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Ballpark updates
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School notes
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The
June 6, 2007
Vol, 75, No. 24 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
.., c. o T
JUN 0 6 ZOli/
t J1.EKLY
Heiford
tax rate
steady
SUSAN HARRIS
If the town of Hertford
approves the budget rec
ommended by Manager
John Christensen, there
will be no tax increase for
fiscal 2008.
The budget will rise
slightly from just under
$1.3 million last year to
just over $1.37 million
next year. The tax rate
will remain at 49 cents
per $100 valuation, which
Christensen estimates
will produce $379,199 in
revenue at current collec
tion rates.
The next largest
source of revenue for the
town is local option sales
tax, at $382,000.
The largest depart
ment in the town’s gener
al fund is police, with a
proposed budget of
$538,070. Salaries and
benefits comprise
$408,732 of the total.
The street department
budget estimate is almost
$293,000; administration
approaches $200,000 and
sanitation is $118,250. The
fire department total is
over $100,000, but grant
revenue and the county
contribute over $60,000 of
that amount.
Christensen included a
2 percent cost of living
raise for employees, but
no merit increases.
Health insurance for
employees will rise 8.3
percent with no change
in benefit. Christensen
said there are ways to
reduce the increase, but it
would mean decreasing
benefits.
One item in the manag
er’s budget message to
the town is that dispatch
fees paid to the county
will rise about 18 percent
over last year’s budget,
which was not adequate.
The cost is expected to be
$50,000.
The town’s water and
sewer fund budget is
$739,148 and does include
a rate increase. Presently,
water is $13.90 for up to
3,000 gallons plus $5.32 for
every thousand gallons
over 3,000 gallons.’ The
new rate would be $15.65
and $6.00, respectively.
Christensen said the
average user consumes
5,000 gallons of water per
month, which would cost
$24.54 for water and
$24.54 for sewer for a total
of $49.08. The water rate
increase would make it
$27.65 for water and
$27.65 for sewer for a total
of $55.30, or an increase
of $6.22 per month.
The electric fund budg
et exceeds $2.8 million, of
which over $2.6 million is
the town’s wholesale cost
of electricity No electric
rate increase is pro
posed.; however, the town
will dip almost $48,000
into its fund balance to
balance the electric fund.
The budget also reflects
new projections for the
water and sewer upgrade
project, which now stands at
$165 minion with $10.8 mil
lion in loans.
Play ball!
PHOTO BY PHIL HARRIS
Bear Swamp-Beech Springs Ruritans/Albemarle EMC pitcher Sam Phthisic prepares
to deliver a pitcher as teammate Kolby Walker stands ready on first base during
Monday night's Perquimans Youth League games. The Youth League Park,
Community Recreation Centre and softball fields in Winfall are in use virtually
every day. Admission to games is free and concessions are available.
Deputies
investigate
Mnfall thefts
SUSAN HARRIS
Two county juveniles face charges stemming from a
county ATV stolen Friday night.
Sheriff Eric Tilley said juvenile petitions are being
sought for two 15-year-olds suspected of stealing the
four-wheel all-terrain vehicle from a work shed at the
county softball fields in Winfall.
A Winfall resident who lives near the softball fields
heard the noise of a motor outside his home around 4:30
or 5 a.m. Saturday. Thinking it unusual, he looked out
side and saw two youth riding the four-wheeler. He saw
where the pair put the ATV and continued to watch to
see where the two went. After he saw them enter a
house, he called dispatch to report the incident.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call and found the
four-wheeler where the caller had reported it was
parked.
One of the youth confirmed that the two had taken
the vehicle, Tilley said.
The sheriff said it may take about two weeks to get
the paperwork back to charge the youth.
During the same night, the concession stand at the
ballpark was broken into for the second consecutive
weekend. Tilley said drink and candy were taken from
the stand, which is operated by the senior citizens to
help them raise money to participate in Senior Games.
A third incident in the same neighborhood on the
same night was also investigated by deputies. A Ford
ranger was found wrecked in the 900 block of New Hope
Road, near its intersection with Union Hall Road, early
Saturday morning. The white truck was owned by
Bellwether, the company contracted by the county to
read water meters. Tilley said the truck is considered a
total loss, with about $5,000 in damages.
The truck was left at the water department head
quarters near the Winfall softball fields on Friday
evening when employees left work for the day
Tilley said no arrests have been made in the conces
sions stand or truck theft cases, but investigation con
tinues. He said his officers are looking for possible links
between the crimes.
Anyone with information on these or any other
crimes is asked to contact the sheriff’s department at
426-5615.
County holds line on 2008 tax rate
SUSAN HARRIS
Growth in the tax base
allowed County Manager
Bobby Darden to submit a
proposed budget with no
tax rate increase for fiscal
2007-2008.
Presenting his $12.8 mil
lion budget to county com
missioners Monday night,
Darden said the growth in
the tax base is expected to
increase ad valorem tax
revenues by about $380,000
next year. Without the
increased property valua
tion, the tax rate would
have had to rise by four
cents to produce the same
revenue. If commissioners
approve the budget, the tax
rate will remain at 67 cents
per $100 valuation. Last
year’s county budget was
just under $12.5 million.
Ad valorem tax, or taxes
accessed on real estate, per
sonal property and vehi
cles, is expected to bring in
almost $6.4 million in rev
enues next year. Sales tax
should generate almost $2.3
million, with fees and other
revenues bringing in just
over $2 million.
The school system is the
recipient of a large chunk
of the county budget.
Schools will receive over
$1.8 million in current
expense appropriation;
$363,380 for capital
expense; and $344,000 for
construction reserve. In
addition, $751,848 will pay
loans for school capital
improvement projects. All
totaled, the schools will get
about $3.3 million. Darden
said the amount is 20 per
cent higher than last year’s
allocation.
“The level of support
that the Board of
Commissioners has been
able to provide to the
school system for capital
projects recently has been
amazing for one of the
smallest counties in the
state,” Darden said. “For
the past three fiscal years,
Perquimans County has
ranked second in the state
in capital spending per stu
dent.”
Darden said the county
has provided almost $4 mil
lion out-of-pocket for proj
ects at the high and middle
schools. An $11 million
loan has been obtained for
the high school gym con
struction and other renova
tions at that site.
Significantly impacting
this year’s budget is costs
associated with the new
Albemarle District Jail,
which is under construc
tion at present and is
expected to be operational
in spring of 2008. The facil
ity will replace the under
sized facility in use now by
Pasquotank, Camden and
Perquimans counties.
Perquimans’ portion of the
operations and new debt
service will require an
additional $312,000 in fund
ing, which is a 90 percent
increase from last year,
Darden said.
Plans call for the facility
to house federal inmates
and inmates from other
counties in order to help
offset debt service, but the
facility must be fully opera
tional before that can hap
pen.
For next year, the jail
will get $431,823 for opera
tions and $223,650 for debt
service.
Social services will
spend over $2.8 million
next year, a little over half
of which will come from
state and federal funds.
Medicaid eats up a huge
portion of the DSS budget,
at about $800,000. Darden
said North Carolina is the
only state that passes the
non-federally funded share
of Medicaid down to the
county level.
Darden said the only
new full-time employee in
the budget is a deputy, and
there is a part-time posi
tion going to full-time for
the Senior Center due to
increased particpation.
Also, three positions will
be reclassified to include
additional responsibilities
and the resulting pay grade
and step increases. Those
positions are clerk to the
board, who will assume
duties of personnel officer;
tax administrator, who will
assume special projects
coordinator; and code
enforcement officer, who
will assume safety officer.
Emergency Medical
Services will see a 9 per
cent boost in its budget,
mainly due to the purchase
of a new ambulance,
expected to cost $92,000. In
addition, the service has
raised its certification
level, resulting in a rise in
salaries. To help offset its
costs, a committee was
formed to review billing
procedures and options to
help improve collections
for services.
Commissioners approved a
$300 fee for on-site care
Monday night.
All county employees
will receive a 2.5 percent
cost-of-living increase
effective July 1. Also
included is normal step
increases and merit
increases per the person
nel policy. The county’s
contribution to the North
Carolina Retirement Plan
will rise from 1.5 percent to
2.5 percent on Jan. 1, 2008.
By the end of the fiscal
year, both the 1988 and 1998
school construction loans
will be paid in full, as well
as two water loans. The
county paid off loans for
the Inter-County Water
System, commerce centre
and recreation center this
fiscal year. The county
anticipates having only a $3
million water loan for the
New Hope water line and
the $11 million high school
project loan after the fiscal
2008.
The solid waste fee will
go from $100 to $108 per
year in response to rising
costs.
A copy of the budget is
available for review during
regular business hours at
the office of the clerk to the
board of commissioners
upstairs in the courthouse.
A public hearing is sched
uled for June 25 at 7 p.m. in
the commissioner’s room
in the courthouse annex.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 87, Low: 69
Cloudy
Friday
High: 94, Low: 75
Partly Clouioy
Saturday
High: 90, Low: 69
Isolated t'storms