ELIZABETHTOWN — As Bladen County commissioners work their way toward the new budget year that begins July 1, they have scheduled a series of meetings and a public hearing.
The public hearing for the fiscal year 2019-20 budget will coincide with the next regularly scheduled meeting on June 3 at 6:30 p.m. They’ll meet as a group, as they have twice already, on Wednesday at 10 a.m., June 7 at 9 a.m. and June 11 at 10 a.m.
The proposed budget is available at bladeninfo.org, or by visiting the county manager’s office in the Administrative Building, 201 E. King St. in Elizabethtown.
Two other public hearings will happen in the June 3 meeting.
Commissioners will receive comments regarding the development of a Community Development Block Grant-Neighborhood Revitalization program application. Greg Elkins, director of the Planning Department, said the program is one Bladen County has participated in previously and involves up to $750,000 over a three-year period. The application deadline is July 16 and a second public hearing will be required.
The other public hearing will be for budget appropriations for five economic development activities. The five activities are together in one public hearing; although it is related to the budget, it is a different public hearing than the one specifically for the fiscal year budget.
Those five economic development activities involve the Bladen County Economic Development Commission; Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce; Bladen’s Bloomin’ Agri-Industrial, Inc.; North Carolina’s Southeast Partnership; and the Southeastern Economic Development Commission.
Lisa Coleman, the county’s financial officer, and Greg Martin, the county manager, shared new information that will impact the budget. The IRS has informed the county a refund is coming to a business here following an audit that showed the company had overpaid its taxes.
The name of the business was not given to county leaders. “It’s significant,” Coleman said of the dollar amount and impact on this year’s budget.
In departmental reports from directors, Terri Duncan of the Health Department shared an update on the vital statistics report, measles, and the Community Alternatives Program; and Vickie Smith of the Department of Social Services received approval for a memorandum of understanding with the state Department of Health and Human Services.
The time for advisory board appointments, and appointments for consideration at the June 17 meeting, led to a discussion on how much time commissioners should have to review nominees. The board agreed it would try to make those names available at least two weeks in advance.
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