Leland
BY TKRRY POPK
Leland officials have lakcn steps
to begin collecting delinquent taxes
owed by its residents.
For the 1989-90 fiscal year, the
town collected only 86.3 percent of
its taxes levied, a figure that im
proved to 95 percent for 1990-91.
The state would like the figure to
fall closer to 98 percent, said Town
Clerk Joyce Bragg, who was ap
pointed by the town council last
Thursday to also serve as lax collec
tor.
The Brunswick County Tax De
partment bills and collects the
town's taxes for a 1.5 percent fee.
Leland paid the county S567 last
year to collect its taxes because the
town did not have the manpower to
do the job.
According to Ms. Bragg, 54 ac
counts are still delinquent from
Wants To Improve Town Tax Collections
1989-90 for $690 past due. Another
154 accounts are delinquent from
1990-91 for SI ,580 past due.
Mayor Russell Baldwin said the
town has already mailed letters to
those who owe taxes, but Coun
cilman George Yates said that may
have violated the town's contract
with the county.
"There's nothing here that really
says the town cannot do Wat," said
Town Attorney Glenn Peterson. "1
don't think it would necessarily pre
vent you from doing your own col
lections."
Ms. Bragg said the letters have
worked, for the town has already
started collecting.
In January, the town received a
notice from the N.C. Dcpaitment of
Slate Treasurer's office that its 86.3
percent tax collection rate was well
N'low the statewide average of 97
percent
The stale recommended ways
that the town could become more
effective in collccting taxes, includ
ing garnishing of wages and assess
ing bank accounts.
Minutes Dispute
Council members argued for 30
minutes over how to write and ap
pro--; minutes of town board meet
ings.
Councilwoman Lynette Carlisle
said several drafts of the minutes
are written for each meeting be
cause board members and the may
or arc adding paragraphs and revis
ing what Ms. Bragg has submitted.
Following an unanimous vote of
confidence in Ms. Bragg, the board
voted 3-2 to keep discussion on ac
tion taken at a minimum in the min
utes and to make first corrections at
the board meetings.
Ms. Carlisle, Baldwin and Wil
ham Benton voted for Ms. Carl
isle's motion. Yates and Council
woman Jane Gilbert voted no.
In the past, council members
have received minutes prior to the
meetings and have been revising
them before the next board meeting
for Ms. Bragg to retype. The dis
pute last Thursday concerned min
utes from two March meetings.
"Council members arc trying to
be clerks and not council mem
bers," said Ms. Carlisle.
Yates said he agreed that Ms.
Bragg was doing a good job, but
said he deserved the right to have
his comments from a meeting re
corded in the minutes.
"This is yet another attempt by
you three to control the people in
this town," said Yates. 'This is the
kind of thing that people are fed up
with. 1 can't wait for November to
get here."
Interviews Set For
First Police Chief
BY TERRY POPE
The Town of Lcland moved clos
er this week to hiring the town's
fir>; police chief, as the town coun
cil narrowed its lists of candidates
to two.
The board plans to interview the
two men in open session at tonight's
(Thursday) meeting at 7 p.m. at the
Lcland Town Hall.
The two candidates, both 53, are
Johnny McCarthy of Wilmington,
and Franklin Strickland of Durham.
McCarthy retired four years ago
as a lieutenant with the New York
City Police Department. He was
head of his department's internal af
fairs division and headed a staff of
190 officers, said Councilwoman
Lyneue Carlisle.
McCarthy is presently a consul
tant for the Wilmington Police De
partment and is working to renew
his police certification.
Strickland is a lieutenant with the
Durham Police Department and is
director of the Durham Policc Ac
ademy. He is a 20-year veteran of
the U.S. Army, where he supervised
police operations for 40 men, said
Ms. Carlisle.
Strickland has been a Durham
police officer for ihc last 11 years
and holds an advanced law enforce
ment certificate and a bachelor's de
gree in science.
The applicants were selected July
6 by a screening committee that in
cluded Brunswick County Sheriff
John Carr Davis, Wilmington Police
Chief Darryl Breustle, Ms. Carlisle
and Councilman George Yates. A
third interviewee was eliminated by
the committee.
At a council meeting last Thurs
day, Yaics made a motion, seconded
by Jane Gilbert, that the board only
interview Strickland for the job. His
motion failed 2-3, with boaid mem
bers William Benton, Ms. Carlisle
and Mayor Russell Baldwin voting
no.
Baldwin said the council should
interview both candidates.
"Both are excellent candidates
and would make an excellent chief
for this town," said Baldwin.
Yates presented the board with a
report that indicated how the
screening committee had rated cach
of the candidates.
The board never discussed, as a
group, what it was looking tor in a
chief, said Ms. Gilbert Council
members must decide if it wants
someone who'll "put a lid on the
town" or a chief who is more low
key, she said.
"I know what my feelings arc,"
she added.
It boils down to whether the town
wants "an Andy Taylor or Buford
Pusser," said Ms. Carlisle.
The board will set such standards
once a chief is hired, said Ms. Carl
isle.
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Seals hclil by Ms. Carlisle, Ms.
Gilbert and Baldwin arc up for elec
tion in November.
Yates argued that three members
of the council are controlling town
policy.
'The unreasonable three?" asked
Benton.
"You're exactly right," replied
Yates.
Other Business
In other business, the board:
?Approved a SI, 650 contract with
Clement Goodson and Co., certified
public accountants, to conduct the
town's 1990-91 audit.
BAgrccd to develop an employee
fringe benefit package to be pre
sented to the hoard by Ms. Carlisle
at a later date.
?Voted 4 1 , with Ms. Gilbert voting
no, to purchase a map cabinet for
the town hall at S516.
?Heard from Yates that Carolina
Power and Light Co. will begin in
stalling street lights next week.
? Heard from Baldwin that the N.C.
Department of Transportation is
surveying Fish Market Road, off of
Old Fayctteville Road, to determine
if a sufficient right of way exists for
the suite to upgrade and maintain it.
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I am 'i believe
my little girl is
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Everything seems
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caterers. Florists
Find a band.
And then there's
the question: Flow
do I pay for it!
We 've tidked about
redoing the kitchen
for years. I think
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We've goi a rough
plan. Know a
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only question is,
how do I pay for it!
We've been out
'v'h our realtor
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We've looked at
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Hundreds of
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last week we finally
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Now, how do
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Just Ask.
We've always lived
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Done things together,
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I've got my eye on a
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| Question is. how /
\
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J
MCMBl
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