NEW BOARD TAKES OFFICE
Shallotte's Annual Audit Shows Tax Collections Up
BY DOl (? Rl'TTER
Shallottc officials received good news in ihc annual
financial audit report presented last week.
Ilk- town collected a higher percentage of its luxes
tlian a has in several years, and managed to bring in a
giHKl chunk ol the taxes that had gone unpaid for the last
10 years.
Sieve Johnson ol Brock, Padgett and Chandler
presented the audit last Wednesday, alter Town Clerk
M.iin I tLi Hewitt su ore in to office Mayor Sarah Tripp
and the lour board members elected last month.
Aldermen taking the oath of oi l ice were David
Cause and Wilton Harrelson. who have both served on
the board since ll>83: political newcomer Morris Mall;
and Ronev Cheers
"I leel like I "i back at the old stomping grounds
again." said Cheers, who served ID years on the town
bo;ird ami 12 \ears as mayor. I he retired magistrate had
been out ol the local jx>litical scene since l%8.
Mayor I'm Tem Paul Wayne Reeves was unable to
attend last week's meeting because he had the llu, his
wife VlariUn said.
I he town collected percent of its ia\es last fiscal
\e.ir. wlik Ii was an improvement of 2.8 percent over the
previous year, the audit report indicated.
Johnson said the tax collection rate has improved by
a Km i 5 percent over the last two years, thanks to the ef
lorts of ihc town's staff and attorney.
Shallottc received S 340.54? in taxes last year, based
on a valuation of S68.3 million and a 47-cent tax rate.
The tow n has also collected most of the taxes that
have gone unpaid since fiscal year 1980-81. About
S30.000 was still due the town as of June 30.
Shallottc collected $24,378 in late taxes and S8.1W4
m penalties and interest last >ear. Over the past two fis
cal years, the town has collected nearly Sl'5.(KX) in over
due taxes and interest.
The town had general fund revenues of S7 13,996
last year and spent S670.687. That increased the town's
lund balance to $302,265, according to the audit report.
In the water and sewer fund, revenues total S4 27.552
and expenses w ere S4 1 1 .068. for a surplus of S lb.484.
However, auditors indicated in their management
letter to the town that the water fund is consistently be
low the balance ol the accounts payable.
Tow n officials have relied on ABC and sales tax rev
enue to help fund the water fund in the past, but Johnson
STAFr PHOTO By DOUG RUTTE?
SHALIX)TTE ALDERMEN Wilton Harrelson (center) and Honey Cheers (right) take the oath of of
fice last Wednesday from Town Clerk Mary Etta llewett. Also sworn in last week were Mayor Sarah
Tripp and Aldermen David Gause and Morris Hall.
said the fund should ho self-sufficient.
"The rates may need to be looked at once again, re
alizing they were just changed a year ago," he said.
In the only action taken last week relating to the au
dit, board members voted to apply water and sewer de
posits received by the town to account balances that
haven't been paid.
Planner Hired
The board hired Howard Capps of Wilmington last
week as the consulting planner for the town's five-year
land use plan update.
Work on the plan is expected to continue through
early 1993, according to Haskell Khctt, field represent!
live of ihc N.C. Division of Coastal Management in
Wilmington.
Land use plans arc used by local officials hi coastal
counties to balance environmental protection with eco
nomic development. Khell said.
A preliminary plan should be completed by
September 1992, at which time it will be reviewed by
state officials and approved by the town board before it
receives final certification from the N.C. Coastal
Resources Commission.
The cost of the plan will be primarily funded
through a state grant. The Division ol Coastal
Management will pay S6,(XK), and the town's share is
S750.
The Shallotte Planning Board will do most ol the
preliminary work, along with the consulting planner.
Aldermen arc expected to make three appointments
to the planning board in January, when the terms of H.A.
Stanaland Jr., Conrad Pigott and Davis Milligan expire.
"As you heard tonight, it's going to be an involved
thing," Mayor Sarah Tripp said of the plan. "We need
somebody that's going to work and put the shoulder to
the wheel."
Other Business
In oilier business last week, aldermen:
?Voted to change the board's regular meeting schedule.
Aldermen will meet the first and third Tuesday of each
month at 7 p.m., instead of the first and third
Wednesday. The board won't formally meet Dec. IK,
which is the night of the town Christmas party. The next
meeting will be Jan. 7.
?Took no action following a 45-minutc executive ses
sion requested by Town Attorney Mark Lewis.
?Tabled proposed changes in the privilege license fees.
The board is considering increasing the annual lee lor
operating a dry cleaner, pressing club or hat blocking es
tablishment in town from $25 to S50, in keeping with a
new maximum Ice allowed by the state. Other business
es arc charged the maximums allowed.
?Appointed Harrclson as the town's representative on
the Cape Fear Council of Governments' Water Quality
Task Force.
?Approved the release of approximately S750 in over
due taxes that were owed by seven different individuals
or businesses. Mrs. Hcwctt said the releases were ncces
sary to clear up town and county tax billing errors.
State To Keep Regional Juvenile Facility Open
BY TERRY POPE
Brunswick County can continue
sending its juvenile offender* to a
New Hanover County facility that
had threatened to close after Jan. 1
Had it not been for some late
hour maneuvering by state officials
last week, Brunswick County would
have been forced to transport its ju
venile prisoners to a Gaston County
facility, some four hours away.
"We have the situation worked
Out," State Rep. F.. David Redwinc
said Friday.
Citing financial woes. New Han
over Count > officials said that coun
ty could not afTord to keep the
Juvenile Services Center in Castle
Hayneopen without state funds.
State officials went to work and
found S120.IKX) to help pa> for the
center's operating expenses until
Jul\ 1 . said Redwinc.
"That will keep it open until we
can get hack up there." he added.
When it convenes in May, die
North Carolina General Assembly
expects ii will be swamped with re
quests to take over operauon of the
state's 11 juvenile centers. Legis
lators voted this year to take over a
Wake County juvenile ccntcr that
had threatened to close iLs doors.
The New Hanover detention cen
ter accommodates several southeast
ern North Carolina counties, for by
law juveniles cannot be jailed with
adults. Brunswick County pays to
house its juveniles in the 18-bcd fa
cility, with the state picking up part
of the tab.
Two weeks ago, state officials
said there was no money available to
keep open the centers, w hich arc be
coming more crowded due to an ap
parent increase in crimes by young
offenders, said Redwinc.
"Other centers in the state arc in
the same situation," he said.
The New Hanover County facility
has been operating in the red in re
cost of housing inmates is more than
the amount collccicd from other
counties and from the state.
Had New Hanover's facility
closed. Brunswick County would
have been forced to transport its ju
veniles to Gaston County while New
Hanover County would have sent its
juveniles to Wilkes County. Those
sites were chosen at random, said
Redwine.
"According to the state depart
ment, those facilities are pretty well
full already," he said.
The scenario of w hat would hap
pen if New Hanover's facility shut
down had kept area officials con
ccrncd. If Gaston County's ccntcr
happened to be full, then the
Brunswick County Sheriff's De
partment would have been forced to
shop around for an empty bed in an
other facility.
"The only other option was to put
them back out on the street," said
Redwine.
By law, juveniles can request a
court appearance every seven days
to ask a judge if the offender needs
to remain in the detention ccntcr,
said Redwine.
Transportation costs to and from
Gaston County and personnel costs
for a deputy cscort had Brunswick
County officials concerned.
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