New Campaign Finance Reports Give Candidates Trouble
All three candidates promptly naid their fin**. Rritt
said.
Of those who competed in the puty primaries, sher
iff's candidate Jerry Dove seems to have had the most
trouble complying with the campaign reporting guide
lines. As required by law, Britt mailed three notices to
Dove's campaign treasurer Cathy Harvell, informing her
of the problems.
Dove's report listed contributions of $200 each from
Cannichael Construction Co. and Bland Coastal
Development Harvell was reminded in Britt 's letter that
state election laws prohibit contributions by "business
entities, corporations, professional associations or labor
unions," although individuals within such organizations
can make contributions of personal funds.
In another letter, Britt notified Harvell that Dove's re
port included an entry for "four cash contributions, none
over $100," totalling $450. There were a number of
problems with that entry, besides the obvious error in
math.
"First, no cash contribution in excess of $100 may be
accepted," the letter said. "Because this is in excess of
$100, it must be by check, money older or bank draft
and must be reported by name and complete mailing ad
dress."
The letter also notes that anonymous contributions are
prohibiSed by !--.v ssd t&sf if <? flBajp iicouia re
ceives such a donation "it shall be paid over to the state
board of elections," where it will be deposited in the
state's general fund budget.
In the third letter. Dove's campaign treasurer was no
tiffed rtut Kk nmmivn refmrl Iktnj a $5,000 kss from
Thomas Bowmcr of Southport. It notes that "a loan may
not exceed $400 per election unless the individual mak
ing the loan is the candidate or the candidate's spouse,
parent, brother or sister."
Britt pointed out that a later entry in Dove's report in
dicates that $1,000 of the loan was repaid oo April IS.
"It appears the error was realized and the $1,000 loan
repayment was an attempt to correct the error," Britt
wrote, asking for clarification.
Considering that more than $61,000 was spent on the
four-way Democratic Party primary for sheriff, Brit!
??iH that "for the imniint of itwtrihutinm mH expendi
tures they handled, I think they did a wonderful job."
Sisk also ran into problems with a cash contribution
that arrived in the mail with no return address and no in
dication of who sent it, Britt said. The donation was list
ed as such oo his financing report
As required by law, she notified Sisk that any contri
bution over $100 must be made by check or money or
der, with the name and address of the donor included.
She abo noted that anonymous gifts in excess of $100
are prohibited and must be returned to the state board of
elections.
"I feel so bad about Bill Sisk's situation," Britt said.
"He received the contribution in the mail and reported it
n?u he ncC mn; *' ? * honest, so one ^ould hav?
known."
While Britt said she "does not go through these re
ports with a fine-toothed comb," she is required to check
all calculations on each repot t. She mast alao look for
2nd ? ??* for iadrvid
ual contributions that exceed the $4,000 limit
A review of the financing reports shows some other
questionable entries that did not result in reprimands,
but may lead to problems for rmiidafci in the future.
County commissioner candidate Randy Stanley, for
example, listed $275 in canyaign contributions and
$71.79 in expenses. The latter included $42.11 for
"checks" and $29.68 for "sign stakes." However there
was no listing for the money spent to print Stanley's
campaign posters, which were displayed at several loca
tions in the county.
Commissioner Tom Katxxrs repon iisaed SoSG in
contributions. It stated that the money came in "13 con
tributions, none over $100" on April 14, the day before
his campaign financing report was filed
"It appears that may have happened at some sort of
event, but there needs to be some deification. He
should have named the event," Britt said. "It's not illegal
to accept cash contributions of less than $100 without
naming the individuals. But this is loo simplistic."
Another reporting role that wis widely overlooked
during the primary campsjgn was the requirement that
candidates record all "in-kind contributions." According
to the law, these include, "without limitation, such con
trsbetks!! ~ liber or ; ssr*ic??, f?n'nyr. publica
tion of campaign literature or materials, in-kind trans
fers, loans or use of any supplies, office machinery, ve
hicles, aircraft, office space or similar related services,
goodi or pereon^ or real property."
In ntjtar mnwh candidates who bold flllldnilim
events such aa barbecues or fish Cries must report the
amount of raooey spent on food and materials, Britt
said. They must also list ss donations the hours worked
by volunteers at the event
Although several candidates reported collecting dona
tions at fundraisers, none of them reported in
kind contributions of materials and labor used to orga
nize the events.
"It seems that in-kind contributions are one area
where the candidates are not on a firm footing." Britt
said. "I don't rtiink it was a willful attempt to circumvent
the law. It was just that they did not know what to do.
So ? since there was no cast) money involved ? wy
chose not to do anything"
Britt suggested that candidates who hold fundraistng
events keep track of the hours worked by volunteers.
After arriving at a fair-market value for their efforts, the
candidate should list that amount as a donation on the
contribution side of their report and as an outlay on the
expenditure side.
"It's like trying to make your checkbook balance,"
Britt said. "I know some of the candidates feel they can't
be bothered, but it bothers me more than it does them.
It's the law and I have to keep track of h-~
All candidates who were defeated in the primaries are
?opureu u> uit a puii-piiuMi}' uummu^ TCpCTt SO
than 5 p.m. Thursday, June 2. All candidates in the Nov.
1 general election will have to submit a pre-election re
port by Oct 28.
OWNER SAYS IT'S 'A LIE'
Woman Claims Skating Club Discriminates
BY DOUG HOTTER
"They've been like this for years
and years. I say it's time for them to
step," MaS-s M=jcrsdc ***** i? ?
week as she stood outside Shallotte
Skating Qab.
The Holden Beach woman picket
ed in front of the Main Street busi
ness last Wednesday because she
says the private roller-skating club
discriminates minorities.
Mamdn said her Hi?n?nif Han
ghter, Shiona, and two black chil
dren in a first-grade class at Supply
Elementary School were not invited
to a classmate's birthday party at the
dub because of their race.
Asked about the allegations of
discrimination, dub owner Steve
Becky refused to comment.
"That's a lie and I have no com
ment to make about it," Becky said
in a telephone conversation Thurs
day. "When she told you we dis
criminate against Hispanics she told
you a lie."
Mejorado said a girl in her daugh
ter's first-grade dass announced last
Tuesday that she would be having a
birthday party the next day after
school at the skating dub.
Shiona said she and two class
mates were told they wouldn't be al
lowed Id aucori the party bccauac of
their race. The two other children
singled out were Made. The 16 other
kids in the daw received invitations.
"It made me fed bad that they
were taking people from this be
cause of the color of their skin," sev
en-year-old Shiona aaid. 1 came
home crying that day."
"1 was angry," Mrs. Mejorado
said, "my child was crying, and i
was furious. She came to me and
said, 'I'm not good enough to go to
the party.' I asked why and she said,
'Because I'm Hispanic'."
Mejorado said she spoke briefly
with the dub's owner, Becky, on the
telephone, before he hung up on bet.
"He said it's his dub. He'll ran it
the way he wants to run it,"
Mejorado said. I'm shocked. He
just took us back 30 yean. I've nev
er seen anything like this. It's duck
ing."
' OJfhUOKKKUilUfm
SHIONA MEJORADO (left) pickets im front of ShaOotU Skating Club tost week with her UKk sitter,
Briona Santas Mejaradc.
Shallotte Skating dob is a mem
bers-only dob. When a non -member
goes to the dub, a group of mem
ben prumt are called together to
vote on whether to issue a new
membership.
The party for Shiooa's classmate,
Alex Floyd, was held last Wednes
day at Brunswick County Bowling
Alex's father, Robat*Floyd, said
the was made the
Floyds were afraid some of her
daughter's friends would not be ac
cepted aa members at the skating
dub.
"We changed it over to where
everybody would be welcome,"
Floyd said Thursday.
Floyd stiesaed that neither he nor
his wife were tokl that their daughter
could not invite Hispanic or Mack
children to the party.
"Those words were never used.
Anybody whose lived here for many
yean will tell yon that's the way it's
been at this skating dab. It's an un
written thing. You know it's going to
be a problem." Floyd said.
'It's a private dub, and you have
to be voted into membership. It's not
open to the general public. It just so
nappriia that certain people aren't
voted in," he said.
Floyd, ar attorney, said the law
allows private dubs to set their own
rules and vote on members.
1 don't vee with it, but it's their
business. If they want to have their
rules and restrictions, they can as a
private dub. The law would support
them on that," Floyd said.
He noted that die skating dub is
just like a private country dub or
college fraternity.
"If IW nwmtwn <*?n? l" unto
against certain people be* wee they
don't fit their ideal.. .who's to say
they can't do it? There's nothing that
can be dooe became they have a
right to do it," Floyd said.
"It's not something I can do any
thing about. Nobody can. It's the last
bastion of snmrthing It's like a di
nosaur," Floyd added.
MfjftTtd" ?lo plmnwl |o
contact the American Civil Liberties
Union and file suit T"* the dob
owner. She said she has received
support from NAACP chapters in
Cedar Grove, Southport mi New
Hanover Coonty.
"Every black person I've talked to
told me, 'Well it's always been like
that You can't change it' I think we
should try. Only when everybody
stands up are we going to make a
difference.**
Commissioners Okay Loan
For High School Renovations
BY ERIC CARLSON
The Brunswick County Commis
sioners have agreed to "float a loan"
at $211,706 to the board of educa
tion ao building contracts can be
signed for $1.6 million worth of im
provements at Weal Bnmswick and
North Brunswick high schools.
The board of commissioners held
a brief special meeting to consider
the school board's finding request
No county funds will actually
<*"Hr hands in what Commis
sioners Chairman Doo Warren
called a "paper transaction." Accor
ding to county Finance Officer
Lithia Hahn, the money transfer will
be authorized to underwrite the
knarrj 'c immhIi iirfinq nlana
while !? wMta fnr ousrantoed state
funding that will repay the loan "by
January."
The school board discovered that
it needed more money after con
struction bids far the two high
school renovation projects came in
shout $200,000 over budget, Hahn
told the commissioners. With its
building funds already earmarked,
the school board needed the coun
ty's funding guarantee so it could
move ahead with construction.
Brunswick County Schools are
exported to receive about $300^)00
in state "ADM" funds, which are al
located according to a school sys
tem's average daily membra thip of
students. That money will be used to
repay the county "loan" before the
building funds are actually spent,
Hahn said.
While he supported the motion
agreeing to the tend transfer, Com
miiionri Donald Shaw took the op
portunity Tuesday to question the
way the comtraction money was al
located. Shaw npujcjto District 5,
where North Brunswick High
School is located.
"I'm kind of concerned aboot
twice as much being spent at Wert
than at North," Shaw said. "People
don't think I'm representing than
very well when they ootne up with
half as much every time."
"Maybe they want to ease you oat
in the next election,'' quipped
Commissioner Way land Vereen.
"I won't vote against it, but I'm
still concerned," Shaw said.
Shaw's question went unan
swered, as no board of adoration
members or school administration
officials IV mating
Hahn said current construction
plans call for $1.13 million to be
spent on improvements at West
Brunswick, while $524,067 has
been allocated for North Brunswick.
THE KSICWIOflRACQN
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telepbooe 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallot*. N.CL 28459
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY
One Year $1036
Six Months $5-55
ELSEWHERE IN
NORTH CAROLINA
One Year $14.86
Six Months -$7.90
ELSEWHERE IN USJL
One Year. $15.95
Six Months .... $835
Second class Dontatt naid at
Shallotte, N.C. 28459. USPS 777
780. Postmaster, send address
changes to:
P.O. Box 2558,
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Five Schools' Jobs Eliminated, 5 Created
1-A)
soon to fill Ibe
Directors of elementary education
(grades prcfcindergarten-thromb
fivc) and secondary education
(grades 6-12) will be hired to help
scnoot fniiiBfT* ^^-11^*11 spocunmB. ouc
at each pads level, sad will ?ok
I'm hoping at the school board's
next meeting that Dr. Johartoa
we're
"He hss been here two yean ad
we haven't seen aay recommenda
tions based on his obscrvatioas sad
Also Fridsy, high school priaci
pals Bob Harris (North Brunswick)
and Sue ScB? (South Brunswick)
received (earn, or continniai_
, As of June they will have !
ary yean ss school i
Contracts ware reacwid for first
or second-year probatioaary princi
pals Patricia Carney, Saadn
Mintz, Laity tumuey and Carolyn
William.
The board also renewed contracts
for the coming year for 146 other
probationary professional employ
ees, granting career status (continu
ing contracts) to 40 of them.
Contracts were not renewed for
the 1994-95 school year for two
otto at
South Brunswick Middle.
AWAYI
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the classifieds. Your items
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someone else is looking for.
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watch your stuff *saie away.3
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO I
THE BRUNSWKIC#RACON j
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