As published in the Courier-Tribune on June 4, 2014
By Hugh Martin
biscoewriter@yahoo.com
CANDOR – Candor Commissioners adopted the budget for fiscal year 2014-15 following a public hearing during the regular monthly meeting on Monday.
The $1,332,495 budget will not require a tax increase. The tax rate will remain at 62 cents per $100 of property value.
“We want to hold the tax rate the same,” said Phillip Hearne, Candor Mayor. “It’s tight across the board.”
Hearne said town employees deserve the 2 percent pay raise included in the budget.
During the public hearing, former Mayor Becky Williams questioned the board and Town Advisor Ron Niland on the proposed budget. Williams asked if the N.C. Local Government Commission had advised the town to raise the fund balance.
“Yes, for the past two years,” Niland answered.
Williams asked what percentage of the budget the fund balance covered. Niland told her that he didn’t have the exact numbers, but that it was around 18-20 percent.
Williams said that she recalled that Niland had indicated last year that the fund balance would be 35 percent and later said that the town had made two large purchases over the past two years that were not budgeted.
Williams was alluding to the purchased of an 18-acre tract of land for possible future construction of a new fire department. The purchase, approved at the August 2012 meeting, was financed by borrowing “no more than $70,000” from BB&T Bank.
The purchase of a brush truck unit for the fire department was authorized late last year. Records show that the vehicle was acquired through Homeland Security only for the cost of transporting it to the town.
“You’ve got to hold the line,” Williams told the board. “I’d like to see you take a closer look at requests that come up throughout the year.”
Commissioner Jerry Brewer asked Tammy Kellis, Town Clerk, if revenues were coming in as expected. Kellis replied that they were.
Williams asked if commissioners had read every line item of the budget that they were voting on.
Niland responded that there had been meetings to discuss the budget and the commissioners had called himself, Hearne and Kellis to ask questions.
Williams expressed her concern that the commissioners were not asking questions about the budget during the meeting. Commissioner Tim Smith said that he had asked questions and Commissioner Rob Martin made some queries during the meeting.
“I’ve had some calls on some things,” Hearne said. “We have very good communication with this board and I appreciate that.”
Hearne said that he felt good about the budget for the current year and about the 2014-15 budget.
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