BALLARD
From Page 1-A
Suber spoke briefly.
Mayor Neisler gave each speak-
er five minutes for their presenta-
tions, allowing several speakers to
£0 over time.
Campbell said he approved of
the budget proposals presented by
Interim Manager Maxine Parsons.
Ballew questioned recommenda-
tions by Utility Director Jimmy
Maney on restructuring of his de-
partment and not figured in the
proposed budget. "I liked what 1
heard about the savings in his de-
partment,” she said.
Neisler said the decision to scrap
the idea was a management deci-
sion.
Tesenair complained about raw
sewage on Cherokee Street and
said the city was aware of the prob-
lem and had done nothing about it.
City engineer Tom Howard said
Tesenair's complaint was the first
he had heard about the problem
and said he would look into it.
Tesenair contended that city fathers
knew about the problem. He said
that both former commissioner Al
Moretz and Commissioner Norma
Bridges had walked the area with
him.
Neisler reminded that the public
hearing focused on the budget.
Tesenair commended the board for
making tough calls and hard deci-
sions.
City Hall receptionist Betty
Cash Mitchell voiced concerns of
employees about low morale and
rumors of hit lists. She said the
city has valuable employees who
are not "a dime a dozen" and that
cuts in departments make heavier
work loads for employees. She
asked the board to reconsider pre-
vious votes on eliminating cost of
living raises and merit raises in the
1994-95 budget and reconsidering
their vote on raising property taxes
four cents and water and sewer
rates.
Mitchell said she appreciated the
McRAE
From Page 1-A :
ents or any other member of the
family. I work very hard to com-
municate with people that each
child deserves the same respect as
any other member of the school
community, and included in that is
that they should be given awards
that they are eligible for."
McRae said he has asked for
"further clarification" from the
Middle School to be sure that the
school has "appropriately ad-
dressed" the Bolins' concerns. "If
we haven't, we need to move for-
ward to do that."
McRae said he presented five
awards at the Middle School cere-
mony and that it was his under-
standing that "they were for highest
_ academic achievement in five sub-
jects. Some of the teams didn't give
their awards just on the highest
grades. I heard a few teachers say
that the awards they were present-
city's fringe benefits and said she
realized that paying a part of de-
pendent insurance coverage is not
the norm for other employers in the
area.
Sanders said he opposed the tax
increase because of the additional
burden to people on fixed incomes.
"Cut the fat," he said, noting that
city employees who make $200 a
week need the pay increases, not
the people at the top of the ladder.
Joy suggested that the city fi-
nance officer show fund balances
in a separate bank account but
Parsons said that it isn't practical to
have two bank accounts.
Joy said that Council should
show some accountability. "We ask
for answers and we don't get
them."
Joy congratulated Council for an
overall attempt to correct the finan-
cial situation, referring to charts
on low fund balances over several
year. He suggested that the city
spend $13,000 for an efficiency ex-
pert instead of a pay plan.
"I've been told employees take
advantage of the city, build up
comp time and abuse vacation.
"Are you running a give-away
program or a business? he asked.
Childers said he is tired of hear-
ing Kings Mountain compared
with other cities in regard to utility
rates.
"We're interested in what affects
us."
He commended Council for
tough decisions reflected in the
proposed budget.
Maner asked that the city rein-
state the city engineering depart-
ment and suggested the city could
get the money from the sale of two
dump trucks which he said are
used very little. He said the sale of
the trucks would pay the engineer's
salary.
Maner, who acknowledged that
he lives outside the city but is an
in-town insuranceman, also sug-
gested that industry bear the brunt
of the increased water rates.
Maner suggested the city annex
areas now getting utilities and not
paying taxes. He said that Upper ‘
Cleveland County is coming into
the immediate area with water
Kings Mountain can provide.
ing were for outstanding achieve-
ment. ; :
"But, especially in the case o
school awards it ought to be clear
to the people who give out those
awards exactly what the criteria
is," he said. "Everybody should be |
basing it on the same criteria. You
can't get into the business of giving
out awards on achievement that's
coming down to two students and
some teachers basing it on one cri-
teria and others on something else.
If it's for grades, it's easy to figure.
If based on other criteria, that's a
different situation. If that's not
spelled out where they can under-
stand it, we sure need to handle
that."
McRae said because Goforth
gave Crissy her awards later, he as-
sumes that the principal deter-
mined that she deserved them.
"If she earned them I would
have preferred they be given out
when the others were," he said. "If
mistakes were made, it is regret-
table and we will try to do a better
job."
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MAYOR
From Page 1-A
needed, and denying our employees even a merit raise
and it's all unnecessary," said Neisler.
The mayor said that citizens have been grossly mis-
informed about the state of the city's finances, concur-
ring with Wood's projection that the city is in good fi-
nancial shape.
"Do you think Mr. Wood's projections are a true pic-
ture of the city's finances," asked Councilman Jim
Guyton of Parsons.
"I can't refute his figures because this is the first
time I've seen them," said Parsons.
"We budgeted very close last year and he may be us-
ing anticipated figures."
Parsons said Wood requested under the Public
Information Act copies of all statements and receipts
since March, along with budget projections and min-
utes of meetings and the spring budget retreat. Parsons
said she complied with the requests. Wood picked up
the materials Memorial Day weekend.
Charlie Ballard questioned Wood's memo. "It's up to
Council to fix the money problems if there are such.
Mr. Wood is no longer employed by the city."
But Neisler said that Wood wrote his letter as a con-
cerned taxpayer of the city. Wood owns a home in
Father's Da
~~ SALE
Dad's dressed to distinction
Thursday, June 16, 1994 -THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Page 3A
Kings Mountain but has moved his wife and son to
Cleveland, Tennessee where he took the new job of
city manager.
"I have a problem with Maxine working on another
budget," said Councilman Phil Hager, responding to
Councilman Rick Murphrey's suggestion that Parsons
take Wood's recommendations and work with auditor
Darrell Keller to fine tune the budget.
"Maxine will go through it from A to Z and improve
on it. We all want to do what's right, " Murphrey said.
Murphrey said the Local Government Commission
looked at the auditor's figures and concluded that
Kings Mountain has a problem.
~ "When we don't pay our bills on time there is a
problem whether we admit it or not," said Murphrey.
"The proposed budget isn't worth the paper it's writ-
ten on," said Hager.
Former city finance officer Jeff Rosencrans, who re-
signed in March after he was passed over by Council
for the position of interim manager, was in the audi-
ence along with numerous present city employees
when Wood's letter was read.
"I have some copies of a memo from George
Wood," said Neisler before he started reading the text.
Spectators jumped from their seats and ran to the
podium. Then it was deadly quiet as the Mayor read
page by page Wood's graphic summary.
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