POST Voice The Pender-Topsail
Too much rain A weather front that stalled over eastern North Carolina made for a soggy weekend and flooding rains across the county. Read about it on page 1A.
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Football is back Rain didn’t keep county football teams from starting the 2014 season last Friday. Read about the opening day of practice in sports on page 1B.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Volume 43, No. 45
Board receives audit report Problems cost county $95,000 By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer The fiscal year 2012-13 audit report was presented to the Pender County commissioners at the Aug. 4 board meeting. The audit revealed bank statements had not been reconciled and financial records were not properly recorded for the last two years. “I’m beyond feeling betrayed,” said Chairman David Williams. “I’m just mad.” According to Williams, the auditing firm of Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams & Co. P.A. could not finish the FY 12-13 audit because the proper records were not provided. Alan Thompson of the auditing firm said there were “significant issues” in the recording of funds and reconciliation of bank statements. He said the firm, along with Interim County Manager Bob Murphy, Interim Finance Officer Mike Apple and Rick Benton, a former county manager, reviewed the records and straightened out the books. “We looked for misappropriations and could not find anything,” said Thompson. Commissioner Chester Ward asked Thompson if the firm found any fraud indicators. “We did not,” said Thompson. “We looked at a lot of transactions and we did our best to determine if there was fraud.” The good news for Pender County, according to the audit findings, the county’s total net financial position increased by more than $3.8 million during the fiscal year. According to county officials, the county’s funds not placed in reserve, the unassigned fund balance, for the general fund totaled more than $11.8 million. This means more than 22.47 percent of the general fund appropriations exceed the county’s goal of a 20 percent unassigned fund balance. “The county’s financial stance is good from a fund balance perspective,” said Thompson. “What wasn’t good was the system of accounting.” Commissioner Jimmy Tate took issue with Thompson and the audit firm for not alerting the commissioners when irregularities became first apparent. Williams said the firm was required to notify the finance
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The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
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Public hearing scheduled for Aug. 18
School bond moves closer to approval By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer County commissioners set Aug. 18 for the public hearing on the proposed school bond issue. Establishing the public hearing is the second of three required actions before the $75 million bond issue appears on the November ballot. The resolution calls for the Aug. 18, 7 p.m. meeting at the county board office, 825 S. Walker St. in Burgaw as well as the “filing of the statements of the county’s debt and the expected interest on the proposed bonds.” T h e re s o l u t i o n p a s s e d 4-to-1, with Commissioner Fred McCoy voting no. “I support public schools,” McCoy reiterated. “But is the timing right now?” McCoy said the county is paying an estimated $700,000 Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew to house Pender County prisBuddy Murray stands in the hole created by rain runoff on Point Caswell Road in western Pender County. The oners in jails outside Pender highway was cut between Rooks Road and Slocum Trail. Murray lives on Point Caswell Road. County due to overcrowding. He said the commissioners are ultimately responsible for the tax burden placed on the people of Pender County. While Commissioner George Brown voted in favor of the resolution, he told Bob By Andy Pettigrew current risks. Town manager Chad McEwen said the Jessup, the bond counsel for Post & Voice Publisher A culvert failed along Point Caswell canal, which had issues with the bank Pender County, that having Road near Atkinson, washing out a por- collapsing, was holding up during the figures of what the school A weather front unrelated to Tropical tion of the highway between Rooks Road heavy rain. levy will cost Pender County Storm Bertha stalled over eastern North and Slocum Trail. “There are no collapsed banks or any- taxpayers is a “must have.” Carolina Thursday dumping heavy rain Pender County Emergency Manage- thing like that,” McEwen said. “I need to see the numbers,” across the county, causing minor flood- ment Director Tom Collins said other Surf City Mayor Zander Guy reports a Brown said. ing issues. than that, the heavy rain hasn’t caused lot of standing water in the town. Chairman David Williams Rain, which began early Friday morn- any major damage. “When it rains as much as it has in the agreed with Brown. ing, continued into Tuesday, filling creeks “All the creeks and ditches are full. The past 48 hours and you are at sea level, you “What’s it going to cost and ditches and washing out one road in Northeast Cape Fear River is supposed are going to have standing water. I think me?” Williams said that is the western Pender County. to crest at 8.1. We are not expecting it we have done a good job with preventative number one question. Forecasters say nearly three inches to be bad. Normally the river has to get measures we have taken over the years,” Jessup explained a number of rain have fallen across Pender County above 13 feet to cause major flooding,” Guy said. “We do have a regular schedule of variables impact the debt since early Friday morning. where the drains are checked for sand service and the manner in Collins said. Tropical Storm Bertha passed well off Heavy downpours overnight Thursday blocking the water flow. There is a good which the district receives the Pender County coastline, bringing caused the Osgood Canal in Burgaw to side. The grass is much greener than it the loans. nothing more than heavy surf and rip leave its banks, flooding the walking trail. used to be.” “A $75 million bond issue will cause a big sticker shock,” McCoy said.
Stubborn weather system drops heavy rain on county Tropical Storm Bertha passes far off coast
Big crowd at Surf City bridge hearing
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By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer More than 125 people attended the design public hearing on the new Surf City Bridge July 29. During the day, more than 300 stopped by the Topsail Island Moose Lodge to review maps and ask questions about the proposed Topsail Island Bridge which will replace the Swing Bridge. Only nine citizens spoke during the comment period of the public hearing. Most everyone is in favor of the new bridge. The bridge will replace the iconic swing bridge, which NCDOT Public Involvement Officer Diane Wilson called “structurally deficient and functionally obsolete.” “Structurally deficient means the bridge is in relatively poor condition,” Wilson told the audience during the formal presentation. “It does not mean the bridge is unsafe.” Wilson said NCDOT considered 20 different bridge designs. Alternative 17 was the design selected because it impacts the fewest number of resident and business relocations, as well as no impact on ponds, streams, or wetlands, and has the lowest total cost. The bridge design minimizes impact to Soundside Park and it can be constructed without closing the swing bridge. “Alternative 17 was the most preferred by residents accord-
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Photo contributed
This photo from an N.C. DOT video depicts the location of the proposed new bridge in Surf City.
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