THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 7, 1994 TAG: 9406070339
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DeGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940607 LENGTH: MANTEO
Most jailers will get 8 percent pay hikes. And six new employees will be added to the county payroll during the 1994-95 fiscal budget year, the Dare County Board of Commissioners decided Monday.
{REST} Despite these additions - and a 2.8 percent increase over current spending levels - Dare County residents will continue paying the lowest property tax rate in the state during the upcoming fiscal year: 37 cents per $100 valuation.
``Down the road, Dare County is going to have to be looking at a tax increase,'' Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert V. Owens Jr. said after the panel unanimously adopted the 1994-95 budget. ``Sooner or later, we're going to have to get much more serious about education than we have been.''
The budget contains $650,000 more for the Board of Education than county commissioners originally appropriated.
But after listening to a 30-minute presentation about educational technology Monday, Owens said he realized the need for future investments in computers and other classroom tools.
The county's total budget for next fiscal year is $30.6 million - about $820,000 more than 1993-94 appropriations.
Projections of increased revenue, however, allowed commissioners to add line items to their budget Monday without adding to the tax rate.
``Our sales tax collection is up 22 percent over the same quarter of last year,'' County Finance Director David Clawson told commissioners. That additional money, plus increased occupancy tax revenue, jail construction fund close-outs and other changes, will pay for most of the new projects.
Commissioners also used about $35,000 from their fund balance to implement the salary increases, which will go into effect July 1.
Across-the-board county employee raises will cost the county about $327,000. Jailers who are not in supervisory positions will receive additional raises of about 5 percent - a one-step increase.
To help the county attract new jailers, entry-level jailers' salaries will be increased by the same amount. Jailer pay raises will cost the county about $47,000.
Besides giving the school board and employees extra money, commissioners on Monday voted to:
Hire two school nurses for the county and hire a DARE officer for Cape Hatteras School, $114,000.
Earmark $25,000 for State of the Child projects.
Add $38,000 to the Planning Department's budget. About $20,000 of that money will be used to purchase a new vehicle; the remaining funds will provide landscaping and lights for the new N.C. Wildlife Commission boat ramp on the Washington Baum Bridge over Roanoke Sound.
Appropriate $25,000 for drainage projects throughout the county.
Add two bays to Buxton's Emergency Medical Services building, $35,000.
Add a part-time child income maintenance worker position to the Social Services Department, $5,241.
Hire a safety worker for the county's airport, $14,500.
Appropriate $50,000 as part of matching funds for a new mental health building which will be built on the beach.
Buy new hand-held portable radios and a repeater for the Emergency Management department, $23,000.
Increase Frisco's fire tax from 6 cents to 8 cents.
``I just don't see how we keep spending money when we don't have it,'' said Commissioner Joseph ``Mac'' Midgett, who voted against the jailers' pay raises, airport position, mental health building appropriation and Emergency Management funds during preliminary discussions, but made the final vote on the total package unanimous.
``I think those jailers got enough with the 3 percent. I don't agree we need to give them more.''
In other action Monday, the Dare commissioners:
Discussed going to Washington, D.C., to meet congressmen about moving the Dare County airport from Roanoke Island to an 800-acre tract on the mainland.
``This project might really take off the ground in the next three to five months,'' Owens said. ``We're trying to get the military, state and federal governments to work together on this.
``And we hope to get a small hospital complex at the existing airport facility - plus a marine research facility that could have international magnitude. We're already talking to University of North Carolina about that.''
Heard that Owens will not run for chairman of the seven-member board after his one-year term expires in December.
``As commissioner, I can say what I want to. I'll have more voice,'' said Owens, who thinks his two terms as moderator of the board have constrained his ability to speak his mind. ``I can raise holy hell up here if I'm only a member. I can slam, bang, and holler all at once if I need to.''
Heard that the Board of Education wants to put a $93,603 video conferencing room in Manteo High School and Cape Hatteras School; eventually purchase $1,800 notebook computers for every teacher; and install three or four computer stations per classroom.
Recommended that former Manteo mayor Mollie Fearing be re-appointed to the state's Coastal Resources Commission.
Heard that Outer Banks firefighters want to build a $6.5 million training facility on the Dare County mainland.
{KEYWORDS} DARE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET
by CNB