Thursday, February 5, 2004
JOSEPH BRYMER/ HERALD
Brenda Ross listens
attentively at last week's
meeting of City Council.
Election
filing
to begin
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Three Cleveland County
Commission seats are up
this year. Several other local
and state offices are up for
grabs as well.
Filling begins Monday,
Feb. 9 at noon and ends
Friday, Feb. 27 at noon.
County Commission
Chairperson Mary Accor
and commissioners Tom
Bridges and Ronnie
Hawkins’ seats are up for
re-election. All three are
from Kings Mountain.
Locally, the register of
deeds, one soil and water
conservation district seat
and three district court
judgeships are up.
All three of Cleveland's
legislative districts - the 110,
111 and 112 - are up. Other
state level offices include
the governor, lieutenant
governor, secretary of state,
state auditor, treasurer,
superintendent of public
instruction, attorney gener-
al, and commissioners of
agriculture, labor and insur-
ance.
John Edward's senate
seat and Cass Ballenger’s
congressional seat are up.
Edwards is running for
president and Ballenger is
retiring.
Because the state
Republican party has filed a
suit challenging legislative
redistricting, when the pri-
mary election will be held is
uncertain.
Regardless, all first time
voters and voters changing
their name, address or party
affiliation must register at
least 25 days before the pri-
mary.
Oak Grove VFD
gets FEMA grant
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Oak Grover Fire
Department has received
$150,000 from the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency.
According to Fire Chief
Perry Davis, the department
will use the FEMA grant to
purchase personal protec-
tion equipment including
breathing apparatus and
turn out gear. The money
will also purchase radio
equipment and large diame-
ter hoses. The hoses can be
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 116 No. 6
Since 1889
50 Cents
Council members respond
to City Manager's departure
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Disagreements with a portion of
the Kings Mountain City Council
has led to City
Manager Phil
Ponder leaving his
post for a job in
Gaston County, two
new council mem-
bers say.
Council members
Brenda Ross and
Jerry Mullinax told
the Herald they
each met with
Ponder separately
after a Dec. 30 closed session per-
sonnel meeting. Both those council
PONDER
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain Fire Fighter
Joey Davis was named Region _.
C Fire Fighter'of the year dur-
ing a January awards’ ceremo-
ny.
Davis has been at Kings
Mountain since 1999. In addi-
tion to working as a firefighter
and inspector, he has authored
grant proposals for over
$170,000 for the department.
members say Ponder told them
some city council members previ-
ously came to him with five issues.
Those issues include:
BM Ponder was releasing too much
information in his weekly memos to
the council. These memos were also
sent to the media. :
HB Ponder should not have given
an interview to Channel 33.
B Ponder should use city funds
and workers to repair a drainage
ditch on private property.
BM Ponder should use city funds to
repair a car allegedly damaged on a
city street; and
HM Ponder should hire an assistant
city clerk without interviewing any-
one else for the position.
Ross said Ponder told her the
drainage work was not the city’s
responsibility. He also said an insur-
ance adjuster told him the city was
not liable for the vehicle damage,
therefore he would not pay for it
with city funds.
Ross also said Ponder told her he
did not have a problem with who he
was asked to make assistant clerk,
but did want to follow hiring proce-
dure.
“It was the principle of the thing,”
Ross said.
Ponder did not specifically say the
above issues were discussed on Dec.
1, though that date was referred to
during the Dec. 30 meeting, accord-
ing to both Ross and Mullinax.
Council members serving at that
“He did a lot for the fire serv-
ice, his willingness to go above
and beyond especially helping
with grants the fire service and
police service have received,”
said Fire Chief Frank Burns.
Burns and Police Chief
Melvin Proctor both nominated
Davis for the award.
Region C includes Cleveland,
Polk, Rutherford and McDowell
counties.
For Davis, being a firefighter
means an opportunity to help
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Kings Mountain’s Joey Davis has been named Region C Fireman of the Year.
Davis goes above and
beyond the call of duty
others.
“You get to have an immedi-
ate impact on their lives. A lot
of jobs don’t give you that,” he
said.
Davis enjoys no two days
being the same and working
with the public.
He and his co-workers
respond to fire calls, assist EMS
on an as needed basis, clean
and inspect trucks and equip-
ment, conduct pre-planning
See Davis, 3A
used both with hydrants in
the Oak Grove Fire District
and as supply lines on
mutual aide calls.
“We're extremely elated
and looking forward to
obtaining this equipment,”
Davis said.
The department can begin
purchasing the equipment
Feb. 15.
Davis said he believes the
department received the
money because some of its
Staff Writer
Corry.
current personal protection
equipment is past due for
replacement.
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Glenn Link of Bell South does maintenance on phone
lines on Battleground Road near Grover.
time included Carl DeVane, Jim
Guyton, Clavon Kelly, Rick Moore,
Howard Shipp, Dean Spears and
Gene White.
Guyton, Kelly and White spoke
out in support of Ponder during the
. public comment period of last
week’s council meeting. White
accused Mayor Rick Murphrey of
being the reason Ponder is leaving.
He said DeVane, Moore and Shipp
allowed it to happen.
DeVane did not recall a Dec. 1
meeting. He would not comment on
the weekly memos and said he had
not seen the Channel 33 newscast in |
question.
DeVane did say that no one had
threatened Ponder’s job and that
See Council, 3A
Property
revaluation
meeting set
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Cleveland County is revaluing real proper-
ty this year which generally means an
increase in taxes.
Commissioners will be in Kings Mountain
to answer questions about the revaluation
during a Feb. 12 meeting. The meeting begins
at 6 p.m. at Kings Mountain City Hall.
Commission Chairperson Mary Accor said
the meeting will provide taxpayers a chance
to give input.
“This is not a formality but a real process.
The whole board is adamant about listening -
to people,” she said. ;
The county revalues property every four
years. County manager Lane Alexander said
it is too early to calculate what the average
revaluation will be.
“Some will go up, some will go down,
some will stay the same,” he said.
Alexander anticipates property farmed for -
timber to decrease, farms to stay the same
and homes to increase.
According to tax accessor Chris Green, the
revaluation process does not build on exist-
ing value but “starts from scratch.”
No figures were available for percent of
changes during the 2000 revaluation on prop-
erty with structures though according to
Green, inflation typically causes an increase
in value. During the last revaluation in 2000,
80 percent of the land without structures
increased, three percent decreased and 17
percent remained the same.
Commissioner Ronnie Hawkins said he
would like to see the rate go down though
many tax bills would still be higher this year
because of gains in assessed value.
“Most will see a slight increase,” he said.
Hawkins added that the increase will not
be as much as most people would expect.
Hawkins anticipates the school tax staying
at 16 cents per $100 of property value. Fire
taxes will probably remain two cents on the
$100 value.
Accor said she did not know if the rate
See Meeting, 3A
City negotiating
poker settlements
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
The city has entered negotiations with AmVets and the
VEW to settle video poker cases. :
Last week, Kings Mountain City Council went into closed
session to discuss both cases with city attorney Mickey
+
Corry said his office is contacting attorneys for those
organizations this week to discuss settling for amounts dif-
ferent than the December judgements called for.
The courts ordered the VEW pay $95,450 in fines and the
AmVets pay $47,725 in fines.
AmVet manager Charlie Mashburn said he did not want
to comment on the fines until the matter was settled.
VEW officers are meeting this week to talk about the
fines, according to Commander J.D. Barrett.