Sign directing people towards the Clarkton Town Hall.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
A photo of John Hector Clark hangs in the Clarkton Town Hall. Clarkton was renamed in his honor in 1874.
Sara Fox | Bladen Journal
CLARKTON — The Clarkton Commissioner’s Meeting on Tuesday evening was an intimate affair.
The five commissioners sat around a rectangular wooden table, clearly comfortable in each other’s presence. There were three other attendees, including myself and Bladen Journal Sales Representative Allie Stevens, so formality didn’t seem to be of much importance, leading to an interesting meeting with unabashed conversations.
Several issues were discussed. The first item to be discussed and approved was the revitalization of the tennis courts at EJ Cox Park for use by a local Boys and Girls Home.
The housekeeper that maintains the Clarkton Town Hall and the Clarkton Public Library requested a 10% raise. After a brief discussion, the commissioners voted against the request on the grounds that although they recognize and appreciate that inflation is ridiculous, they supply all of the cleaning products.
It was brought to the attention of the commissioners that a bush hog is in need of repair. The cost to replace the current tool would be around $15,000. Rather than spend that kind of money, the town will purchase the necessary parts to rebuild the current tool, at a cost of just $6,300.
One commissioner stated that he had “heard from two residents about how they’re happy the town is cleaning up, so that was nice to hear. We always hear the bad stuff.” Residents can place compliments or critiques in the Complaint Box at Town Hall.
The Clarkton commissioners scheduled a Special Hearing for 5:50 p.m. on June 27 just before the regular 6 p.m. meeting. The meeting that would have fallen on July 4 has been rescheduled for July 11 in observance of the Independence Day holiday.