDonald is not only
a supervisor but also a working
field sanitarian.
Rabon 's motion to accept the
health board's proposed fee increas
es passed unanimously. The propos
al raises fees for site evaluations for
sewage systems by S 1 5 and will be
gin charging homeowners S30 to
obtain the actual septic tank per
mits, a charge comparable to those
of most surrounding counties.
Currently, the health department
charges S35 for a site evaluation for
single-family homes and S50 for
restaurants and shops.
A new sliding lee scale was ap
P'oved for the adult health clinic.
Fees for the general clinic and ani
mal control department will also
increase.
Following the meeting, Pinkerton
said he wasn't ready to adopt a bud
get. If looking at the personnel cuts
from a business standpoint, he said,
the county will not save money in
the long run.
"I accept the politics of it," said
Pinkcrton. "If we get voted down, I
accept that. But these people were
not heard today. They might as well
have not come at all."
County employees built the new
Operations Services building at the
government complex at a cost of
S27 per square foot, said Pinkerton.
The new Department of Social Ser
vices building cost the county $79
per square foot, he said.
"So how much arc the employees
really costing us?" Pinkcrton asked.
Pinkcrton said county officials
should look beyond salaries to de
termine ways to save money. The
county is paying someone to re
move trees at the complex to make
room for the new 911 building,
when that timber should be sold, he
indicated.
The county should raise the tax
rate by three cents to pay for solid
waste disposal rather than charge
property owners a S35 parcel fee,
Pinkerton said. Parcel fees represent
a greater tax increase for the aver
age homeowner, he said.
"Citizens should realize that it's
still a tax increase," said Pinkcrton.
"No matter what you call it."
'TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT NEXT YEAR7
Doing Personal Best At Pageant
Pleases Miss Brunswick County
BY SUSAN USHER
She didn't placc Saturday night,
but for Miss Brunswick County that
didn t matter.
Lisa Dale Young had done her
personal best in the Miss North
Carolina Pageant ? and done it her
own way.
"1 gave it my all. 1 did the best 1
could possibly do," she said Mon
day alter resting from a fast-paced
but exciting week in Raleigh. "That
was my main objective going up
there."
Neither she nor her business
manager, David Clcgg, president of
Miss Brunswick County Scholar
ship Pageant, would change a thing
if she were to go back and do it over
again this week, the Long Beach
resident said.
Jennifer Smith, Miss Greater Ra
leigh, won the pageant, while Mi
chelle Johnson, Miss Greater Golds
boro, was first runner-up. An area
woman, Patricia Ann Parker, Miss
Greater Wilmington, was second
runner-up.
Miss Young, who is a junior at
the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington, said she went to Ra
leigh with the idea of doing her best
and enjoying and learning from the
overall experience. She enjoyed it
all ? except for the cafeteria quiche.
"1 met so many new friends," she
said. "It was an incredible experi
ence. If anyone has ever considered
entering a preliminary pageant, I'd
encourage them to do so. You learn
so much about yourself and others."
Miss Young said she and nine
other contestants from "Group B"
traveled together to and from Peace
College and Memorial Auditorium
and had a good lime together at re
hearsals and other activities.
"We stayed up until 2 a.m. chat
ting. We sang oldies driving to and
from campus to Memorial and on
stage we kidded around some and
practiced eyeing the judges' table,"
she said.
"I think it is important not to take
ihe whole evem too seriously. If
you're so intent on ihe competition,
preparing for interview every spare
second, i think you miss out on the
friendships and fellowship to be
had."
Miss Young, the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. James R. Young of L.ong
Beach, plans to major in art at
UNC-W. She also is a licensed pri
vate pilot with a high performance
rating. Both topics came up in her
judges' interview, as did questions
about her third area of interest, can
cer. Judges "played a name game"
with acronyms related to flying and
questioned her about the distinction
between art and obscenity, and what
she would say to a child with termi
nal cancer.
Preparations for the pageant and
the pageant itself have been part of
a year-long, self-improvement pro
gram in all areas.
"From all this preparation I obvi
ously am a much better public speak
er, which is one of the main em
phases for Miss Brunswick County,"
she said.
Some of the changcs have occur
red gradually over the past year,
such as her increased poise and con
fidence.
"My parents were proud. They
didn't even recognize me when I
first came out. It was just a wonder
ful time for everybody," she said.
"People came up and said I've
changed so much," she reflected.
"One judge for the Miss Brunswick
County Pageant, Sandy Chambers,
told mc it was obvious the work I
had put into it."
Some changcs were more sudden.
For the Miss North Carolina Page
ant, Lisa Young left Brunswirk
County a honey blonde and relumed
a platinum blonde.
Her aim: Something other than
the traditional "pageant do". Some
thing very Lisa Young. Something
original.
A coil of Grecian curls for the
evening gown competition, a
"Charo ' cascade for her Latin-siyle
talent performance on flute.
"I wore my hair different all
week," she said. "I was pleased
with the way I did look. 1 didn't
want to conform to the way judges
think a girl ought to look.
"A person ought to be herself
during the pageant, not conform to
the typical Barbie doll image," she
said, her voice taking on a firmer
note.
For now, she's looking to upcom
ing appearances at the N.C. Fourth
of July Festival this week and Na
vassa Homecoming Parade Friday.
Later in the summer she plans to
travel to the mountains and to Louis
iana. In the fall she returns to school.
Miss Young doesn't know yet if
another Miss Brunswick County
Pageant is in her future. "It's loo
early to think about next year," she
said. "We haven't discussed it."
Meanwhile, Miss Young suspects
she may be the first Miss Bruns
wick County not to fall asleep on
the way home from Raleigh the
Sunday after the pageant.
"I guess I was still too excited,"
she said. "I just talked all the way
home. It didn't hit me until later."
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Fire, Rescue
(Continued From Page 1-A)
noon. If HB 86 passes, a budget
amendment would return the SI. 2
million to its original sources.
Pinkcrton and Commissioner
Frankie Rabon voted against the
county budget Friday that took the
$250,000 from the fire and rescue
districts.
"Those balances arc a little more
crucial than th?y look," said
Pinkerton.
Finance Director Lithia Hahn
told Commission Chairman Kelly
Holdcn that the board could legally
adopt a budget amendment to pull
the money from the fund balance.
According to figures released by
Clegg, no district is currr.uly below
$37,000 in their contingency fund
balance. Those figures arc: District
1, S57.920; District 2, S44.161;
District 3, S81.344; District 4,
$80,797; and District 5, S37.476.
Nord said it costs each depart
ment $2,250 to properly equip each
fire fighter. Improper equipment
can hurt a fire department's rating,
he said.
"If a fire department loses its rat
ing, it's the homeowner that suf
fers," said Nord, noting the result
ing increase in insurance premi
ums.
Rural departments depend on the
contingency fund to survive, he
said.
Many of the fire and rescue per
sonnel attending Monday's meeting
had left the chambers before
Pinkerton's motion. When word of
the vote reached them outside,
there was a loud applause heard in
side the chambers.
"Please do not cut our funds,"
Nord asked the board. "Our depart
ments arc barely holding on as it
is."
Commissioner Jerry Jones vol
unteered to attend the Fire and
Rescue Association's Board of
Directors' meeting July 25, 7:30
p.m., at the Shallotte Volunteer
Rescue Squad building to serve as
liaison for commissioners.
In other business Monday, the
board appointed Deiorcs J. Wilson
to the Keep America Beautiful
Board of Directors and Steve
Stanley to the 4-County
Community Services Board.
Probe
(Continued From Page 1-A)
race or political affiliation played a
role in their decision. Instead, the
cuts were made to reduce top-heav
iness within departments and to re
duce costs, they stated.
The board is composed of all Re
publicans. Commissioners Frankic
Rabon and Gene Pinkcrton voted
against the cuts.
Gore, who represents Brunswick,
Columbus and Bladen counties in
the 13th Judicial District, said if af
fadavits arc presented to his office
he would study them. As of Friday,
no documents had been filed by
workers who feel they have been
wronged.
"Under the law, we're required
to look at anything that anybody
brings in," said Gore.
To conduct a criminal investiga
tion against elected officials, proba
ble cause would have to exist that
someone has violated the law to re
ceive personal gain and did so with
a criminal intent. Gore said.
Personnel complaints such as
those raised last week are more typ
ically addressed through another
agency such as the U.S. Justice De
partment, he said.
For the State Bureau of Investi
gation to enter a probe against
elected officials, the DA's office
would have to request an investiga
tion.
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