Board's 3-2 vote eliminates planner from county's proposed budget

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Salaries proposed in the 2001-02 county budget for both the planner, a new position, and the alcohol information officer, which has been vacant for several months, were added to the $152,603 capital reserve fund in an effort to make up for a projected loss from the state of nearly $260,000.

The state money was included in the county budget for next year to complete the second story of the new law enforcement center, which commissioners hope will be used for additional administrative offices. But county officials were told this week by Gov. Mike Easley's office that the state reimbursements would most likely not be available in the coming year. The money instead will be held to help ease the state's projected budget shortfall of some $800 million.

"Finishing that second story and making more office space is almost a must," said Commissioner Conrad Burrell, who voted in favor of shelving the planner and alcohol information positions with Commissioners Stacy Buchanan and Roberta Crawford.

The three agreed that should some state budgetary miracle occur and the funds become available, then the two positions could be added back to the budget later in the year.

"I've got serious concerns about taking out the planning position," said Chairman Jay Denton, who voted against the move with Commissioner Franz Whitmire. "As much as this county is growing... I think it's ridiculous that we don't have a professional county planner."

Commissioner Buchanan countered that the board's move to hire a professional county manager could resolve this issue.

"The person we interviewed the other day has extensive experience with planning," Buchanan said. "I agree that we need a planner, but we shouldn't hire one until we get a county manager," Crawford said.

"Having sat in that office, I can tell you you'll need Superman if you think he can be manager and do all the planning needed in this county," said Denton, who could be replaced as county manager, a position he has held since December 1998 when the board appointed him to the post after he was elected chairman of the board of commissioners, some time this summer.

The board has interviewed two candidates for the job of county manager, though sources say one of those has withdrawn his application, making Ken Westmoreland of Greer, S.C., the only one currently in the running. (See related story page 1A.)

Denton also pointed out that the county has reached a critical juncture in its Smart Growth planning process. The next step is to tabulate data collected during 14 neighborhood meetings held since last October and begin to put together a plan for Jackson County.

"We don't have anyone on staff who can dedicate their time to planning," Denton said.

"A priority for me is to finish the second story over hiring a planner," Buchanan insisted. "We can amend the budget if the state says we get the money."

The budget discussion began with Commissioners Buchanan and Crawford requesting additional funds for the county's seven volunteer fire departments and two rescue squads. When Buchanan proposed an additional $5,000 for each, Denton asked if such a move would allow the fire department contingency to be eliminated. That fund this year amounted to about $4,050 for each to be distributed at year's end, according to finance officer Darlene Fox.

"I am in favor of giving (the fire departments) the increase," Crawford said. "Those fire departments are out there busting their butts every day. I will not vote to take away their contingency."

"(The fire departments) want to know what they can bank on year to year," Buchanan said. An additional $5,000 would allow most fire departments to eliminate at least one of their fund-raisers during the year, Buchanan said, freeing up time for men who already volunteer their a great deal of time to the county.

"If the fire departments would rather have the contingency, then maybe we can put in the $5,000 next year," Burrell said.

The question remained unresolved Tuesday.

Another 3-2 vote followed a motion to take $14,000 out of next year's projected contingency to purchase a scanner for the board of elections. At a meeting last week, elections supervisor Lisa Lehman reported that absentee ballots have become too numerous to count by hand without the risk of mistakes.

The scanner "will definitely be good insurance against human error," he said. During the 2000 Presidential Election, an absentee ballot in Jackson County was made up of eight pieces of paper containing 25 offices, 2 questions, and 54 candidates from four parties. Voters had three different ways to cast their ballots, Lehman said. The county's 1,282 absentee ballots in 2000 represented a 400 percent increase of similar ballots cast in 1996, she said.

"I feel they need it," said Crawford, who voted for the change in the budget, again with Buchanan and Burrell.

"I feel like we can continue to do without it," said Denton, who cast his vote against the move with Whitmire.

The 3-2 votes followed a brief public hearing on the budget, during which two Jackson County teachers spoke in favor of a supplement for educators. Marsha Cameron of Cullowhee Valley School, this year's regional Teacher of the Year, expressed disappointment that a supplement was not included in the county's financial plan.

"I believe that we followed your recommendations to the letter this year in regards to what had to be done in order to receive this funding," said Cameron, speaking on behalf of the supplement committee.

This marks the second year of an organized campaign to get a supplement for local educators. The request was for a 5 percent increase in teacher salaries to be phased in over three years.

"I know that Jackson County increased its revenue this year considerably," Cameron said. "I was hoping that this would be the year to incorporate a supplement into the budget with these additional funds.

"I encourage the commissioners not to wait too long to implement a supplement for teachers," she continued. "At Cullowhee Valley we have more vacancies this year than we have ever had, at least since I have been there for some 29 years."

School officials requested a 20 percent increase in funding from the county for next year's operations, of which 7 percent was included in the proposed budget. None of the funds was earmarked for specific expenditures, as requested by the school superintendent, Denton said.

"There is not a line item for a teacher supplement," he said.

"And that was by their request," Buchanan added. "They asked us not to micro-manage them." How the school board decides to spend the money is up to them, he said.

Commissioners are expected to continue work on the proposed budget during their meeting tonight (Thursday). A work session is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Justice Center; the regular meeting gets under way at 7 p.m.

By law board members must adopt a balanced budget by July 1.

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