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VOL. 108 NO. 6
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Kings Mountain, N.C. 28080 sox = =
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AGVILIT TVINO
Member Of The
Carolina Press Ass
|
Thursday, February 7, 1991
School Leaders Oppose Governor's Merger Idea
A proposal by Governor Jim Martin in his State of
the State address to legislators last week has local
school officials fearing a forced merger of the county's
three public school systems, :
In proposing funding for only one central office
staff per county (the state currently has 134 school sys-
tems in 100 counties), Martin said he was not suggest-
Ing dictating merger or consolidation but leaving it in
the hands of local officials.
"It just means that any county preferring multiple
school systems must raise the money locally for any
extra administrative staff, or take it out of their
B.E.P.," Martin said.
However, the superintendents of Cleveland County's .
three school systems--Kings Mountain, Cleveland
County and Shelby--said such a move by the state al-
most certainly would force a merger or cause counties
to substantially raise taxes to fund multiple administra-
tions. They said merger of school units should be a lo-
cal decision and not associated with state budget-cut-
“1, ting proposals during a time of recession.
Many state legislators have been calling for one
school system per county for years, saying it's cheaper
to fund one unit per county and that single county
school systems are more efficient. However, many
school leaders say that's not the case either.
"Merger historically has not saved money," said
Shelby City Supt. Dr. Johnny Presson. "It has used
money more efficiently. You have more specialists
than you would if operating more school systems. The
amount of money saved at the state level is very in-
significant in state funds. You simply transfer that cost
from the state level to the local level and it would
cause us to have to use money for administration that
we might be using now for additional teaching posi-
tions above what the state allocates."
Presson said he sees some merit to merger "but
those are things that have to be planned and worked
out at the local level. If a merger is going to be man-
dated by the legislature they ought to set a target date,
which I think should be a minimum of three years in
the future, and say to the counties and systems, 'we ex-
pect all systems to be merged into one per county by
that date’ so you have adequate planning time to pre-
pare people, do all the studies necessary, and make
sure it takes place in the right way for children. I don't
think that merger and cutting budgets ought to be asso-
ciated. I think they are two separate issues entirely."
Supt. Dr. Bob McRae of Kings Mountain Schools
said past merger studies have shown that mergers save
the state money "but that cost is usually passed along
Win This New Truck For $100
“S 001
WE AINAVI
"Merging really
wouldn't cut the
number of
management
positions."
-Bob McRae
to the local taxpayer." McRae said having one school
system would mean only one superintendent but the
other superintendents and most management personnel
would have to be placed in supervisory positions be-
cause of the increase in the size of the school system.
"Merging really wouldn't cut the number of manage-
ment positions,” McRae said. "At some point you
would have only one superintendent but most positions
are generated by the number of students you have, and
if you combine students you'll still get the positions."
The three Cleveland County systems combined have
29 management positions that require certification, in-
cluding superintendents, finance officers, community
school coordinators and school food service and main-
tenance directors. Kings Mountain has 7 1/2 positions,
Shelby 8 1/2 and Cleveland County 13. Kings
Mountain and Shelby share a health coordinator.
"Even though you could cut out a position or two,
such as having only one finance officer or one commu-
nity schools coordinator, the state funds only one of
those per county anyway," McRae said. "Each of the
three systems gets a pro rated share of that money."
McRae said he disagreed with claims by some that
one unit per county would free money that could be
used for higher teacher salaries.
"Some people have contended that in a difficult
budget year it is unrealistic to promote the continuance
of multiple systems in a county,” he said. "They've
even go so far as to say that to.be in favor of multiple
systems is inconsistent in these economic times with
support of the next step of the teacher salary schedule
and basic education plan. I believe that's very faulty
logic. The elimination of the smaller city units. in the
state would apparently save 4.6 to 6 million dollars.
The salary schedule increase in the next phase of the
B.E.P. would cost approximately 480 million. Our
board of education is clearly on record of strongly sup-
porting both of those initiatives, and it is unfair to
See Merger, 3-A
City Gets Break
On Bond Interest
Rescuers Raising M
For a $100 donation to Kings
Mountain Rescue Squad, you could
win a span-new 1991 Chevrolet
Fleetside pickup truck. The squad
also hopes to get a new vehicle out
of the deal--a 1991 Chevy crash
truck.
The rescuers now are using a
1967 model crash truck which was
purchased used from the Shelby
Member Odus Smith with a new 1991 Chevrolet truck the squ
Rescue Squad. The KM squad has
never had a brand new crash truck.
Captain Jonie Blanton said at
least 150 tickets will be sold at
$100 each. No more than 300 tick-
ets will be sold. The pickup will be
given away March 21, 1991 in a
7:30 p.m. drawing at Kings
Mountain Community Center.
Tickets may be purchased from any
oney For Crash Truck
Rescue Squad member, Board of
Directors and Joyce Cashion at
Falls Superette. Donations are tax
deductible.
The squad has received a
$15,000 matching grant from the
Department of Insurance. Rescuers
have already raised some of the
money necessary to match the
grant, but must raise the remainder
of that money plus about $20,000
to purchase the $50,000 vehicle.
The new 4 x 4 crash truck will
be equipped with a generator, pow-
er tool, extraction equipment, a
Stokes basket for rescuing people
from mountains, a wench, and
much more. The squad expects to
take delivery of the truck by the
first of April.
Q - Do the city commissioners get paid and how
much?
A - $300 per month plus health insurance.
Q - Do school board members get paid and how
much?
A - No.
Q - How is the recycling coming along? I have seen
people throw liquor bottles in recycling bins in their
paper bags. Does this contaminate the glass and is it
still usable? Do you have to take labels off glass prod-
ucts?
A - Recycling is going great now, according to city
officials. It's under the grounds unit and Emmett Moss
is in charge. The city prefers labels be removed, how-
ever, it's not a requirement. Liquor bottles can be recy-
cled. All glass bottles can be recycled. The only sepa-
ration the city does is to separate by colors--amber,
green and clear. Before the city delivers any products
to buyers it goes through and takes off contaminants
Trailer Park Owners Say City
Forcing Them Out Of Business ®
such as paper and boxes. A quarterly recycling
newsletter is published and copies may be obtained at
Mauney Memorial Library, the City Utility
Department and City Hall. It gives tips on what and
how to recycle and the city's future plans for recycling.
Q - What is the city's policy on repairing streets?
A - If it is a pothole or a utility cut you should call
734-0736 and Kathy Maney will make out a work or-
der on your request. She said she solicits calls from
citizens and the city appreciates citizens calling in re-
quests. Once the city gets your work order they are put
into a priority sequence and repaired, weather permit-
ting and depending on the availability of asphalt. Most
asphalt plants close from December to February for
cleaning. Cold patches are done in emergency situa-
"tions. Mrs. Maney said the city averages patching 15
to 25 potholes a day. :
Send questions to the Editor Kings Mountain Herald,
P.O. Box 769, Kings Mountain, North Carolina, 28086
INSIDE
Business News......... 3-B
Classifieds .......... cui 8-B
Editorials... 2-A
Food cin whi in 4-B
Obituaries ............. 7-A
Religion ................0 7-A
SChOOIS. i... ivi ines 9-A
. Senior Citizen News6-B
SOMES... vviiasraishsssams 4-A
Weddings........cveieee 2-B
Jim Amos, 68, former city com-
missioner, doubts he will fight the
city's new mobile home park ordi-
nance which he and two other park
owners say will put them out of
business.
Allan Withrow, owner of the
city's biggest mobile home park,
Westgate off West Gold Street,
says he will fight the city, in court,
if necessary.
Don Crawford, co-owner of
Deal Street Park, says he is devas-
tated by the city's action last week
which set a five year deadline-in fi-
nancial hardship the owner can re-
quest an additional year-to give
Crawford, Withers and Amos time
to recoup their investments in the
56 trailers and the tenants at trailer
parks on Deal, West Gold and East
Gold time to find a new home.
The three park owners maintain
that city council's decision to estab-
lish a new R-6 Mobile Home ordi-
nance was merely a "softening of
the blow" by Commissioner Al
Moretz and neither park will be
able to comply in five years with
the more stringent requirements.
Moretz disagrees. He says city
staffers will begin putting the new
R-6 guidelines together after an or-
dinance from York County and if
the existing mobile home parks-
comply they won't have to move.
Moretz said park owners can make
an application for a conditional use
permit in nine months and within
five to six years could qualify, after
presenting their new plans to the
See Jim Amos, 3-A
£3
JIM AMOS
...won't fight new
mobile home ordinance
Kings Mountain will pay less
interest on the $1.765 million of
bonds it sold Tuesday to Wachovia
Bank & Trust Company in Winston
Salem than it is paying for the
$6.965 million of bonds sold in
September, 1989 and city officials
are elated.
"We are very pleased," said both
~ Mayor Kyle Smith and City
Manager George Wood, who re-
ied from Raleigh yesterday with work.
) ity's bond suex
e good news th
for 1994-1998; it is 6.40% and for
1999-2010 it is 6.50 percent and
for the last two years of 2011 and
2012 the city will pay 6.60 percent
interest on the bonds with the net
interest cost 6.5276 percent. The
city is paying interest on 1989
bonds at the rate of 6.71 percent,
which city officials termed an ex-
cellent rate.
The Series 1991 utility bonds
will be dated March 1, 1991 and
Wachovia will get the bonds evi-
dencing the city's debt on March 5,
1991 and Kings Mountain will get
the money. All bond work should
be completed by December 1991.
This does not include work on the
. Moss lake dam, as the state has re-
quired further study, which has be-
gun, and the city has reserved
$500,000 of the bonds for this
| " $500,000 will not be is-
Interstate Johnson- Lane,
1993-2000; 6.5% for 2001-2005;
6.6% for 2006-2102; net interest
cost 6.5508 percent.
First Union National Bank, 6.6%
for 1993-2001; 6.75% for 2003-
2012; net interest cost 6.7392 per-
cent. :
Prudential Bache, 6.60% for
1993-1997; 6.75% for 1998-2012;
net interest cost 6.74 percent.
Work Begins On Midpines Site
Spring-like weather Monday and
Tuesday brought increased activity
at the proposed Midpines manned
garbage collection site where grad-
ing resumed this week.
Weather-permitting, County
Manager Lane Alexander said the
county is looking at 60-90 days for
completion of the facility which
will eliminate an unsightly
"dump" which has been an eyesore
for 20 years and which county offi-
cials say will be well-maintained
and landscaped. "That community
will receive a lot of compliments
once it 's operational,” said
Alexander.
Meantime, Midpines area resi-
dents were circulating another peti-
tion this week calling for city com-
missioners to "enforce the city
zoning laws and condemn the site."
Alexander and City Manager
George Wood said the county is in
compliance with city ordinances.
County commissioners have ap-
proved the site for a manned facili-
ty.
Herman Cobb estimated that 100
people signed a petition at
Herman's Store in Midpines
Community Tuesday and more
were being circulated. The new pe-
tition reads: "We the undersigned
citizens protest the continued pres-
ence of the garbage collection at
the present location on Margrace
Road and to any enlargement of the
facility and request that the county
relocate this facility in an area not
contiguous to land zoned for resi-
See Midpines, 3-A
Gold Street Park Shaping Up
West Gate Mobile Home Park
off West Gold Street is getting a
much-needed facelift and its old
name-Dixie Trailer Park- and
Withrow Properties intend to make
the neighbors and tenants happy.
Allan Withrow, owner of the 38
mobile home park which is facing
eviction by the city after a six year
amortization period, said he was
repaving the streets this week and
spending $25,000 in improvements
which will be quite visible to the
public in a few days. "We're re-
modeling and plan to move out
some of these old homes and bring
in new ones, paint, and put in a
new electrical system," said
Withrow.
A Kings Mountain couple was
hired this week to live in and man-
age the facility. Kim Smith will
serve as resident manager and her
husband, Jamey Smith, will be full-
time maintenance person.
Before the year is over, Withrow
plans to spend up to $200,000 for
new furniture, tree planting, land-
scaping, and general improve-
ments. He said a tractor trailer load
of furniture will come in this week
and tenants are getting excited
about the new look he plans to do
at the nearly 40-year-old park
which is under orders by city coun-
cil to conform to ordinances.
The city has told three parks
owners the manufactured housing
parks must be built to standards
and all three owners doubt they can
conform to a new R-6 mobile
home zone classification that city
planners will be developing over
the next nine months.
Withrow plans to move out all
the old units at the trailer park and
replace them with HUD- approved
units that are energy efficient and
completely furnished and plans to
install all concrete precast steps at
every unit and underpin with vinyl
siding. He estimates it will take
three to four months for tenants
and the public to see a big im-
provement.
"I am not defending the accusa-
tions because I was embarrassed
to see the condition of my property
but the city council took an abso-
lutely wrong approach to solution
of the problem," said Withrow.
: , invest- i
‘ment banking company, 6.4% for
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