THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, June 4, 1996 TAG: 9606040343
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 64 lines
A few angry city retirees helped persuade the City Council to reconsider their plan to cut benefits for 20-year workers Monday night.
Even before a handful of former employees rose to protest last week's decision to cut back on their hospitalization benefits, Councilman Zack Robertson moved to cancel the action.
The council was unanimous in its reversal. Mayor Pro Tem Anita Hummer said her Human Resources Committee will look at the benefits issue again in a meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
About two dozen residents turned out for the citizens participation portion of the agenda. A few spoke, most echoing the sentiments of Vance Midgett Jr., a longtime firefighter who said the city should not take back benefits it promised its employees.
``The least you can do is what you say you're going to do,'' Midgett said.
Robertson said after the meeting that the council is taking another look at the issue because many retirees would be unable to get health insurance if the city canceled their coverage.
The benefits discussions are part of the council's efforts to pass a fiscal 1996-97 budget by the end of the month. The proposed $35 million plan includes a tax increase of 2.5 cents per $100 of property valuation.
Saying he doesn't want any surprises at the council's budget work session next Monday, Robertson told his colleagues he will not support a tax increase.
Also Monday, Robertson, as chairman of the Finance Committee, agreed to meet with a group of Pasquotank County commissioners to discuss the future of the city-county Tourism Board.
The council had voted Wednesday to reject a request by the board for more money and more decision-making power. But the county opted on Monday to form a study committee that would consider the request.
The six-member appointed Tourism Board was created by the city and county a year ago to act as a steward over tens of thousands of dollars raised in Pasquotank County by the tax on hotel stays.
The group received $50,000 this fiscal year and is scheduled to get $56,687 for 1996-97. The board's charter grants it one-half of the county's occupancy tax earnings from the previous year, which means the budget will rise along with tourism receipts.
But the Tourism Board, at a May 20 city-county meeting, asked for a larger chunk of occupancy tax returns. Instead of half the county's revenue, the board wants all but $50,000. This year, that would mean a budget of $63,375.
The board also wants to become a Tourism Authority, a free-standing agency with more leeway to hire staff and pass budgets of its own. Right now the group's main duty is to hand out grants to other agencies.
Neither the city nor county is quite ready to give the board that extra power.
``They support the concept of an authority, but they want to get together with the city,'' Pasquotank County Manager Randy Keaton said of commissioners on Monday.
When told of the county's proposal Monday night, Robertson said he'd be willing to learn more about the issue.
``I think we need time to look at it with the budget like it is,'' Robertson said after the council meeting. ``If they give me more information to bring back, then I'll bring it back.''
Tourism Board Chairwoman Patsy Houtz said Monday she was relieved that the county commissioners had kept the proposal alive.
``I think it's a good sign that they're going to study it,'' Houtz said. ``It doesn't close the door completely, which is what I was afraid they wre going to do.
``I think we have to become an authority before we can make much happen.'' by CNB