1955-06-27 Regular MeetingSO`8) WiTmington, N. C., June 27, 1955.
The regular weekly meeting of the Board of County Cormnissioners was held this day at 10:00 AM.
Present:. R. T. Horton, Chairman a nd Commissioners Raiford Trask, J. M. Hall, Jr., Ernest R.
Mayhan, L. E. Broadhurst., Cicero P. Yow, County Attorney and T. D. Love, County Auditor.
The meeting was opened with prayer by the Reverend J. S. Crowley, Retired Presbqterian Minister.
Mr. Horton announced that the change-over to the County Auditor's Office and the County Aud-
itor to the Office formerly occupied by the County Commissioriera, has been completed, and the
two oPfices, newly equipped, were most delightful and a step forward for better working condi-
tions and efficiency.
Copies of the minutes oP the rueeting of June 20, 1955, having previously been mailed to each
member of the Board, the same were upon motion of Mr. Hall, seconded by Mr. Broadhurst, approved.
` Upon motion of Mr. Hall, seconded by Mr. Mayhan, the County Auditor .was authorized to transfer
the Pollowing amounts from the General Nlar?d Emergency and within appropriations, to mee.t the
payi;Aent of County Schedule Insurance Premiums; Airport Liability and Auto Fleet Liability Ins-
surance premiums due in the total amount oF $1,976.37:
Transfer from County Home Emergency to County Home Tnsurance ? 121.88
Transfer from General Fund Emergency to Court House - F`ire Insutranc.e 437.84
?vu%i j ? n n n n Altp01't n ^ 191.00
INQ u. n u n n n Health , n . n 29.35
-Q " " " " " CO.Aid-CapC Fear Armory " 24.49
," " " " " " Airport Liabi.lity " 397.60
" " " ° " Airpot't Auto-L3ab113ty " 90.14
" ° " " Co.Aid-Drainage & Exesion 238.68
" " " " " CO.Aid-BOOkmObile " 36.88
Within appropriations " T.B. Hospital,Liability-Auto Insurance 27.23
Un-appropriated Nlinde received to Agriculture and Economics to pay
for Farm Census incentive pay received from the State 370.80
s 1,985.89
Upon motion of Mr. Hall, seconded by Mr. Trask, authority is hereby granted by the Board of
b County Commissioners of New Hanover County to continue operation of the Departments of the Coun-
-? ty for the fiscal year 1955-1956 on the same basis of the 1954-1955 Budget Appropriations pend-
ing approval and final adoption of the 1955-1956 Buget Appropriations.
?a A request of the Board of Education to make $15,000.00 available for July expenditures of Wil-
mington College was approved under authority of the foregoing resolution: '
a"A letter was received from Mr. Philip Price, blind operator of the North Carolina Blind Com-
? mission's stand in the Court House, expressing appreciation an behalf of himself and.the State
? Commission for the Blind, for the privilege, which marks his third year operation of the Stand.
L A petition of ttaelve (12) property owners and residents of Myrtle Grove to drain the creek on
? the west side of the road passing the Myrtle Grove Presbyterian Church, wkich drainage request-
ed is a continuation of tYie drainage program in the Monkey Junetion area, and is now being in-
-? vestigated by Mr. 0. R. Hecht, Soil Conservationist, was upon motion of Mr. Broadhurst, second-
ed by Mr. Trask, Approved.
A letter was received from the George Vanderbilt Hotel, Asheville, N. C., advising that inas-
much as resenvations at their Hotel are booked to capacity for the County Commissioners Conven-
tion August 21-24, our request for reservations was referred to the Batterq Park Hotel, where
reservations will be made, was agreeable to the Board.
A request of fifteen (15) property owners of Harnett Township for improvements to Henry Street V?(I in East Wilmi.ngton, was upon motion of Mr. Trask, seconded by Mr. Mayhan, approved upon comple-
tion of the petition on State Form R=10, in order to meet the requirements of the State High-
way Comnussion.
An offer submitted by Mr. W. H..Thornton to purchase County owned tax foreclosure lots No. 6
in block 18; lot 46 in block 12; lots 6 and 7 in block 14; lot 6 in block 20; lot 18 in block
f1; and lots 1,2,23,amd 24 in block 28; - 10 lots at $55.00 per lot total $550.00 - located in
a colored settlement in 0akside Park, Masonboro Township, not on the Highway, recommended by
the Tax Assessor, was upon motion of Pfr. Hall, seaonded by Mr. Broadhust, approved. And, the
Chairman and the Clerk of the Board are hereby suthorized and directed to execute:a deed in the
name of the County, conveyiiig the said lots to the purchaser upon payment of the purchase price.
yl" A letter was received from the Bank of New York confirming our order of May 20, to release
$200,000.00 securities to the Bank of Wilmington on account of reduced deposits, which said
securities were held by the Bank of Neca York to secure deposits of County Ftu?ds in the Bank of
Wilmington.
The Chairman announced that two meetings with Federal Social SeCUrity and State Retirement rep-
/ resentatives will be held with County Officials and Employes in Superior Court Room this after-
noon, first meeting at 3:00 o'clock and second meeting at 4:00 o'clock, to give everyone an op-
portunity to hear and discuss a proposed plan to coordinate the two systems and what effect it
would have upon our local retirement system and pay rolls.
?/ Upon motion of Mr. Trask, seconded bq Mr. Hall, payment of $100.00 to.Dr. Haywood M. Taylor,
Duke Hospital, for autopsy and toxicological study in the case of James MeKoy, authorized and
approved by Dr. L. B. Mason, Coroner, was approved. And, the Count Auditor was suthorized
and directed to transfer within the CoronerTS Budget appropriations 1100.00 from the Jiry ex=
pense to Evidence expense, to meet payment of the bill.
A report was received from the Department of Public Welfare, statistics covering distribution
of payments in Public Assistance for September 1954, and estimated source of funds for money
payments and non-financial serviees rendered to recipients for March 1955.
? A report of the Board of Health for May and Airport cash receipts for June 17, and 24 were re-
? ceived and filed.
/? e-N Drainage report for two weelzs ending June 18 shosaing: 700 yards cleared and ditChed, and 2,500
feet of right-of-way cleared.
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Meeting of June 27, 1955 - Continued ' 609
John C. Wessell Tuberculosis Sanatorium Census report for week•ending June 24, 1955: 4 tr,)p `
White patients 9 Nonresidents .0
Negro .•" 12 Vacant beds 11 = White'pati'ents male 2; White female 5; Colored
'ZT male 2; Colored female 2.
Discharged 0
Aduiitted 0
The Chairman told the Board Dr. H. S. Willis, Superintendent-Medieal Director, North Carolina
Sanatoriums, will be here 11:00 o'clock A.M., Fridaq, July 8 to discuss our mutual T. B. Hos-
, pital problems.
The following communication received from the County Auditor, submitting his Budget Estimates
for the Piscal year 1955-1956, required by GS - 143-118, was received and action, after discus-
sion, was postponed for flarther study:
BOARD OF COUNTY COTQSISSIONERS
Gentlemen:
As required under provisiona of GS-153-118, I submit to you herewith a Budget Estimate
Por year 1955-1956. You will note I have shown the amounts as required by the various Depart-
ments and also a"Tentative Budget" after the requests have been gone over, by the Commissioners
and myself during the past sEVeral weeks. You will note also that the requests hane been re-
duced bq approxiroately $126,000.00.
The General Nlznd Budget shows an increase of approximatelq $44,000.00, as compared with
last year and this is mainly brought about due to an appropriation of $30,000.00 for Industrial
Development and $10,000.00 for Social Security coverage for County Employes. This Social Se-
curity payment caill take care of 12 years and will decrease in your next Budget.
The Assistance and Welfare programs call for an increase oP $27,000.00 in assistance
and $25,000.00 in General Relief and Administration.
School appropriations are about $57,000.00 more than last year and are brought about
due to an inerease in actual operation due to expanded Pacilities and an inerease•in maintenance
that is now said to be far below what it should be.
. On page two of this Estimate, you will find sources of Revenue that are available for
the meeting of this Estimated Expenditure and my estimate as to the amount of this Revenue.
Surplus as of 6/30/55 is estimated and exact figures will be available shortly after 7/1/55.
Estimates of back taxes are based on our experience over a period oP years and is found to be
reasonably correct. Estimate of other Revenues are based on lu?own figures and on our past ex-
perience. The largest part of these Esti,iiated Revenues come from State and Federal Government
in the Assistance programs and from Intangible Taxes and A.B.G. Board profits.
The total amount of your Budget is $3,220,877.12;and the total of Estimates Revenues
bePore you levy a taa is 61,892,087.94. This leaves a balance of $1,328,789.38 to be raised by
a tax levy. '
I recommend to you that you use a valuation of $95,000,000.00 as valuation base for the
figuring of this tax levy. If this is done it will be necessary that a tax rate of $1.40 be es-
tablished for this tax year. ,
All figures are not complete at t his time on our total valuation but they are near enough
to see thaqthis total will approach j$1071000,000.00. Corporate excess figures have not been re-
ceived as yet from the State Board of Assessment. We have collected on approximately 89°fo of our
resent year's tax levy and anticipate collecting on 90% this coming year. A levy of $1.40 on
?107 million valuation will be $1,498,000.00; 90'fo of this will bring in $1,348,000.00 whieh fs
slightly more than tYiat which is needed.
Please refer to page three of this Estimate and you have here the break-down of the .
levy. You will see that the General FUnd Levy is 82 cents more than last year and this is due
to increased appropriation and-the fact that your surplus in this fund is lower than it was last
year. The Assistance and Welfare bluids account for 64 cents of the rise in your rate; Schools
account for 4 1/3 cents and the balance is in the other funds.
It is my duty to call to your attention that the Estimates I have given you are conser-
vative and they contemplate keeping this County in a good financial condition. This has been
the practice in the past and in mq opinion it should be continued. Oner estimating your Revenues
and under estimating qour Fsupenditures can very shortly get the County in bad f'inancial shape. I
urge that you do not follow a policy of this kind. This year we have had to appropriate all our
Emergency Funds and our Tax Collections are not measuring up to expectations. It shoul•d not be
overlooked 2hat after appropriations are made if it should become necessary, qour body has to bor-
row money to meet same if your Revenue falls behind.
Any question I can answer or any information you desire.. I will be glad to furni.sh.
Respectfully Submitted
/s/ T. D; Love - County Auditor ?
Upon motion of Mr. Trask, seconded by Mr. Broadhurst, County bills No. 4072 to 4146 were approv d
for payment. Monday, July 4th, 1955, being a legal holiday (jndependence Day) and falling on the date of the C(??
next regular meeting of the Board, a recess was taken until 10:00 o'clock•A. PS., Tuesday, Jul:y 5, -
1955, at which time a joint session wiTl be held with the City Council at 11:00 o'clock to con- ;
sider joint appropriations. i
i' erk.
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