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Protect pets from heat
Rage 4
Connecting Carolina
Pages
Music workshop set at KHS
Rage?
June 16, 2004
Vol. 72, No. 24 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
P11/C5
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
PEKQLUyiANS
Weekly
received
County to
raise taxes
Fender bender
2-cent increase
needed for
schools capital
projects
SUSAN R. HARRIS
County tax payers will
see a slight rise in the prop
erty tax bills that will
arrive in their homes at
summer’s end if county
commissioners approve the
budget proposal submitted
by Assistant County
Manager Bobby Darden.
The $10.5 million propos
al is less than $200,000 more
than last year’s approved
budget, and about $1 mil
lion more than the county
actually estimates it will
spent this fiscal year.
The 2-cents tax rate
increase proposed in the
budget will help cover some
facilities needs in the
schools that school board
members say can no longer
be put off.
Next year’s school bud
get will include replace
ment of the roof and HVAC
system at Perquimans
County Middle School.The
schools have patched and
repaired both over the past
few years, but last
September’s visit by
Hurricane Isabel left both
the roof and HVAC system
in such poor condition,
they can no longer be
repaired.
“The last few times we
experienced rain were
unbelievable,” said middle
school Principal Melvin
Hawkins.
The school had to deal
with falling ceiling tiles,
warped floors and standing
water on rainy days.
“Students can’t be
expected to reach high stan
dards in a crumbling,
unsafe school building,”
said Dr. Kenneth W. Wells.
“It is unacceptable to have
students attending schools
that are unsafe or
unhealthy. We are rapidly
approaching that point.”
School and county offi
cials have discussed com
pleting the middle school
project during the coming
school year, with renova
tions to the deteriorating
roof and HVAC system at
Hertford Grammar School
to her funded in the 2006-
2007 school year.
The funding for the mid
dle school project is esti
mated at $1.8 million. If the
budget is approved, funds
will come from the land
transfer tax reserves which
are set aside for school
facilities, the tax increase
and the Public School
Capital Building Fund
Reserve.
Another 2-cents tax
increase, along with land
transfer tax wiU be needed
to complete the $1.3 million
in needs at Hertford
Grammar School in 2006-
2007, according to the coun
ty
“I trust that voters will
support the tax increase
which is being considered
by the county commission
ers, as the fact remains that
further delays just mean
further decay of school
building conditions,”
Darden said. “I believe the
citizens of Perquimans
County want to ensure stu
dents and teachers have an
environment conducive to
academic excellence.”
Darden said if the coun
ty had received Public
School Capital Building
Funds over the past two
years and next year, the
county would have an addi
tional $200,000.
The school system and
county have met with Rural
Development to discuss
funding avenues to allow
the groups to move forward
with facilities needs at the
high school. Plans at the
high school call for a new
gymnasium as well as reno
vations.
Darden stated in his bud
get message to the county
that initial requests from
county agencies exceeded
expected revenues by over
$400,000, which would have
required a 6-cents increase
in the property tax rates.
Working with department
heads in budget workshops,
sufficient cuts were made
to lower the requests.
The assistant county
manager said recent years
have been challenging for
local governments as the
state has withheld local
funds to balance its own
budget and a slow economy
decreased sales tax rev
enues.
The county’s property
tax base is expected to con
tinue its steady growth,
Darden said, adding that is
has grown by an annual
average of 4.7 percent over
the past decade. The prop
erty tax valuation is esti
mated to be in excess of
$715 million.
Sales taxes are the coun
ty’s second largest revenue
source, Darden said, and
are expected to be 6 percent
lower in the current year
than at their peak three
years ago. While some
rebounding is expected
next fiscal year, Darden
said those revenues will not
return to previous levels.
These lowered funds
impact both the county’s
general operating budget as
well as the school system,
for which part of the sales
tax monies are earmarked.
Helping to bolster coun
ty revenues has been the
local 1-cent sales tax, which
has grown over the past two
years, making up some of
the shortfall in other sales
taxes. In addition, the latest
one-half cent sales tax,
which is based equally on
point-of-sale and state dis
tribution, has grown as
well and has now taken the
place of reimbursable rev
enues the county no longer
receives, ■ .
The proposed budget
provides for no salary
increases. Darden said the
county fully implemented
salary increases ’ in
January as a result of a
salary study. Merit and cost
of living raises to keep
salaries competitive will be
dealt with in subsequent
budgets, beginning in 2005-
2006.
Continued on page 7
jm.:
*’l'i 1.1
Hertford Police investigate an accident on Harvey Point Road Monday afternoon.
The final accident report was not available at press time, but Chief Dale Vanscoy
said two people were transported by ambulance for medical care, although they
did not appear to have life-threatening injuries. The Hertford Fire Department also
responded to the accident.
SBA: Prepare for storm season
With the beginning of
the six-month Atlantic hur
ricane season, which runs
from June 1 — Nov. 30, the
U.S. Small Business
Administration urges
homeowners and business
es to plan and prepare for
the worst-case scenario by
taking steps in advance to
minimize damage caused
by these major storms.
The survival of a com
munity can depend on the
ability of businesses and
homeowners to minimize
the risks that accompany
hurricanes.
In the aftermath of
September's devastating
Hurricane Isabel, the SBA
provided more than 8,200
low-interest loans worth
$234 million. Power outages
caused by fierce winds and
inland flooding contributed
to most of the property
losses.
Here are some hurricane
preparedness tips for
homes and businesses;
• Have a disaster plan in
place. Find escape routes
and establish places to
meet. Have on hand emer
gency phone numbers;
business owners should
designate a contact person
who will communicate
with other employees, cus
tomers and
suppliers.Families should
ask an out-of-state relative
or friend to serve as the
“family contact.”
• Insurance. According
to the National Flood
Insurance Program, only 25
— 50 percent of U.S. home-
owners in flood-prone areas
have flood insurance.
Business owners should
review their insurance
policies for coverage.
• Disaster survival kit.
It should include a flash
light and extra batteries,
portable, battery-operated
radio and extra batteries, a
furst-aid kit, non-perishable
packaged and canned food,
water (a weeks' worth), a
manual can opener, sturdy
shoes, a basic tool kit,
waterproof plastic bags,
and cash.
• Important business
records should be stored at
an off-site location at least
50 miles away. Computer
data should be backed up,
saved on diskettes or CD
Roms and stored off-site.
To learn more about the
SBA's disaster assistance
program and links to addi
tional disaster prepared
ness tips, visit the web site
at www.sba.gov/disaster
http://www.sba.gov/dis-
aster> .
Town
holds
line
on tax
rate
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Property owners in the
Town of Hertford will see
no increase in their tax bill
this fall.
The town passed its fis
cal 2004-2005 budget
Monday night, which holds
the tax rate steady at 48
cents per $100 valuation.
The town’s general fund
budget approaches $2 mil
lion.
Ad valorem taxes are
expected to generate almost
$377,000 next year, while
state shared revenues
should bring in just over
$475,000.
The police department
will get the lion’s share of
the budget, at almost
$458,000.
The street department is
the next in line with a bud
get of over $261,000.
Administration will cost
taxpayers $169,075.
The fire department’s
budget is$97,438, whUe the
sanitation department wiU
spent about $92,000.
Over $11 million will
flow through other town
funds for such projects as
the water and sewer
upgrade, ice plant renova
tion, Racoon Creek park
project, and TEA-21 (light
ing) projects
Eagle Pottery opens just south of Hertford
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Sherri McNeill turned
an elective class she took
while studying at Campbell
University into a produc
tive business.
The owner of Eagle
Pottery on U.S. Highway 17
South, McNeill took pot
tery as an elective while
earning a religion degree at
Campbell. Three years
later, she studied pottery
again at Montgomery
Community College.
She started a business in
the basement of the church
parsonage she shared with
her pastor husband,
Kenneth, in Eagle Spring.
Soon, she put up a building
on a vacant lot next door
because Eagle Pottery had
grown. In her first year in
business, she had people
from 27 states and seven
countries visit her shop.
When the McNeills
moved to Franklinville, she
moved her business ■'With
•her. ■
Three years ago, the
McNeiUs accepted a call to
Hertford Baptist Church. In
April 2003, Sherri was
ready to feel the smooth,
wet clay between her hands
again and once more began
turning pottery. She offered
her dishwasher, microwave
and oven safe pieces on con
signment at three locations
around the county.
This spring, a building
> poW
Sherri McNeill is joined by her family, friends and local
business and government representatives to cele
brate the grand opening of Eagle Pottery on U.S.
Highway 17 South.
dren, Travis and Kenisha,
have tried their hands on
the potter’s wheel. Travis
has turned some pieces for
the shop, while Kenisha is
adept at glazing and other
finishing techniques, while
also helping in the shop. On
a mission trip since
Saturday, McNeill said she
misses her “right-hand
girl” already.
Jared, 10, and Zeb, 4, can
also be foimd aroimd the
shop.
The Chamber of
Commerce recently spon
sored a ribbon cutting to
celebrate the grand open
ing of Eagle Pottery
on Highway 17 became
available, and McNeill
opted once again to open a
retail shop. Occupying the
building formerly housing
Thg , Orchard Shop and
Iqter Heritage House, Eagle
Pottery is open
Tuesday—Saturday, 9
a,m.—5 p.m.
■ Not dhly can people pm:-
chase pottery in the shop,
but McNeill keeps her
wheel set up and visitors
may stop by while she’s
turning her pieces or work
ing on glazing and other
areas of production. She
welcomes people to stop by
and watch, as part of her
goal is to educate people
about pottery, the joy of
creating pieces and its use
fulness in the home.
In just a couple of
weeks, McNeill has already
had people from 12 states
stop by her shop on their
travels.
She’d never decorated
her wares with animals
before, but she’s learned
that any item featuring tur
tles is a hot seller here. So,
she’s fashioned decorative
items as well as using tur
tles on handles of casse
role dishes and other
pieces.
The McNeills’ older chU-
Weekend
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 90
Low: 75
ScatieredTStorms
Friday
High: 93
Low: 75
SCAHERED T'StORMS
Saturday
High:90
Low: 72
Isolated T'Storms