Town struggling
9
(Camtiamed from pig* oae)
recreation program if it (the town) is in
the red?" asked Hertford reudeot Julian
White. "With mosey from light bill*,"
anawered councilman J ease Harris.
"Then dispense with it!" said Graee
Coatoa.
Cox reminded the group of the town's
anticipation that the county fund the
recreation program next year. But
Herbert Nixon indicated his
disagreement with that plan. "What do
you think is going to happen to the county
then? I think the town is going to shove
something off on the county that they
can't handle either," said Nixon.
Hertford resident Miriam Haskett
voiced her approval of the recreation
department and offered some
suggestions to decrease its cost.
"The recreation program has its
drawbacks, but it also has its assets,"
she said. "And it could operate on V4 of its
budget because there are enough people
in this county who are coovinced of this
program and would volunteer their
tine."
Mr*. Haskett said she did not approve
of paying all recreation workers. "We
can get by with paying one director and
one secretary," she said, "not every
scorekeeper and referee. "
She pointed out that both the county
rescue squad and the various fire
departments were -manned by volun
teers. "And the recreation department
could operate the same way," she con
cluded.
Nixon mentioned that a privately
operated recreation program and
playground once offered organized
athletics to town and county youth. "We
had Little League, Pony League, all of
that, and it didn't cost the town or the
county," he said.
The town bought the privately owned
playground (now the recreate park an
Gruhb St ) from its trustees in the 19Wa.
Bernice Glover, who aerved aa the
private park's treasurer, said that
membership had dwindled "down to
almost nothing" at the time of the aate.
tat added that no membership drive had
been tried.
Cox i||#l6aw.lM been problems with
the plajrpwad when it was privately
operated. "It had to be cleaned by
volunteers, and they didn't keep it up,"
be said.
Also under fire was the recent 10
percent salary increaae to all town
employees. "In light of all this (the
town's deficit), how could .you have given
yourselves a 10 pereent-raiae?" asked
Mrs. Dor c us White. Cox answered that
the raise had been instituted before audit
figures were available.
Utility rates were discussed next. Cox
told the group that much of the town's
Hertford budget
(Continued from page one)
from $8,320 to $11,544 to four police of
ficers (based on seniority).
The recreation department receives
$48,000, with $28,737 going toward
salaries and wages. Of that, $11,000 pays
the recreation director, $6,600 goes to the
recreation secretary, and the remaining
$11,137 pays for part time workers,
referees, and maintenance workers.
Other recreation departmental ex
penditures include: $3,500 for heat and
electricity; ,$2,125 for operational ex
penses; $5,908 for departmental
materials and supplies; $3,130 for capital
outlay and equipment; $2,200 for
maintenance and repair; and $2,400 for
vehicle expense.
The inspection department receives
$7,500 from the general fund, which is
divided equally by the town and county
(Cox said the town bills the county one
half of the total inspection department
budget.) $4,500 of that pays the electrical
building inspector; $1,000 goes toward
operating expenses; $500 goes to
materials and supplies; $500 goes to
travel and schooling; and $1,000 goes
toward vehicle expenses.
The town ice plant receives $33,500
which includes $20,000 allotted to three
employees with a salary range of $7,000
$10,000 (based on seniority) and seasonal
part-time workers.
Other ice plant expenditures include
$1,500 for operating expenses; $7,000 for
electrity; $3,006 for maintenance, repair,
materials and supplies; and $2,000 for
capital outlay.
The cemetery is also run through
revenue procured from the general fund.
$10,700 is the total cemetary budget, with
$6,500 divided between two part-time
cemetery workers; $1,000 for main
tenance and repair of equipment,
buildings, and grounds; $1,200 for sup
plies and materials; and $2,000 for
capital outlay.
Although the general fund does not pay
any fire departmental salaries because it
is manned on a volunteer basis, $1,500 of
the total $16,800 budgeted for that
department goes toward retirement
expenses for those firemen who meet the
criteria.
Other fire department expenditures
include: $4,500 for county com
munication (dispatcher); $2,000 for
operating expenses; $500 for travel and
training; $500 for maintenance and
repair; $2,000 for vehicle expense; $3,500
for departmental materials and sup
plies; $1,300 for insurance; and $1,000 for
capital outlay and equipment.
The town street department operates
under a budget of $94,500, with $62,000 of
that paying employees. The superin
tendent of public works receives
$13,270.40 annually, and is paid partially
from this fund. (His salary is also paid
from the sanitation department.) The
town manager's salary is also partially
paid from this fund.
Cox said the 14 maintenance men who
work for the street department also work
within the sanitation and water-sewer
departments, and that their salaries
were based on an hourly wage and paid
from all three departments. He said their
yearly wages, which he estimated to
range from $7,000-$9,000, were based on
how many hours they work.
Other projected street department
costs are; operating expenses ? $2,500;
heat and electricity ? $10,000; vehicle
expense ? $8,000; departmental supplies
and materials ? $7,000; and captial
outlay and equipment ? $5,000.
The sanitation department is budgeted
$73,000, with $54,000 going toward
salaries and wages. Part of this pays the
superintendent of public works, the town
manager, and the 14 maintenance em
ployees. Four garbage collectors are also
paid from this fund, with salaries
ranging from $7,000 to $10,000, based on
seniority.
The rest of the sanitation department's
budget is: $2,000 ? operating expenses;
1500 ? heat; 12,000 ? maintenance and
repair of equipment; $9, 000 ? vehicle
expense; $2,500 ? departmental
materials and supplies; and $3,000 ?
capital outlay.
The water-sewer department is to
operate within a separate fund (utility)
of $112,500, with $58,000 of that going
toward salaries and wages. $12,240.50 is
the annual income of the waste-water
plant operator; $12,584 goes to the water
sewer maintenance man; and the rest
goes toward the 14 maintenance em
ployees and the town manager.
Projected water-sewer expenditures
are: $12,000 for utilities; $4,500 for
operating costs; $2,000 for maintenance
and repair of equipment and vehicle;
$12,000 for materials and supplies
(recently trimmed down from the
originally projected $18,000); $3,000 for
capital outlay and improvements;
$20,000 as contribution to the general
fund; and $1,000 for contingencies.
Other budgeted items include (under
non-departmental): unemployment
insurance ? $2,000; FICA expenses ?
$23,000; group insurance ? $10,000;
$13,500 ? retirement expenses; and
$10,000 ? contingencies.
A $31,970 contribution from the electric
fund goes toward paying the debt service
fund ? $20,000 for the bonded principal
and $11,970 for the bonded interest.
According to Cox, representatives of
the Government Commission are ex
pected to look over the budget sometime
this week and make recommendations to
the council on areas and departments
that they think can be trimmed down.
Academy closes
Chowan Academy an
nounced last Thursday it
would have to close its doors
for good because of a drastic
decrease in student
enrollment.
The school's board of
directors met last Wednesday
night and determined that
because approximately 20
students had dropped from the
rolls, it would not be
economically feasible to
operate.
Bingo set
Tuesday night bingo is
coming.
The Perquimans County
Jaycees have purchased a
bingo machine from the
Elizabeth City Coast Guard
Base and will begin con
ducting games for cash prizes
on a weekly basis beginning at
7:30 p.m.
The first games will be held
this Tuesday night at 7:30p.m.
at the Lions Club building off
Grubb Street extended near
ry.,,1 #JL-.|
neruoni.
According to school at
torney Jimmy Singletary, at
least 100 students were needed
to keep the school in business
for the 1980-81 school year.
Although uncertain as to the
sudden decrease in
enrollment, Singletary ven
tured to blame the "poor
farming year."
Singletary said he did not
know the financial status of
the school and that he was
uncertain as to whether pre
paid tuition would be refun
ded.
Chowan headmaster
Thomas Gregory, of Hertford,
declined comment.
Quality Food Prepared And
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TOOL
AUCTION
WHERE?
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NORTH BROAD STREET
EDENTON, N.C.
WHEAL?
TUESDAY, SEPT. 16, AT
7:30 P.M.
rmtSMlAKESJ
sjuiofmsam
tmrouMLD
MTHBAUAI
Buy at Your
Tho Auction
shortfall tu 4m to the fact that the town
had not passed all of Vepco's rate in
creases on te its customers
"Vepco increased their rate*, under
(their cuatomerf') protest by 11 percent
in July of '71," Mid Cox, "and we, in our
effort to keep utility hills down, did not
pass all of this along." Cox added that the
rate increase was presently being con
tested in court and that the town could
stand to fat a refund.
"That is a good thought, and I ap
preciate your effort to keep rates down."
said J.T. Lane, "but it's just not good
business."'
J.P. Perry inquired about the
possiblity of buying electricity straight
from the company, instead of through the
town. "Aren't there towns that are not in
the business of buying and selling
current, and if so, why don't we get out
(of selling electricity)?" he ssked.
Cox said that the town of Williamston
was the only example he knew of, and
added that if money were not generated
through utilities, taxes would have to
increase considerably.
"We're certainly not here to raise the
electric bill, but that is something we
may have to look at in the future," said
Cox.
Harris said he disagreed with raising
any revenues. "The answer is in cutting
expenditures," he said and produced a
list of proposed budget cuts which he
estimated could decrease the budget by
, MA MMI ' 1 ? '-?* MdMnfl mi?
M/lllC fOv.WW lilt 1 USvU " ' Tit: v. I'lUllg vUl
$500 to the Chamber of Omumtcc.
cutting 130,000 from the recreation
department, cutting |M0 in town sigqt
rental, cloaing Jke lee plant, limiting
traah pick up to two or three dayi. aelling
some town property, and utilizing 4
cylinder vehicles in the police depart
ment.
Harris' suggestions were met ? with
applause from the crowd. It was later
acknowledged that many of his proposed
budget cuts were ideas that all the
councilmembers had investigated at a
recent budget workshop, though the
council did not think that all of the cuts
would be feasible.
"What Jesse is saying has been said by
all of us," said councilman John Beers,
"but we can't move until be get the
auditor's report."
Henry Sullivan then spoke to the
crowd, both in defense of the town
manager and in condemnation of the
council.
"It seems some of us are trying to
roast you (Cox) and it's not fair because
you cannot do anything without the
council's approval.
"Today I looked at the audit reports for
'77 and '78. In 1?77 the auditor recom
mended that something be done to in
crease revenues in the town.
"In '78 he repeated his recom
mendations again, but with more em
phuii. Hie commissioners luve the
responsibility. So for three years you do
not do snything shout it?
"For God's sske, let's make some I
changes!" he concluded to s cheering ;
crowd.
Council member T. Erie Haste, Jr. *
reminded the group that the board was ,
trying to eoriect the financial problems. !
"I sm embarrassed this hss happened,"
be said, "but I assure you thst we have
started on the path to mend the fences."
Cox added. "We were trying to do what
we thought was right and we got caught. ?
in the middle." ; '
Gradually the crowd dispersed and the
council got on with its regular agenda/ j
The board moved to: ' ?
? pay August bills totaling fl.tfl.H
? investigate the possiblity of buying
town signs or sign sites in an effort to
save a monthly leasing fee of ISO for two
billboards rented on Highway IT.
? meet with the county commissioners
and the school bosrd Sept. 10 st 8 p.m. to ?
discuss the Winfall recreation site.
Cox also reported that the commercial
lab recently commissioned to sample the g
fecal coliform count in the Perquimans
River had reported that the river was
above state requirements.
Hertford Police Chief Marshall Merritt ?
reported a total of 47 arrests and
citations for the month of August. He said
the force worked a total of 145 hours of
overtime during the month.
Robbery workshop set
A man walks into your place
of business, pokes a sa wed-off
shotgun into your back, and
demands all of your cash.
What should you do?
While most of us would say,
"Give him the cash," that
may or may not be the correct
reaction.
In an effort to answer
questions dealing with han
dling robbery situations, the
Perquimans County Chamber
of Commerce will sponsor a
workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 9,
at 9:30 a.m. in the Municipal
Building on Grubb Street in
Hertford.
Lecturing will be Jay
Trivette, director of the North
Carolina Department of
Crime Control and Public
Safety, out of Raleigh.
According to Hertford
Police Corporal Robert
Morris, who is coordinating
United Vfey
the workshop for the Cham
ber, the session will primarily
be geared toward merchants.
"But there will be parts that
could apply to anybody in a
robbery situation," he said.
Morris urged all merchants,
business employees, and
citizens to attend.
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