THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080587
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
State lawmakers approved a bill allowing Washington to annex one of Beaufort County's largest employers, National Spinning Co., a local textile manufacturer.
The bill, approved by the House earlier in the session, was OK'd by the Senate Wednesday and was signed into law Thursday.
The National Spinning property is the only piece of property to be annexed out of nine neighborhoods proposed for annexation earlier this year by the Washington City Council.
The city dropped its proposal to annex the neighborhoods and their 1,000 residents after the plan met with stiff resistance from the affected residents.
By annexing all the originally proposed areas, the city would have increased its population by 1,000, or about 10 percent over its current population of 9,500.
The city also would have added about $9 million to its property tax base. By annexing just National Spinning, the city will add $8 million to its property tax base.
Officials with National Spinning and the city said they were pleased with the move to annex the company.
``Annexation will strengthen the economic power of the city,'' said Henry C. ``Buster'' Humphreys, National Spinning president. ``The enhanced ability to improve municipal services is in the best interest of our employees and of the community in which we live.''
Said Washington City Manager Edward F. Burchins: ``This is a plus for the city and to National Spinning.'' by CNB