ELIZABETHTOWN — The Bladen County Board of Commissioners took little time approving the 2022-23 fiscal year budget on Monday, but that budget comes with a hike in the property tax rate.
Chairman Ray Britt made the motion to approve the $69.9 budget, but with the proviso that county’s property tax rate be increased from 77.5 cents per $100 of valuation to 78.5 cents.
“That would help pay for the school resource officers we need in the schools,” he said. “But if the quarter-cent sales tax hike is approved by voters in November, we can go back to the 77.5 cents.
“We can try to please everyone this way,” Britt added, referring to the fact the budget includes $400,000 for local teacher supplements.
The increase in the property tax rate will raise about $315,000 — or most of the $360,000 needed to pay for six additional SROs.
“But what if the sheriff can’t find the SROs?” asked Commissioner Ophelia Munn-Goins. “Do we then contract with outside sources?”
Commissioner Charles Ray Peterson had a different view.
“I don’t want to wait until the sheriff can find someone to get into the schools,” he said. I don’t care if it’s a hall monitor or whatever, we need to get someone in each school.”
Peterson was also hesitant to see SROs paid time and a half.
“I guess it will work out,” he said. “But I think this deputy shortage is going to last for a long time.”
The vote to approve the new budget was 8-1, with Peterson casting the lone no vote.
ARPA funding
Monday’s special-called meeting opened with discussion on using monies from the American Rescue Plan Act for projects around the county.
Those projects added to the ARPA spending included:
— Bladenboro Fire Department, $5,800.
— Dublin Fire Department, $5,800.
— Spaulding Monroe building in Bladenboro, $2,500 each from Commissioners Michael Cogdell, Arthur Bullock, Cameron McGill and Munn-Goins. The money is being pout aside until specific project details are received.
The most in-depth discussion came over using ARPA monies for the Bladen Youth Focus in Elizabethtown.
The motion by Cogdell was to set aside $200,000.
“I don’t want to give that kind of money for something that won’t open the doors,” Peterson said.
That rankled Cogdell.
“We gave $200,000 to Harmony Hall and that won’t cover what they need — but we had no trouble giving it,” he said. “We should use the same requirements for this project that we used for Harmony Hall.”
McGill also had concerns with giving that money to Bladen Youth Focus.
“I wish we had $2 million to give so it would make a difference,” he said. “The $200,000 isn’t going to do anything close to helping.”
Despite the objections, Cogdell’s motion passed.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-862-4163 or cvincent@www.bladenjournal.com.