Loading...
1955-08-01 Regular MeetingWilmington, N. C., August 11 1955. The regular weekly meeting of the IIoard of County Commissioners of Neca Hanover County met at 10:00 A.Di., August 1, 1955 in the office of the Chairman of the Board. Present; R. T. Horton, Chairman and Commissioners L. E. Broadhurst, Ernest Mayhan, Ftaiford Trask, Cicero Yow, County Attorney and T. D. Love, County Auditor (Acting Clerk in the absence of Mr. T. K. Woody, Clerk of the Commissioners). • The meeting was opened with prayer by Mr. Horton. Copies of the minutes of the last meeting, having previously been mailed to each member of the Board, the same were upon motion of Mr. Mayhan, seconded by Mr. Broadhurst, approved. Mr. Horton read a letter which he had addressed to Mr. J. R. Hollis of the Welfare Department relative to Budget requests and new procedure in the handling of Public Welfare recipients' re- quests and in which it was stated that the Board was reducing the appropriation to the Welfare Department. Mr. Hollis was present and entered into the discussion of the letter, and out- lined hota in Lhe past he had figured amounts to be paid to the recipients. FIe stated that the County would save money if the neta plan could be made to stick with the Welfare Department in Raleigh. The cnntents oF the letter were approved by the Commissioners upon niotion made by Mr. Mayhan and seconded my Mr. Broadhurst. Mr. Ho13.is then outlined that Mr. Leslie D. ing Old Age Assistance and that liis home is Co wzty ', subordinate a mortgage to be pla for the purpose of securing money to repair necessary for a resolution from the Welfare aclopted to subordinate the County's claim. present it to the Commissioners. 619 • S-Ir> r Piiddleton residing at 1305 Church Street was receiv- in bad shape. Mr. Hollis recommended' that'.the ,led on the property by a Building & Loan Association the home. Mr. Yow imformed the Board that it was Board and from the Board of County Commissioners be Mr. Hollis is to draw up such a resolution and Mr. Horton outlined a petition from residents in Harnett Township on Oak Leaf Drive asking that a road approximately 500 feet long and on which six (6) houses are loCated be maintained by the -- F?5 State. Upon motion by Mr. Broadhurst and seconded by Mr. Mayhan, the petition was to be for- warded to the North Carolina State Highway Commission for their action. Mr. Horton read a letter from Mr. U. B. Ellis in which he advocates the closing of the John C. Wessell T. B. Sanatorium, and transfer the furtds saved by same to the New Hanover County School ? System. Rev. E. L. Pridgen's letter was also read before the Board in which he commended the Board on the C Cr; stanfl that it had taken in regard to segregation. Mr. Horton also read a letter he received from Senator Kerr Scott in reply to his letter of July toex (q- 15, 1955. Mr. Horton reported on the efforts being made by the State of North Carolina to control the salt7m,,Ap(?, water mosquito. Mr. Horton and the health Department have worked out actual expenditures on the mosquito control funds, and he read a letter which he had addressed to Mr. l3hite of the Sa11: hiarsh Mosquito Control Commission, Raleigh, N. C. Mr. Horton read a letter from Dr. MacKay of the John C. Wessell T. B. Sanatorium wlierein he asks that a graduate nurse be hired for tlze Institution. One appJ.ication had.been received for the ° 1?Sd' position. After a discussion, Mr. Broadhurst made a motion and Mr. Mayhan seconded same that no one be hired for this position at this time as the patients in the Hospital continued to show a decrease in number. Mr. Foster Edwards,•Clerk of Superior Court appeared before the Commi.ssioners requesting fans for his office. He stated that money being turned over to the County for unclaimed restitutions and alimony in the sum to exceed the amount these fans would cost. County Attorney Yow informed the Commissioners that these monies would have to go to the credit of the School Fznd. The matter of fans was discussed and Mr. Edwards was instructed to proceed with the purchase of the fans for his ofPice and the amount of ?160.00 was to be added to the Budget for this purpose. Mr. Horton presented plans for sir-conditioning of all offices in the Court FIouse, and'it was es- 0-77+,V_. timated that this would cost around $35,000.00. The matter was discussed and no action was taken. Mr. Horton read a report from the North Carolina T. B. Association; one from Tohn C. [Jessell Sana z-'?Sf torium for the past week in which it was shoian that sixteen (16) patients were in t:hat Institution; a report from the James Walker.`iemorial Hosnital for the past month and a report from the Veterans' Service ufficer for tne past month. , ' ..e Mr. Horton stated that he had been in touch with the Governor of North Carolina relative to a ref- erendwn to be held among the employes of the County as to whether or not they desire Social Secur= &j ity coverage. Mr. Trask made the motion and Mr. Broadhurst seconded it that a resolution be pre- pared by the Board an3 forwarded to the Governor asking that the reTerendum be held. Mr. Horton reported that a meeting was to be held with the Governor of North Carolina on Friday, August:-5 in Raleigh relative to a new bridge over the Cape Fbar River. Mr. Trask moved and Pir. ? Broadhurst seconded that a resolution be drawn and forwarded to the Governor relative to the con- sideration of the new bridge. The motinn was carried. ?Ak Mr. Horton then called to the Board's attention the fact that the New Hanover County'Retirement ?-/"gu Board had not held an election.to fill the officers on this Board for a number of years, and urged that the Board of County Commissioners recommend.•' tliat the Aetirement Boarfl attend to this matter immediaLely. Upon a motion by Mr. Broadhur•st and seconded by Mr. Trask the Board was to notify the Retirement Board of the action Lhey had taken. Mr. Horton then read a letter Prom Attorney W. B. Campbell relative to property owned by Air. Bouknight in which it was asked that a"Not Listed" penalty for 1954 be abated. The matter was referred to the County Attorney Yow for handling. All bills approved for paymento that were presented. Mr. Mayhan brought up the question of the Dog Warden being transferred under the direct super- S?pA„ vision of the Sheriff. Mr. Mayhan made the motion and same was seconded by Mr. Trask that the Dog Idarden be under the supervision of ttle Sheriff. This motion was unanimously carried. Mr. Mayhan brought the question up regarding the recent purchase of a dictaphone by Mr. Horton. ?? Mr. Mayhan stated that in his opinion a.purchase of this Idnd should be brought to the attention oF the Board as a whole. Mr. Horton explained that this purchase was made under the provisions for the buqing of new equiPutent for the office and in his opinion materially helped in all his J I ?_/?ac? 2o Meeting of August 1, 1955 - Continued work in his office and the Tax Office, and that it would tend to increase the efficiencq of all the work. Mr. Trask was of the same opinion that all such matters should be approved by the Board. At this point the Board entered into the discussion of.the Budget for the coming year amd Mr. Love, County Auditor then stated that $1,000.60,was to be added to the appropriation for the County Home to take care of the operation of the concession stand which is being operated at the County Home. Mr. Broadhurst raised the question as to whether or not the increases whi.Ch have recently been granted the City of Wilmington to its employes would have any repercussion on the , County salary scale. P1r. Horton advised that the County's salaries were in line with those be- ing paid in the State. , Considerable discussion was entered into relative to the coming year's Budget and it was decided . to decrease the appropriation to: ? Aid for llependent Children $8,000.00 , Aid to Permanently @ Totally Disabled 6,000.00 Old Age Assistance 1,000.00 ? It was also decided to reduce the regular Budget of the School Board from $340,000.00 to $325,000.00. There was considerable amount of diseussion relative to the establishing of tax rate for the com- ? ing qear. Mr. Trask made a motion that the appropriation for the John C. Wessel T. B. Sanator- ,( ? iwn be discontinued and the Sanatoriwn be closed December 31, 1955. This movion was seconded bq Mr. Horton and it was voted that by doing this, the tax rate could be held at $1.20. The matter was further discussed and Mr. Broadhurst then made a counter-motion which was seconded by Mr. Mayhan that a tax rate of $1.20 be established and that it was of the opinion that the T. B. Hos- pital would take care of itself within the next six (6) months. Mr. Broadhurst and Mr. Piayhan voted in favor of the counter-motion and Mr. Trask and Mr. Horton voted in favor of Mr. Trask's motion. *?Mr. Yow, County Attorney desired that it be stated in the minutes and so advise the Commissioners that they had no right to appropriate.travel expenses for various Department Heads and that any travel allowance made to these Department Heads should only be paid when an itemized bill is pre- sented showing Lhat travel had actually occurred by them for the County's benefit. No action was taken on setting tax rate so the Board recessed until Wednesday, August 3, 1955 at I1G?' 10:00 A.M. , / Respectfully submitted Acting C1erK met Wilmington, N. C., August 4, 1955. ?j The Board of County Coromissioners/on this day at 10:00 A.Pi., in the Grand Jury Room with the fol- ??/ lowing Commissioners present: R. T. Horton, Chairman and Commissioners J. M. Hall, Jr., L. E. Broadhurst, Ernest R. Mayhan, Raiford Trask, Cicero Yow, County Attorney and T. D. Love, County Auditor - Tax SuPervisor and acting Clerk in the absence orfMr., T. K. Tdoody who is on vacation. This meeting was a continuation of the meeting held Wednesday, August 3, 1955. " Mr. Horton opened the meeting with prayer. Mr. Horton expressed a desire that the Copunissioners come to a conclusion on the tax rate for the 10 / year 1955-1956 so that the Budget might be formerly adopted August 22, 1955. ntering into the discussion was Mr. Hall expre%ing the opiniori that the Commissioners should give consideration to a limited Equalization Program to be carried on during the coming year and should consider providing funds for this Equalization Program. The matter was discussed at length and the Commiseioners were in agreement that plans be made along this*line during the coming year. Mr. J. R. Hollis of the Welfare Department and A1r. Roland, Superintendent of the Board of Educa- tion appeared before the Board in which they asked that the appropriations for their Department //`?/ be held at a level that will not seriously damage their operations. Discussions were held with ??is both of these gentlemen in regard to their problems. k During a..discussion, Mr. Trask brought up the question o2 closing the John C. Wessell Sanator?um, Several motions were made relative to the establishment'of a tax rate for the coming year, in which it was taken into consideration the replacement of cuts ?ohich had been made in the appro- ? 0•? priation iri the regu].ar Budget of the School Boa.rd, and in the appropriation of the Tdelfare De- ? partment. None of the motions were carried. ??i claiming that it was a duplication of effort on the part of the County and the State, and thait J resulted in double taxaLion. He moved that the Sanatorium be closed and the motion was seco ded by Mr. Horton, but upon vote the motion failed to be approved. After considerable discussion, the meeting was recessed until 2:30 P.M. The meeting was called to order by the Chairman at which time P1r. Trask made a motion that a tax rate o1'$1.20 be established for the year 1955-1956. His motion was seconded by Mr. Broadhurst ?(01 and was voted on unanimously by the Board. This action was taken after it was dedided that the ?` appropriation for J. C. Wessell Sanatorium be set at $30,000.00, and that the cuts already agreed upon 5tand as they were. ? ar Basis for the Tax Levy for 1955-1956 is given on the following page - No. 621. ? ?