THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 36. Wo. 47 USPS43?-0<0 Hartford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, December 4, 1980 20CEF
County sets guidelines for tax office
^ The Perquimans County Board of
Commissioners adopted a set of
guidelines to be used by the tax supervior
for appraising property in a Monday
morning meeting.
The guidlines were proposed by board
member Charles H. Ward immediately
after he was sworn in as a newly elected
commissioner.
They will require that the tax super
visor:
?maintain a list of property to be ap
(Wd;
?give written notice to the property
owner two weeks prior to a visitation for
appraisal purposes, and;
?give the taxpayer written notice
whenever a tax listing (valuation) is
altered.
The list of guidlines was brought about
by complaints about the tax supervisor's
visiting property without the owner's
(ly mission for the purpose of making
appraisals, according to board chairman
JoeNowell.
In particular, Nowell said, action was
prompted following a complaint by
Hertford resident Carl Skinner that
required an opinion from the North
Carolina Attorney General's office.
Ward's proposal was coupled with
another list of guidlines that would
restructure the building inspections
process in the county.
The guidelines would:
?require that a joint town-county in
spector issue only one permit whether
work is done in the Town o( Hertford or in
Perquimans County;
?require that the inspector forward a
copy of the permit to the county tax office
and to the town tax office where ap
plicable;
?establish a minimum permit fee of $10
with an additional fee of $1 per thousand
for building expense if excess of $10,000
(trailers and modular homes based on
co?t);
?require that the building inspector
inspect all building projects and notify
the appropriate tax offices when projects
are completed, and;
?place the responsibility for insuring
that all builders have permits on the
building inspector.
County building permits are currently
issued through the tax office, but Ward
said that requests for permits could be
made at the Hertford Municipal Building
and visits to property made on the
following work day.
He said the builder should be allowed
to begin work after the request is made.
Ward compiled his proposal after
checking with surrounding counties to
see how they handle inspection
appraisal.
Board members asked county attorney
to present an ordinance based oo the
inspection guidlines at the next board
meeting.
The only portion of the building in
spection guidlines that came into
question was the permit fee. Presently,
the fee is only $1 for any building permit.
Ward, however, said the proposed fee
would be less than the permit fees of
other counties he had contacted on the
matter. "It's way under just about
everybody," he said.
But commissioner Lester Simpson said
the fee still may come as a shock to
permit-seekers. "I know that (the fee
would be lower than that charged by
surrounding counties) but it's a lot more
than what people around here are used to
paying," he said.
Commissioner Welly White suggested
a flat fee for a building permit.
In another tax-related matter, a
schedule of personal property values for
1M1 was adopted as presented by the
Perquimans County tax supervisor,
Keith Haskett.
Haskett also informed the board that a
full time employee from the tax office
would be paid through water department
funds and a part-time temporary tax
office employee boosted to full-time
status.
The tax office already handles water
department billings and some water
system administration and the effect is
an additional employee for the tax office.
The addition increases the tax office
staff from four to five and was approved
at a prior meeting of the board. But that
didn't stop commissioner White from
registering his opposition.
"My personal opinion is we don't need
an additional employee right now," said
White. ,
County finance officer D.F. Reed Jr.
agreed that there may be fluctuations in
the work-load in the tax office but
maintained that the additional employee
is justified. "They may not always be
needed but you've got to have the per
sonnel when you do need them," said
Reed.
Haskett concurred, saying that the
office has faced an ever increasing
number of property transfers and has
absorbed the water operation with no
additional staff, but that the work load
has now become entirely too taxing.
The board also decided to widen the
scope of a discussion on water quality
problems in the Perquimans River.
Invitations will be extended to three
experts who have done work on area
rivers to address the board at their Dec.
IS meeting.
At the Nov. 17 meeting of the board it
was announced that an unspecified
amount of money is available for a study
to determine water quality in county
rivers.
Dr. Bob Sniffen and Dr. Charles Oreor
of East Carolina University and Dr.
Maurice Powers of Elizabeth City State
University will help the board determine
what they want the study to show, what
the study will cost, and the amount of
time required to complete it.
The board had requested grant money
for a study after complaints from area
residents that county waters are not as
clean as they should be.
Finally, the board decided after con
sulting with ngineer Wayne Floyd of
Rivers and Associates that the county
water system should be flushed out every
day in an attempt to correct persistent
occurrences of iron-laden water entering
the homes of county water customers.
Annual banquet
slated Dec. 8
I The Perquimans County Chamber
v of Commerce will hold their annual
banquet on Monday, Dec. 8, at
Angler's Cove, in Bethel.
Highlighting this year's banquet
will be guest speaker Marc Basnight,
Board Member of the North Carolina
Department of Transportation.
A social hour, beginning at fffSf
p.m., will precede dinner, which will
be served at 7:30 p.m..
Tickets are $8, in advance only, and
may be purchased at the Chamber of
Commerce Office, located in the
Municipal Building, on tirubb Street
in Hertford.
The Chamber Office is open from 9
a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday, and Friday, and from 9
a.m. until 12 noon on Wednesday and
Saturday. The office is closed each
day from noon until 1 p.m. for lunch.
Sworn in
Commissioners Charles H. Ward, Lester
SimpMo and Joe Novell (left to right)
are sworn in by clerk of courts Jarvis
Ward at the Monday morning meeting of
the Perquimans County Board of
Commissioners. Also sworn in on
Monday were register of deeds Jeanne C.
White, and school board member Cliff
Towe. All were endorsed by the voters of
Perquimans County in the November
election.
Farm-City Week
Bold, catchy headlines are often misleading
? Getting past the headlines to the fine
print of farming was the theme of a
speech presented by Peoples Bank senior
vice-president Charles A. Harvey at
Perquimans County's Farm-City Week
banquet last Monday night.
Addressing some 50 civic and
agricultural leaders at Gabby's
Restaurant, Harvey charged that the
public is -bombarded by catch-phrases
and slogans that prevent them from
getting to the meat of the issues.
3> "Too often we find that we know a
whole lot about many things and not
much about anything, because following
all of the headlines there is the fine print
? and with all the headlines we just don't
have time tor the fine print," Harvey
said.
"This is where we get 'taken,' because
headlines are by design meant to get
jXour attention ? not give you the facts,"
Harvey confined examples of his
theory to agriculture. "Leas than 4 per
Town
leader
expires
VI via* Norfleet Darden, M, of 30? N.
Front Street, Hertford, died Sunday
afternoon in Chowan Hospital
A native of Drivers, Va.. he was the
cent of the population in America are
farmers ? now that's a nice headline,"
Harvey said.
But our total society not only con
sumes, but for the most part contributes
to the production of agricultural goods,
Harvey reasoned. Because of our in
terdependence on farm production,
agriculture should be the first priority of
government, he said.
Harvey said that the American con
sumer must realize that the producer
must make a profit through a normal
spread in prices relative to production
costs, or he must be subsidized.
Government subsidies are primarily
through supplying credit, rather than
enhancing profits through more effort in
the market place, Harvey said. The real
beneficiary of this policy is the American
consumer, rather than the farmer, he
said.
"The American consumer who is
concerned about his tax dollars sup
porting credit for agriculture needs to
Darden
Besides Ida wife he is survived by a
daughter, Mrs. Chris (Florence)
Christenson of Hertford; a step
daughter. Mrs. Glen (Ana) Elkins of
Dayton, Ohio; a sister, Mrs. Haory
O'Sullivan of Norfolk. Va.; sli grand
Funeral service* were held Tuesday at
1:10 p.m. in the Chapel of Swindell
funeral Home by Rev Irvin Cook.
"? i
realize that land values (cost) are not
singularly related to production values,
that,basic unit size of farm operations
are necessary for efficient production of
products and risks imposed by nature
are risks that we all should share if we
want a degree of stability that keeps our
farmer in business," Harvey said.
Competition through free enterprise,
however, has always been the incentive
that brings about the best and most long
lasting results, Harvey said.
"No, I'm not saying we don't need
government forms of agricultural credit
? I'm simply saying, 'Let's keep in
perspective why we need it! " he added.
Other key points in Harvey's address
were:
?that land ownership is a trusteeship,
rather than a license for abuse;
?that the producer only benefits from
investment for expansion to efficient unit
size, not from investment to enjoy land
value appreciation;
?that the complexities of American
agriculture today negate the possibility
of a totally free market largely because
of the need for consumer price stability,
the fact that 30 to 50 percent of our farm
production is exported to countries
without free markets, and the need to
protect agricultural credit suppliers;
?that much of farm profits in the 70's
had to be invested in order to expand,
mechanize, and raise operating capital,
and;
?that scientific breakthroughs enhance
profits for only a short period of time and
that research must be accelerated in
order for food to maintain the same cost
in relation to income for the American
public (currently about 20 per cent).
Harvey also predicted that because of
greater demand and escalating land
prices, net profits will be greater in the
90'? than in the 70's.
In closing, Harvey focused on the
agricultural wealth of the Albemarle
area. "An area," he said, "where we find
the most desirable, most productive,
most beautiful agricultural area, not
only in North Carolina, but in the world."
Harvey said that Albemarle farmers
must find a way to improve production
while at the same time conserving the
land.
"We have enjoyed surpluses to share
around the world ? but today those
surpluses grow smaller and smaller and
it is an area like this that must meet the
needs of food production in the future.
"Here our greatest heritage is our land
and our agriculture. We as a society have
two options ? do we spoil it all or do we
collectively find the ways to protect it for
generations to follow?"
Following Harvey's well received
speech, R.L. Stevenson of Peoples Bank
in Hertford presented the Wilson native
with a bag of Perquimans County
peanuts contributed by an area mer
chant.
"I hope you took it off his credit bill,"
quipped Harvey in reference to the
current hard times in agriculture.
Other highlights of the Farm-City
Week banquet were the recogniton of all
Perquimans County Agricultural Ex
tension Service employees, and the
announcement of farm-city poster
contest winners.
The basic objective of the contest was
to, "develop the child's concept of farm
and city interdependence and
cooperation."
Some 55 entires were judged on clarity
of theme, neatness, and creativity, and
the winners were: grades one and two
Nathan Straughn, first, Toby Wilder,
second; grades three and four-Connie
Thatch, first, Francis Jester, second,
and; grades five and six-Bruce White,
first, and Donna Winslow, second.
Sponsors of the banquet were:
Albemarle Chemical; Bank of N.C.;
Belvidere Farmers Exchange; Farmers
Feed and Seed; Hertford Motor Com
pany; Hertford Supply Company;
Hollowell Oil Company; Peoples Bank
and Trust, and Winslow Oil Company.
Competency test scores reported
Perquimans County high school
students taking the competency test for
the first time performed well in com
parison with state and regional
averages, according to Perquimans
County Schools superintendent Pat
Harrell.
Figures presented to the board of
education Monday night show that of
Juniors taking the test for the first time,
?1 per cent passed the reading portion of
the teat and 91.9 per cent passed the math
portion of the test.
In the Northeastern region, only >14
per cent of first-time takers passed the
reading portion of the test, and tS per
cent passed the math portion.
Statewide, the posting rate was 92.5 for
reading and 99.4 for math.
"A number of things can be drawn
from the test results," said Harrell. "It
showa that the remedial programs in the
Ugh school do work and it apeaka weO of
the teachers. They are preparing the
-v,'- * ? 'v
students well for skills measured in the
test."
The superintendent said that no
students at the high school are
discouraged from taking the test no
matter what programs they are enrolled
in at the high school.
When seniors who had failed last year
were included in the test results,
however, the passing percentages
declined to an 85.6 rate in reading and
f7.7inmath.
In order to receive a high school
diploma ia North Carolina, students
must now pass a competency test
measuring skills In reading and math.
In another matter, the board elected to
go ahead with sprigging the football
baseball field at the high school following
this year's baseball season.
The Perquimans County Recreation
Department will not be allowed to use the
field for Babe Ruth baseball this summer
as that time win be needed to allow the
sprigs to take hold.
The board also authorized Harrell to go
before the county commissioners and
reiterate space needs for the schools'
central office. Harrell noted that the
Farm-Home Administration office had
been promised an addition to its office
space and said it might be appropriate to
remind the county of its obligation to
provide adequate office space for the
schools
"I'm not critical of Farm-Home but we
do have some needs here," said Harrell.
The board will apparently again take
up discussion on a family life education
curriculum that was finalised more than
a year ago and includes in-put from in
structors and community members.
A preview of a film on teenage
pregnancies ressurrected discussion on
the eurriculum guide after board
members agreed that the film would not
be appropriate unless incorporated in a
more comprehensive course of studies.
In another matter, Artist-ia-the
sc boots Frans Van Baars addressed the
K
V
board on his one semester of work with
students in drawing.
Van Baars said studies show that art
courses for elementary students improve
their academic performances and urged
the board to continue supporting such
creative activities for students.
He also told the board that a painting of
a Perquimans County subject had been
donated to the school band program to be
used in a fund raising project.
A list of school band and choral
Christmas activities was included on the
board agenda which read :
Dec. 5, Christmas parade, and; Dec. I,
"The Littlest Angel" presented by a New
Bern little theater group at Perquimans
High School along with performances by
the sixth and seventh grade bands.
Abo listed were: a Perquimans Union ,
choral program on Dee. 10; a Hertford
Grammar PTA Christmas program on
Dec. 11; a Perquimans High School
choral program on Dec. 15, and; a
Central Grammar program on Dec. 11
v \