Briefly
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on June 16, 2004 1:59 PM
Wrong Duplin tax
Duplin County Manager Fred Eldridge said his statement earlier this week about the new budget was misread, and the increase needed to implement paid emergency medical services would be 7.5 cents, not 75 cents.
Emergency medical service is the only thing that would cause a tax increase, Eldridge said this morning.
As to the rest of the budget, he says, "We were able to take money from the reserve account so no increase would be needed to balance the budget. But that's excluding EMS, which will take 7.54 cents unless we can find another way to fund it."
He said the county is looking at multiple alternatives, but some of them require a local bill in the state Legislature. One option may be to charge everyone a $120 flat fee and a 3.5-cent tax increase.
No sale
Whoever planned to buy some land on Center Street from the city may be out of luck.
On Sunday the city placed an advertisement in the newspaper offering several of its surplus properties for sale. Prospective buyers were given an opportunity Monday to place bids.
But as it turns out, one of those properties, on Center Street between Elm and Pine streets, should not have been on the list.
"We were putting standard lots out for sale, and that piece of property was a combination of lots," said City Manager Richard Slozak. "It was just a misunderstanding."
He said that someone had submitted a bid on Monday on the property.
"We're going to recommend that the council reject it," he said. "And then we'll give the person back their money."
For prospective students
Wayne Community College will hold an information forum for prospective students and their parents on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The session will include a discussion by a panel of current students and graduates as well as displays and representatives of the college's curriculum programs, and admissions and financial aid offices.
The event will be held in Moffatt Auditorium and the Wayne Learning Center Atrium on campus. For more information, call 735-5151