Wayne Week — May 26, 2024

N E W OL D NORT H M E DI A PR E SE N T S A W E E K LY N E WS M AG A Z I N E

M AY 2 6, 2 024

Wayne

N E WOL DNORT H .C OM

If the Goldsboro City Council adopts the 2024-25 budget recommended by Interim City Manager Matthew Livington, local residents will be forced to absorb a 15-cent property tax increase and a 7-percent water and sewer rate hike, as leaders look for a way to finance police and fire raises.

WEEK

Budget Buffet

BY K E N F I N E / p. 12

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

CONTENTS 4 Aycock responds to audit again MAY 26, 2024 Volume 1, Issue 42

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EDITORIAL EDITOR Ken Fine EDITOR Renee Carey DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo

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Former Fremont Town Administrator — and current Wayne County Commissioner — Barbara Aycock offered another set of explainations after being implicated by state auditors in a scathing investigation report published May 15 by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor.

7 Pikeville board eyes changes

The Pikeville Board of Commissioners — and the town's mayor — indicated a desire to change the way the town's government operates, against the recommendation of the Local Government Commission, during a public hearing announced via a piece of paper taped to the front door of Town Hall and attended by only one local resident.

10 Memorial Day: a note

In our view, Monday is more than just an opportunity to enjoy the last day of a three-day weekend around a grill or a swimming pool. It is our chance to remind new generations of Americans who seem to take our country for granted why this land should be revered — and just how much the freedom they enjoy has cost.

12 Cover story

If the Goldsboro City Council adopts the 2024-25 budget recommended by Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston, local residents will be forced to absorb a 15-cent property tax increase and a 7-percent water and sewer rate hike, as leaders look for a way to finance police and fire raises.

20 Spectator

When Gold City House of Music hosted a recital inside the Arts Council of Wayne County last weekend, the performances brought people to their feet — with tears in their eyes.

© 2024 NEW OLD NORTH MEDIA LLC All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission.

COVER DESIGN

BY SHAN STUMPF/ ADOBE STOCK

newoldnorth.com

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NEWS +VIEWS

Aycock offers additional response in Fremont fiasco Wayne County Commissioner says she hopes people have “not lost trust in me” and disputes some of the allegations made by the N.C. Office of the State Auditor.

BY KEN FINE

L

ess than a week after the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor published a scathing report alleging a myriad of violations of state and federal law by government officials in Fremont from 2014 to 2021, the current Wayne County commissioner who was among those excoriated by auditors offered an additional response to the state’s findings.

Barbara Aycock, who submitted a written response that appeared in the May 19 edition of Wayne Week after being identified as the person referenced in the sprawling document as “Former Town Administrator,” had more to say after reading the paper.

The following reflects both her word-forword thoughts — they have not been edited for spelling, punctuation, or grammar to ensure her words are her own — and the word-forword state “findings” those responses reflect her explanations for:

Town’s three credit cards: • $5,376 in purchases for food without supporting documentation.

• $454 in purchases that were shipped directly to the former Finance Officer’s home.

• Purchases included an air mattress, Roku smart TV device, popcorn maker, mini fridge, table lamp, iPhone case, seven YETI tumbler cups, and other items. According to the former Town Administrator, these items were for the Town’s Christmas party.

• $447 in purchases made on the former Finance Officer’s assigned card after her resignation.

• $354 purchase to a vacation rental home company on the card assigned to the former Town Administrator.

Barbara Aycock

AYCOCK’S RESPONSE “the money for a rental vacation, I did not rent anything, I have my own home at coast, I don’t need to rent and I don’t need Fremont’s card to rent anything. I have my own funds. I was not traveling except to my home at coast because my husband had dementia. He was in early stages when I started. He died 3 months after I left Fremont. The finance officer was in charge of cards in the safe she kept. Employees went to her for use of card, to my recognition I didn’t use the card but a few times, when something was needed for town, public works, or staff would get supplies, they mostly used it.”

FINDING Town Paid $32,424 to Former Town Administrator for Unearned Vacation Leave Hours The Town of Fremont paid $32,424 to the former Town Administrator for vacation leave hours that she did not earn. As a result, these funds were not available for valid Town purposes.

The former Town Administrator herself, former Payroll Clerk, former Mayor, and a former Board Member approved two of the payments for unearned vacation leave without any documentation to support the payments.

AYCOCK’S RESPONSE “the money that was noted I received for $32,000 is in the mail to Fremont. Although board members approved I surely do not want anything that is considered not mine. I don’t work that way. There was no intention on my part, like I stated 4 board members signed off and paper work to my understanding was giving to finance officer. I did not ask for money. I surely didn’t go to Fremont to make money, it was to help a struggling town. Their new manager is getting $73,000 with full benefits. So over $40,000 more 4

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than I requested because I knew town could not afford that kind of salary when I went there.”

FINDING No Town Purpose for Credit Card Purchases The Town of Fremont did not ensure that charges made to the Town’s credit cards were for a valid Town purpose.

As a result, there were over $37,000 in credit card charges with no documented business purpose.

The Board of Aldermen did not ensure that procedures were followed that would prevent or detect credit cards purchases that were not

for a valid business purpose.

From January 2017 through December 2020, there were 982 transactions totaling $107,328 charged to the three credit cards.

However, the Town did not ensure that all purchases were accompanied by supporting documentation.

A review of 538 charges showed that 344 charges (64%) totaling $37,123 were not accompanied by supporting documentation.

Further, the Town did not safeguard the credit cards. According to the former Town Administrator, all Town employees had access to use the credit cards assigned to her.

The following purchases were made on the

FINDING Former Town Administrator and Former Mayor Allowed Individuals to Reside in Town Hall The former Town Administrator and former Mayor improperly used Town of Fremont property by allowing two individuals to reside in Town Hall for approximately six months.

As a result, the occupants had unrestricted access to documents with personally identifiable information. Also, the former Town Administrator authorized $3,450 of Town funds to renovate Town Hall for the benefit of the two individuals, and as a result the funds were not available for valid Town purposes.

The former Town Administrator and Continued on page 6

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Continued from page 4

former Mayor exceeded their authority by allowing the individuals to reside in Town Hall. The Board of Aldermen was unaware of the individuals living in Town Hall until three months after they moved in.

The Town’s Personnel Policy prohibits improper use of Town property.

The occupants were seen in Town Hall by employees, including in areas of restricted public access during business hours. Also, a citizen saw the occupants leaving the building at night with their pets and reported the incident to a Board of Aldermen member.

The purpose of Town Hall is to have a place where the business of the town is conducted.

Instead, the former Town Administrator and former Mayor allowed the property to be used for non-business activities including sleeping, preparing food, bathing, and housing pets.

According to minutes of the March 17, 2020, closed session Board of Aldermen meeting, the former Mayor allowed the individuals to live in Town Hall as an incentive for bringing a new business to the Town.

Further, the former Town Administrator approved for a shower and hot water heater to be installed for the benefit of the individuals living in Town Hall.

The occupants lived in an area of Town Hall with unrestricted access to documents with personally identifiable information.

This included personnel files, bank statements, credit card statements, and other sensitive documents.

While the occupants were living in Town Hall, $3,743 of Town funds were spent related to their improper residency and were not available for valid Town business.

The former Town Administrator authorized the use of $3,450 in Town funds to install a shower and water heater for the sole use of the two individuals that resided in Town Hall. The purpose and distribution of funds was not approved by the Board of Aldermen. This included: • $2,800 spent on the purchase and installation of a shower.

• $650 spent on plumbing supplies, the removal of a water heater, and the installation of a new water heater.

According to the former Finance Officer, the shower and water heater have not been used since the occupants left Town Hall.

An average of 2,433 gallons of water were used during the six months of the occupant’s stay in Town Hall. This is 1,983 more than the average 450 gallons used in the six months following their eviction.

While Town Hall does not receive a bill for utility usage because it is a public building, the utility usage during the occupant’s stay for water, sewer, and garbage would have been billed at $351, which is $293 more than the bill

for the six months following their eviction.

The Town could not provide any documentation showing the occupants paid the Town for the utility usage.

AYCOCK’S RESPONSE “I did not authorize anyone to go in town hall, I follow the instructions of board members and carry out their request. As noted in minutes Mayor stated he was using his authority. He also stated it on the news. The gallons stated, there was a big leak and a toilet in conference room was left running. The hanger inside got stuck after a meeting to the best I can remember. The shower was put in for the purpose stated. FEMA. The information given to auditor was incorrect.”

FINDING Reimbursement Paid Without Authority and Supporting Documentation The Town of Fremont’s former Town Administrator approved the former Finance Officer to be paid $3,000 reimbursement for tuition without being given the authority to do so by the Board of Alderman and without reviewing documentation to support that validity of the reimbursement.

The tuition reimbursement payments were made because the former Town Administrator assumed the authority to approve the tuition reimbursement.

North Carolina General Statutes § 160A-155 states that all expenditures must be included in the Town budget approved by the Board.

AYCOCK’S RESPONSE “payment for school, the town’s policy is in place for job related training. If I didn’t follow the correct way that is my mistake, I just followed policy in ordinance. Her job was in accounting and her class was accounting. I was happy the town was getting a person with a degree in accounting. She had also talked with board members about going to school.”

As of press time, it remains unclear whether the state will refer its findings to authorities in pursuit of prosecution for what it characterized as violations of state and federal law or what that would mean for Aycock, who is set to run unopposed in November for four more years on the Board of Commissioners.

But in a separate message sent to Wayne Week, she said hopes “this thing is over so I can move on to continue to help our county” and that “people have not lost trust in me.”

Aycock, who was present for the commissioners’ Tuesday meeting, has been offered an opportunity to clarify her responses in person, and should she agree to do so, that interview will appear as a question-and-answer piece in a future edition of the paper.n

Pikeville board eyes new system of town government Only one local resident spoke out against the potential move after town failed to provide meaningful notice of the public hearing.

BY KEN FINE

T

hey have notified town residents about special meetings and public hearings on their website before — in April for a session about a modified budget amendment for a new Public Works position; in March for an “ordinance update”; last August when the community was given the opportunity to weigh in on a potential zoning change.

But when, earlier this month, Pikeville commissioners — and its mayor — decided to hold a public hearing on a potential change of government that reflects a departure from what the Local Government Commission recommended before the state agreed to relinquish control of the town it had taken over a few years prior, a piece of paper taped to the front door of Pikeville Town Hall was the only notice given.

And that’s not all.

The hearing did not even appear on the published meeting agenda.

In fact, it wasn’t until the beginning of the board’s May 13 session that seemingly confused Town Manager Tim Biggerstaff figured out how to add it to the docket.

“Are we going to do the public hearing before we get into the agenda or is that part of the agenda?” he asked.

Mayor Garrett Johnston responded.

“Let’s just squeeze that in before old business,” he said.

And some 20 minutes later, the commissioners, with no vote to approve the measure to amend its agenda, did just that.

The hearing, in which only one town resident participated — and he only showed up because he was “tipped off” that the piece of paper providing notice was taped to that door — was pitched as a chance for Pikeville residents to share their opinion on a potential change of the form of government in the town from the “manager form of government” recommended by the LGC “back to the mayor and council form of government.”

Town resident Darryl Johnson called the idea “ridiculous.”

“After the mess we just went through less than two-and-half years ago, why in the world would y’all want to change back to this form of government? It was such a mess. I mean, it was ridiculous. And I want an answer. Why? Why would you want to go back to that mess?

Because you know you’re going to have every commissioner on here trying to come down here and tell people what to do,” he said. “That’s why

"Those who are elected may be popular with the voters, but may be amateurs when it comes to running a county or a city."

The notice that was taped to the front door of Pikeville Town Hall to annouce a May 13 public hearing. we got rid of the town administrator and got a town manager. The administrator felt like their job was threatened every day. What makes me think you’re going to do any better of a job?”

The mayor responded by acknowledging that “the manager form of government is the stronger form of government.”

But he also implied that now that he is in the mayor’s seat, he could be trusted to ensure town business ran smoothly.

“It all has to do with who is sitting in the seat,” he said. “But I’m not going to badmouth anybody from the past.”

Johnson disagreed.

“You’re fixing to open up a firecracker and it’s going to blow up in your hand,” he said. “There’s a reason the state told you to change it.”

State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who was involved in the takeover of the town in April

2021, when Pikeville had only 4.8 percent of restricted available funds available to meet its $765,000 budget and was at risk of missing five debt payments totaling $158,000, also seemed concerned — both about the potential change of government and how notice of the public hearing was delivered.

“I’m always concerned about decreased transparency, decreased competency and increased conflicts of interest,” he told Wayne Week.

And during her time at the UNC School of Government, Dr. Vaughn Mamlin Upshaw panned the form of government Pikeville’s board seems keen on switching back to.

“There are two major weaknesses,” she wrote.

“The first is the absence of any real concentration of executive authority and responsibility, as decision making ultimately rests with the board of commissioners or city council as a group.

Responsibility for operating the local government is divided among and shared by all members of the governing board, making it administration by committee. Strong, consistent direction depends on maintaining general agreement, which may be difficult at times. “ And the second, according to Upshaw, is the “fact” that “politicians are not necessarily good administrators.”

“Those who are elected may be popular with the voters, but may be amateurs when it comes to running a county or city,” she said.

Johnston said the “actual vote” would not happen until June 10 — and urged town residents to provide feedback to commissioners ahead of that meeting.

“We want to hear what you all have to say because it does help us make a better decision.

Most of you know where I live,” he said. “We do want to do the will of the people, but at the same time, we’re elected to make decisions on behalf of the town in its best interest. Trust the people you elected.”

But for Darryl Johnson, trusting the board might very well lead to a repeat of what he characterized as an “embarrassing” time in his town’s history.

“You know what it was like. I know what it was like. These people out here know what it was like,” he said. “You need to leave it the way it is and live with it and get used to it.” n newoldnorth.com

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{our TAKE }

ILLUSTRATION BY SHAN STUMPF / ADOBE STOCK

N

one of us want to hear the words, “Your taxes are going up.”

Especially not now when an average trip to the grocery store requires a second mortgage.

But we have been talking for a long time about what happens when you don’t fix what’s wrong, when you just kick the can down the road because that is much easier than actually making the tough choices that lead to a solution to the problem.

Declaring another year without a tax increase or a utility hike makes you a hero.

And if you are a politician, being a hero and getting reelected is much better than being labeled a schmuck and getting booted out of office.

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That’s how we got here — too many people who knew we needed to do something else, but took the more popular, and, yes, easier, way out.

And we went along with it, because it was easier for us, too.

But now, the Goldsboro City Council is letting us know that something needs to give — that you cannot have a community that is safe and a balanced budget without making some necessary, and hard, decisions.

It didn’t make the bomb dropped by Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston — an unprecedented 15-cent tax hike and a substantial water rate increase — any easier to hear.

And if you’re anything like us, you immediately took to the document to see if cuts could be made to soften the blow.

The answer, of course, is yes.

But as much as we hate to say it, while such a dramatic increase might not be necessary when it’s all said and done, an increase has to happen.

It just does.

We have always promised you that we would tell you the truth — even if it was hard to swallow.

So, here it is: Right or wrong, what we wanted to hear vs. what we needed to hear, the bottom line is we are at the point where these increases just cannot be avoided.

And we can hear the hurricane siren start to wail right now.

Because as you probably suspect, there are going to be some politicians in the city who are going to use this tax

hike proposal and budget plan to their political advantage.

They will talk about families on a fixed income who cannot afford one more expense — especially senior citizens in poor neighborhoods.

They will try to make it about race — that no one cares about those living in certain places.

They will say that leaders are looking to line their own pockets and to take care of their own constituents while leaving others behind.

You know the routine. You have heard it before.

But there will be others who will give it to you straight.

And that starts right here.

Goldsboro has some big issues that can no longer be ignored — not if we have a prayer of keeping a thriving Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in this community; not if we want our children and grandchildren raised in a community void of bullets whizzing by their heads.

And no, that statement is not sensationalism to sell newspapers.

Talk to anyone who actually knows the situation and they would say the same thing, potential public relations nightmare be damned.

We have a crime problem in Goldsboro — out of control juveniles, gang bangers and drug dealers who are taking advantage of the low morale and the diminished numbers of Goldsboro police patrolling our streets.

They are shooting at each other, nearly every day, a stone’s throw away from Seymour Johnson’s Slocumb Street gate.

Think Washington isn’t aware?

Think again.

And they aren’t just pulling those triggers in their neighborhoods.

Not anymore.

Broad-daylight murders on Ash Street and Wayne Memorial Drive have proven that.

So, we have already lost too many lives as thousands of bullets — literally thousands — fly.

And it really is only a matter of time before another tragedy strikes.

Need more proof?

How many of you were at Berkeley Mall just before, during, or after a group of teenagers engaged in a firefight inside the building?

How many of you have seen the video footage?

Those bullets could have hit anyone who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time that day.

Frankly, we should count ourselves lucky they didn’t.

But when you talk to police officials, they would tell you that divine intervention is never guaranteed — that, in their words, if those gang bangers knew how to shoot, they would literally be picking up bodies every single day.

So, one of the smartest moves a local government body has made in years was for the City Council to put safety and our police officers and other emergency personnel as a priority and to take the leap of faith that we would be able to find the money to fund such a big step.

You told them safety was important to you — and they made sure their decisions and their budget reflected that.

But funding those very necessary salary increases come with a cost.

And there is just no more time to pretend that we can do it without an investment — by all of us.

We can’t fix that problem without more funds, no matter who tells you otherwise.

By the way, bringing in additional revenue might help offset the need for a tax increase. But the only way we can do that without massive cuts to services is to increase the tax base.

And we’ll just say it: There is a reason people are choosing to move to the county.

They are tired of sitting on their back porches and hearing the gunshots every night.

They are tired of literally walking up to the aftermath of a drive by shooting on Mulberry Street — or hearing that a teenage girl was murdered within earshot of their revitalized downtown.

They are scared to let their children ride their bicycles down streets that used to be safe.

And businesses that could relocate to Goldsboro don’t move to communities that have a gun violence problem of this magnitude.

Because if you want to be in the running for investment, which means more jobs and more revenue, you have to acknowledge that potential employers are looking not just at the work site, but also at the quality of life they can promise the employees they hope to entice there.

And when it comes to potentially relocating families, safety will always be a top priority.

But there is something else we need to say, too.

We have had a lot of bad news over the last couple of years — kicks in the gut that have taken the wind out of us.

And we have found out some stuff — some bad stuff — about how our money was being managed both across the county and inside City Hall.

So, it is perfectly reasonable that as we prepare to bite the bullet and to face an increase in our costs, that we ask something else from the leaders who want us to invest in their piece of the pie.

Accountability.

Responsibility.

And, a respect for the sacrifices that they

are asking this community to make.

We have watched millions of dollars float out the window and held our tongues while we listened to unfathomable explanations for why no one was taking better care of those dollars or even watching the till.

We have watched as our city lost its ability to borrow money because staff couldn’t get audits done on time.

We have seen some big changes in leadership because we finally found out just how badly City Hall was being managed.

And we said enough is enough, and we meant it.

So, just because we might acknowledge the need for more money does not mean we are handing over a blank check.

There must be fiscal responsibility and watchdog-like tenacity when it comes to making sure every dollar is accounted for and spent wisely.

There can be no more bad decisions and questionable oversight inside City Hall.

There is no more money to waste on personnel who don’t know what they are doing.

There is no room for loosey goosey swiping of city credit cards at fancy hotels or for outof-state “conferences.”

So, while we think this community should be pleased with the courage that is reflected in the spending plan Livingston presented, there can be no more beating around the bush.

★

We have to set a standard and hold the line.

We have a right to expect our local leaders to respect the sacrifices that those expenditures will mean for you and your family.

We must insist that there be no more excuses about bad hires and blank stares when it comes time to account for where the money went and who spent it.

We can move forward now responsibly — and make the concessions that are necessary to make a future for our children and grandchildren.

But we cannot tolerate any more waste, lack of accountability, unproductive bickering, or excuses.

Not anymore.

We look forward to seeing the final budget plan — and our leaders working together to make that happen.

It is time to see just how great we can make this city.

But that doesn’t mean we won’t scrutinize every custom polo shirt and barbecue dinner that appears in those projected budgets.

Because if we are going to suck it up and do some belt-tightening for the good of Goldsboro, so must the men and women we are entrusting to set us — with our hard-earned money in their coffers — on that course.

And don’t worry.

We’ll be keeping our eye on every single purchase.n

★

VOTING BEGINS SOON! newoldnorth.com

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T

his Monday is not just about parades and salutes, and it is definitely not about a long weekend.

Memorial Day is special because of what it means and the sacrifices it represents.

So, while thanking those who serve might be the reason we pause on the last Monday in May each year, this day is about much, much more than that.

Memorial Day is when we remember those who never came home, those who gave their lives for us — and the country they swore to protect — and those on whose legacy we stand.

Without them, we wouldn’t be the country we are today.

And, despite what so many these days seem to think, this is a great country that has stood for freedom and fought against tyranny for hundreds of years, often at a great cost.

Sure, we’re not perfect, but that was never the point.

It is our relentless pursuit of what is right — our ideals — that sets the United States apart.

So many of those who will be remembered Monday signed up for the armed services because they considered it their duty to serve.

In those early wars, they were often farm boys or sons of small towns.

Those from Wayne County have been immortalized in downtown Goldsboro.

Sometimes, we wonder if the teenagers who often flock to the Veterans Memorial for photoshoots are even aware of the hallowed ground on which they stand.

It’s sad that we even have to ask that question.

And it’s sad that we have to remind them that some families lost their only sons and some lost more than one in the many conflicts represented on those bronze plaques across from the courthouse.

That sacrifice is something many of today’s youth could not possibly understand — nor could they grasp the courage and honor it took to make such a commitment to fight for something bigger than yourself.

Instead, many launch protests, spit on the flag, and set it ablaze.

Remember last week’s cover story? How sad is it that Guillermo Estrada and his fraternity brothers were in the minority — that they watched as their peers hurled epithets and have seen, for years on social media, how they deface the very memorials that honor those who gave their lives in service?

And then, from their privileged tents on their billion-dollar college campuses, they demand organic food and almond milk.

They cannot possibly understand how hard it must have been for an 18-year-old to get on that plane or boat and head to a part of the world he had only seen on maps.

They cannot possibly comprehend someone who gave up so much to fight an evil that exterminated millions of innocents, or have the guts to live with the awful memories of liberation day at concentration camps during the Holocaust.

It takes a deeper understanding, a world view that is not colored by ignorance and privilege.

But there is a glimmer of hope.

While so many might have forgotten the sacrifices, you only have to look at those who serve now and those who did make it home to see just how much of an impact their example has had on those who follow in their footsteps and those they left behind.

You can see it in the tears they shed and the emotion they show when they see a grave or a coffin covered in a flag.

Some gave all. That’s what matters.

And those who are left, well, they are tasked with one of the most important jobs — remembering.

Too many people, we fear, have forgotten.

So, rather than hauling out those stories of courage and bravery in the face of insurmountable odds, we get mired in 10

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FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T COME HOME ADOBE STOCK

the latest “social construct.”

We forget that we have lessons to teach right here — in the stories of those who put someone else’s future, their nation’s safety, and principles of justice and freedom first.

Perhaps we should invite a few veterans to our local high schools to tell the stories of those who are Medal of Honor recipients and to introduce this new generation to those whose deaths made their lives possible.

Maybe Monday is a good day to think about that.

And those we will remember on Memorial Day did not just give their lives for us.

They fought for others — nations that would have been lost without their support.

And if you want to know how much it mattered, and still matters, take the time to watch one of the services and commemorations that unfold in Normandy each year.

They have not forgotten — even decades later.

They say they never will.

So, no, a simple thank you is not enough Monday, not even close.

We must honor those who gave so much by fighting for the country they died to protect and by making sure that the stories, the memories, and the lessons live on.

And by the looks of things across this great country, it is long past time for some education that doesn’t come from a social media platform.

It is time to remember something else — what it really means to be free.

Memorial Day is when we think about those rights enumerated in the Constitution and our Declaration of Independence. We think about what it cost to protect them and about the many millions of American servicemen and women who made sure we could be standing here today to talk about it.

We make sure that every protestor who picks up a sign knows he or she does so because of the freedoms those who served died to protect.

We remember. We share. And we carry on the legacy.

We don’t surrender our nation to those who seek to put it asunder.

We fight for its preservation.

So yes, Memorial Day is about so much more than a day off.

It’s our chance to honor those who made our future possible by never, ever forgetting and by never, ever letting those who seek to divide us change the narrative.

So, share a story or two this weekend about those who gave all.

And talk about that sacrifice with your children and grandchildren.

That, in our view, is how we truly say a thank you that means something.n

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. Wayne WEEK . 11

If the Goldsboro City Council adopts the 2024-25 budget recommended by Interim City Manager Matthew Livington, local residents will be forced to absorb a 15-cent property tax increase and a 7-percent water and sewer rate hike, as leaders look for a way to finance police and fire raises.

Budget Buffet

BY K E N F I N E

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I

t won’t be a done deal for several weeks, but members of the Goldsboro City Council got their first look at Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston’s proposed 2024-25 budget Monday evening — a spending plan Mayor Charles Gaylor characterized as a “bold move” that would see millions of dollars invested into, among other things, increasing pay for city employees, Goldsboro police, and firefighters.

But the raises, particularly those approved for the GPD earlier this year in response to the department’s inability to recruit new officers to fill its depleted ranks amidst a dramatic rise in gun violence inside the city limits, would come at an unprecedented cost to taxpayers should the board approve the document as presented May 20.

The plan calls for a 15-cent property tax increase on top of a recommended 7-percent water and sewer rate hike.

“That compared against the challenges we are trying to address with this budget — with policing, with fire, with inspections, with code enforcement — it’s a bold move and I respect the team for being willing to put this out there,” Gaylor said. “Now, we’ve got to figure out the right way to balance this thing.”

The proposed $86.5 million budget reflects an increase of $9.8 million from the previous year, but $6.3 million of that difference is needed to cover police and fire raises both department chiefs say are critical to ensuring Goldsboro can compete with neighboring communities as they work toward fully staffed departments they believe would make the city safer.

And GPD Chief Mike West told Wayne Week in March that since the council approved the new salary structure in February, a wave of applications had come in and there was a noticeable boost in morale among those overworked officers currently protecting the city.

“I can see it and I can feel it. Even I have a bit more of a smile on my face,” he said then. “Their mood has changed, and they’re just anxious to get more bodies on the street so they can get out there and do their job and do it well.”

BREAKDOWN OF PROPOSED GOLDSBORO CITY BUDGET 2024 /2025

Occupancy*

Fuel system SVC fund*

$1.35m

$1.36m

General Fund Capital Reserve*

Downtown District*

$100,225

$1,000 Utility fund

$25.69m Stormwater fund

30%

General fund

$55.93m

$1.7m

65%

TOTAL BUDGET: $86.47m * 2% or less

GENERAL FUND BREAKDOWN 2024 /2025 3%

Ecomomic development

$2.25m

4%

9%

Environmental Protection

$5.13m

Culture and recreation

$6.1m 11%

Public Safety

$25.67m

46% Transportation

$1.54m

General Government

$15.25m

27% Note: Due to rounding, total numbers may not add up perfectly.

Continued on page 14 newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 13

Continued from page 13

Livingston, in a statement released publicly ahead of his budget reveal, said essentially the same thing.

“The new pay structure is already improving Goldsboro’s ability to attract more officers,” he wrote. “The police department is receiving more applicants than they have in the past decade.”

And unless something unforeseeable happens in the coming months, West expects those reinforcements to be on the street by early spring 2025, as many of his new hires will soon begin Basic Law Enforcement Training.

Only then can he reload his Gang Prevention, Selective Housing, and VICE units — teams that will be critical in the fight against an historic number of shots fired incidents and rounds discharged in Goldsboro.

T

o his credit, Gaylor reminded the council on several occasions during the leadup to its unanimous vote to raise police pay earlier this year that doing so would have a significant impact on the 2024-25 budget.

And he was transparent with the public, too — urging local residents Continued on page 16

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It's a bold move and I respect the team for being willing to put this out there.

Now, we've got to figure out the right way to balance this thing.

- Mayor Charles Gaylor

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FOR BOARD OF EDUCATION AT-L ARGE No candidate or candidate’s committee is responsible for the content of this advertisement. Paid for by Mark and Lauren Metzler. newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 15

Continued from page 14

to remember that ensuring the GPD was “staffed up” would come at a cost.

But that did not stop several council members from looking, wide-eyed, at Livingston when he said “15-cent increase” out loud Monday.

Even the mayor called it “abnormal.”

“This is a big number that I don’t think anyone is happy about,” Gaylor said.

But still, he noted that he and his fellow councilmembers were committed to the process — that when they go through the plan line by line, nothing would be off the table if it meant lowering the burden on taxpayers.

“I don’t know what the final number is gonna be,” he said of the tax increase. “But this is a big amount and while I absolutely understand the economics around our effective rates — I absolutely understand that concept — the simple reality is it’s still more money coming out of taxpayers’ pockets. It’s still more money coming out of their wallets and their checking accounts and that’s not lost on me. So, while I think that overall, this is a very reasonable budget, getting there is going to be an expensive endeavor for a lot of our citizens, even though when you look at that monthly amount, you’re looking at $11, $15 or less (property owners will pay as a result of the tax increase).”

Continued on page 18

BY THE NUMBERS

$86,473,189 Proposed expenditures

$9,837,251 12.84% or

Expenditure increase from 2023

15 cents

(73 cents to 88 cents) property tax increase

Mayor Pro Tem Brandi Matthews reacts as the proposed budget is presented.

SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS Want to sound off on the issues we’re covering? Send your thoughts to letters@newoldnorth.com and we just might publish them in a future edition of Wayne Week.

Word count is not overly important, but please identify yourself by name and the city or town you reside in.

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

C

NNECTED,

WE CAN 17,000 PEOPLE

IMPACT THE LIVES OF OVER

OUR MISSION:

Did you know that United Way of Wayne County has been a part of the Wayne To connect our community members with County Community programs referrals in an effort to restore for 97 years? education, health wellness, financial stability, and basic needs.

&

&

United Way of Wayne County supports from

programs

agencies right here in Wayne County.

newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 17

Continued from page 16

And that, he said, is why the next step in the process — the council’s budget work session — is so critical.

Only then, after discussions about potential one-time expenditures using the General Fund or other measures that could lower the amount of what would still be a necessary tax increase, will local residents get an answer to the question of “how much?”

It remains unclear when the council will meet to have that discussion, as its members have been unable to come up with a date that works for everyone.

But Finance Director Catherine Gwynn reminded the board that the clock was ticking — and that while it has until the end of June to formally approve the final budget, getting it done mid-month would be preferable for the staff that has to ensure it can be executed beginning July 1, the first day of the 2024-25 fiscal year.

BY THE NUMBERS

7%

Water and sewer rate increase

$1,743,781 Police Department raises

$1,501,770

Editor’s Note: This piece reflects an overview of Goldsboro’s proposed budget. A more detailed examination of department-by-department spending — and a thorough examination of the budget presented to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners May 21 — will appear in future editions of Wayne Week this month as the budget processes unfold.

Fire Department raises

$724,936

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

Cost-of-living raises (2.5-percent increase)

Finance Director Catherine Gwynn answers questions about the proposed budget.

newoldnorth.com

. Wayne WEEK . 19

the SPECTATOR Session for the soul

When Gold City House of Music held a recital inside the Arts Council of Wayne County last weekend, the performances brought people to their feet — with tears in their eyes.

Photos by Casey Mozingo

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. Wayne WEEK . 21

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. Wayne WEEK . 23

L D AN

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OF GOLDSBORO, INC.

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