Bertie County Budget Approved As Submitted

Despite some exagerated comments by a small group of citizens, the comment period on Monday night indicated that the majority of citizens recognize the reasonableness of the budget that was submitted by Zee Lamb. No one fails to recognize that our county, though excited about prospects for the future, does not have a lot of money to spend at this point.

Raising taxes would be a truly bad idea and would hurt more people than could be helped by the money it would generate.

Zee Lamb, James Basemore, Norman Cherry, Rick Harrell, L.C. Hoggard and Wallace Perry Before Budget Hearing Monday Night

That is the reason that our County Commissioners voted in favor of the budget as submitted. I think they did a good job in what is always a tough process. Congratulations to everyone involved.

New Audit Stirs Old Angers

Before the County Commissioners considered the issue of the budget last night, the controversy about the MGT audit which identified so many financial problems was re-opened with a review by the County Attorney Lloyd Smith of a new audit that has recently been completed.

This new audit was performed by an independent auditor, Ms. Walker, at the request of the Bertie County Board of Education. The County Commissioners were only recently provided a copy of the audit (on June 6 according to comments made last night) and the County Attorney was requested to review the new audit document because of the seriousness of the issues addressed.

The review of the audit raised numerous questions that need to be investigated. Despite the comment by Superintendent Nettie Collins-Hart that the audit did not show "fraud" in her opinion, numerous facts in the audit can easily lead others to a different opinion. That is after all an issue of criminal activity, not an issue of educational activity, and really should be addressed by those in the county who deal with criminal matters to determine the proper course.

County Attorney Lloyd Smith Explains Audit Document

After identification of numerous instances of outrageous financial expenditures documented in the new audit that were similar to the concerns raised before; such as expenditures for alcohol, meals that could not be a part of school business, personal entertainment, having personnel services performed by school personnel, outrageous long distance and a litany of other concerns, the County Commissioners took their vote. They unanimously authorized the County Attorney to work with the Sherriff and have a letter sent to the appropriate SBI Investigator, with a copy to District Attorney Velerie Mitchel-Asbel. The letter is to request that these matters be persued.

During my recent campaign for the Board of Education one of the most frequent questions I got was about the irregularities that surfaced in the earlier audit and whether "anyone will ever be charged" for these matters. There was a strong belief by many that the known problems would simply be swept under the rug and no one would be held accountable for the transgressions that occured. This caused some of the anger to spill over towards local government. People felt like no one was going to be held accountable for the abuses of position and power by some in the educational arena. Any citizen concerns that our local government would not seek justice should now be eased. Our local government leaders have excercised great patience and waited until all evidence was available before voting last night to have law enforcement, the SBI, and the District Attorney look into bringing any wrong doers to justice.

Those people in Bertie County who have been concerned with financial irregularities can at least have some hope that these concerns will finally be addressed by the proper authorities. We need to follow this investigation closely.

Budget Hinges On Vote

by Cal Bryant - Friday, June 23rd, 2006 - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

WINDSOR - A decision is expected Monday.

The Bertie County Board of Commissioners will host a public hearing at 7:20 PM on Monday in the Commissioners meeting room concerning the highly conversational (controversial?) 2006-07 county budget.

Following the public hearing, the commissioners may or may not vote on County Manager Zee Lamb’s proposed budget as presented June 5. By law, the new budget must be approved prior to July 1.

While Lamb’s $18.1 million proposal includes no tax or service fee increases, it has become a target of debate, especially from officials within the county’s public school system.

At a special called meeting June 16 by the Bertie Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart called Lamb’s proposal “woefully inadequate.”

The taxpayers of Bertie County need to show up Monday night to resist further money being wasted on an education department that is out of control. Just as someone who supports the school system was trying to scew the poll being done by the News-Herald, there is a serious risk that they will show up and try to intimidate the commissioners on Monday night. They did it last year for the middle school bonds, and it is certainly a predictable action again.

If Bertie County Schools were not performing so badly I would be the first to fight for more money to help our children, especially if it was really going into the classroom. However nothing being planned right now indicates to me that we will see any change in our failing schools. They are once again throwing money at the wrong problems.

Same Old Song

by John Davis - June 23rd, 2006 - Editorial Opnion

Bertie Board of Education 06-07 Budget
– Same Old Song

At the last Bertie BOE meeting, I was surprised to hear the term “woefully inadequate” used to characterize the planned 10% increase in current expense funding. In 25 years of building business budgets I never had the luxury of being given a 10% spending increase over the prior year. So, please excuse me if I take exception to anyone who might throw rocks at the county commissioners for providing a 10% current expense increase. When you add the debt service increase the county will spend on education in 06-07, the 06-07 school budget increase is close to 50% more than the original 05-06 budget.

The current education leadership has not proven they can be strategic in their management of our funds, so I would assume they would be thrilled to receive a 10% increase. I am sure the county commissioners will reward future educational improvement with more support, but the educational leadership track record to date has not earned the 10% that has been benevolently bestowed for 06-07. Keep in mind current BOE leadership as recent as the 04-05 school years spent $1.3 million QZAB dollars to repair the facilities at Askewville ($512 thousand) and JP Law ($770 thousand) knowing they were going to close them. Debt service on these now idled and non teaching facilities will cost the county $70 thousand in debt service each year until the 15 year note is paid. This is the same leadership that failed to curtail expenses in the face of declining enrollment and reduced the educational system balance fund by more than one million dollars in a two year period. This is the same leadership that has a $125 thousand house on White Oak Road that still sits unauthorized & underutilized. How many science kits, SAT prep courses, and other programs could have been obtained with the better use of these funds?

Bertie County per student (federal, state, and local) spends in the top 25% of the school systems in North Carolina while performing in the bottom 10% academically. Utilization of resources and not a wholesale lack of resources appear to be the issue. Once we get proper paybacks out of existing resources we will have a better justification for asking for more resources than the outstanding 10% amount given for next year.

The only thing woefully inadequate in education in Bertie County is leadership. I can’t wait for December and the new Board. I hope to go to BOE meetings next year and hear discussions and updates on specific programs that are going to increase the test scores and learning for our children. In the mean time, I commend the Bertie County Commissioners for a 10% increase in current expense funding for education.

John H. Davis

Bob Spivey Gives Windsor Update

The Windsor Rotary Club speaker on Thursday was the Mayor of Windsor, Bob Spivey. Bob was, as usual, totally in command of his topic. Speaking with little reference to notes, Bob brought us up to date on all the things happening in the main town in our county.

Windsor's Mayor Bob Spivey

And there are a number of things happening; with the bypass, new development, new businesses, new services and expansion of the zoo, Windsor is definitely moving ahead. It was a great presentation about an exciting time in our history. That exciting time is now.

Summer Camp - Oak Down Stables

Charles and Leah Newsome have one of the most interesting businesses in Bertie County. They run the riding stable in the north end of the county called Oak Down Stables. Every summer they run camps for kids. The camps are called their "Summer Enrichment Program". A 3 day event . . . the camps are a blast for kids whether they have ever ridden before or not.

The purpose of the camps is to teach kids to mount, ride, saddle and care for a horse. And while they are at it, they learn to fish too! Parents are welcome to watch their kids during the training, and there were a number who stuck around and had a great time themselves this day.

I loved horses when I was a kid. I owned every single one of the Black Stallion books, and read everything I could find about horses. As anyone who has seen me knows, I got too big for horses though. At 6 foot 4 inches and 300 pounds, there aren't too many horses that can carry me. But I never stopped loving being around them and watching them. Horses are simply amazing animals. It is one reason I also love rodeos.

Getting In Was Cramped As The Driveway Was Full Of Vehicles

Charles and Leah are running 3 camps this year, and yesterday was day one of the first camp this year. When I arrived, I was surprised at the number of cars in the ranch driveway. There are always a couple of trucks and tractors when I drive by, but this day there were over a dozen SUVs and minivans of various types.

Leah And Charles In The Riding Ring Starting Classes

Upon arrival I went straight to the riding ring to see what was happening.

Jenna Rice Teaching Riding

Jessica Howerton Teaching Mounting And Saddling

Parents Were Mostly In Groups, Watching Their Kids And Talking

Carolyn Howerton Teaching Grooming And Horse Care

Some of the other staff teaching the kids are Micheala and Anna Northcott and Gregory Hurdle.

Richard Williams Teaching Fishing, Seems To Be Teaching Well As They Got One!

This is a great way for kids to experience the summer in our county the way it has been for hundreds of years. Kids and horses need each other. There are two more camps this year, June 27-29 and July 11-13. Send your kids (and go along yourself). While you are waiting, buy your kids one of the Black Stallion books and let them learn to read and fall in love with horses at the same time.


You can reach Oak Down Stables by going to their web site at http://www.oakdownstables.com or calling (252) 356-4130.

Bertie Superintendent Says Funding Is Inadequate

by Cal Bryant - June 16th, 2006 - Ronaoke-Chowan News-Herald

WINDSOR - “Woefully inadequate.”

That summed up the feelings Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart has for the proposal offered by Bertie County Manager Zee Lamb in regards to current expense funds for the county school system in the 2006-07 budget.

Addressing the Bertie Board of Education here Friday during a special called meeting, Dr. Collins-Hart, the school system’s superintendent, said the proposed county budget fell far short of the system’s $1.77 million request for additional funds over the current year.

This was predictable. "Woefully inadequate." That is the response of the Superintendent to the 49% increase in county funding that has been proposed for this coming years budget. In my recent article on the proposed budget I stated "Based on recent experience though, you can look for the Board of Education and the Superintendent to complain it is not enough." I was right. Though most other departments got 6% increase and the schools are getting 49%, that is as usual considered not enough by this department that has recently endured fraud, waste, and has still not proven they can ever focus on education of our children.

Our school officials only want to focus on building new schools. Our student population is declining. They are at the bottom in education attainment in North Carolina. School officials never consider the county payoff of bonds a cost of schools even when the bonds are to pay for schools . . . and by ignoring this cost it allows them to claim that building new schools is cheaper than maintaining old schools. If you ignore paying off the bonds, that is an arugable claim. However it is a lie. In all of the slides and numbers presented during the presentation on Friday the Superintendent ignored the fact that Bertie County Citizens will be paying $805 thousand FOR SCHOOL BONDS. However though they asked for the schools and the improvments for which the $805 thousand must be paid, they DO NOT COUNT THE COST AS A PART OF EDUCATION COSTS. The huge increase in bond expense is simply ignored.

Dr. Collins-Hart focuses only on the "current expense" number and complains that the increase in that one line item amount is not enough. Bertie County Public Schools spends significantly more than most counties in North Carolina, and many of them are in the top of educational attainment while we are at the bottom. However rather than figure out how those other counties succeed with less while we fail with more, we are told that the greater amount we already spend is "Woefully inadequate."

June Featured Artist - Jane C. Perry

Article by Jeanette White - Photos by Jeanette White and Dean Stephens

WINDSOR - Jane C. Perry paints a wide range of subjects, but her work really comes to life when she shows a rural scene with an old barn, peanut stacks or herring still wet from the river.

Admiring Jane's Work

Perry was honored as Featured Artist for June by Bertie County Arts Council with an open house exhibiting her work last night at the Gallery at 124 South King Street.



Jane Perry With Her Current Favorite Painting

Perry is a Bertie County native, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Livingston Copeland. She is married to Robert F. Perry and the couple has two daughters. They are Kim Jordan of Greenville, wife of Dr. Joseph C. Jordan and mother of four children; and Susan Reed of Fayetteville, wife of Robert T. Reed and mother of seven children.

Old Fish House


The artist attended Bertie High School and never got heavily involved in painting until after her children were born. Early work showed an innate talent for realism in whatever subject she chose to paint. She has studied with Francis and Sara Speight and within the past year with John Silver of Manteo and James P. Kerry of Florida. Now she is studying the style of Monet to add spark and color to her work.

BCAC Open Houses Always Draw A Crowd

Perry has taught art at Southwestern Middle School and conducts private lessons. Most of her work is in oils, but she is skilled in other mediums.

Perry Winns Fish Company - Weighing Out

She has been featured several years at Virginia Beach Boardwalk Shows and Harbor Fest in Virginia and in local shows. Many of her works have been purchased by prominent businesses and for private collections.

Baywatch

Herring Still Life

Perry’s work will remain on exhibit for several weeks. Hours of opening for the Gallery are 10 AM until 2 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Hours on Wednesday beginning May 24 will be 10 AM until 6 PM.



For more information about this or other BCAC projects, call 794-9402 or email bertiearts@earthlink.net.

Bertie County Budget Adopted

Last night at the Bertie County Commissioners Meeting, the final Budget Proposal was submitted for the coming year. It was clear that a great deal of effort went into protecting the interests of the Bertie County taxpayers. No rate increase is being adopted, and the impressive gains in collecting back taxes shows how diligently efforts are being pursued by county officials to be fair to all tax payers.

Bertie County Commissioners Dicsuss Budget

A most significant milestone in the growth of the county was attained when our property valuation estimate reached ONE BILLION DOLLARS this year. Even with this milestone, we are still a county that must be frugal with our dollars. One reason is that the state legislature still refuses to correct the unfair process to poor counties of requiring them to fund Medicaid. The way it is set up means that poor counties are damaged a second time by seizing a large portion of the revenue to fund this federal program. As noted in the Budget Proposal, "Currently Bertie County is ranked first in the State in per capita expenditures for Medicaid, and first in the State in its share of the budget required for Medicaid costs." Our county officials have no control over this and it constrains much else they would like to do for our citizens.

The budget amounts for Public Education are also growing dramatically in spite of the fact that our school system is shrinking. We had already committed to a huge increase in the debt service for the new middle school when those bonds were issued last year. That has raised debt service expenditures from the original budget amount for last year of $212,000 to the budget for this year of $805,000, a $600,000 increase. Stated another way it is 379% increase due to the new school!

The Board of Education simply ignored that already huge increase when they asked for the nearly doubling of the "current expense" amount with their recent submission. The county has agreed to a much larger increase for education than for other departments, but they have ignored the outrageous request and capped it at a 10% increase. Even so, the increase results in an overall education department increase of over ONE MILLION DOLLARS, or a 49% increase over last year. Based on recent experience though, you can look for the Board of Education and the Superintendent to complain it is not enough.

Commissioner Hoggard Presents Windsor Fire Chief Billy Smithwick With Check For Volunteer Organization

Other departments are being kept to a 6% increase.

Considering all things, the budget being adopted appears responsible and thoughtful. Our county officials and commissioners have done a tough job well.

Bertie County At The Republican Convention

This weekend New Bern North Carolina was the site of the Republican State Convention, and Bertie County was represented by our local Republican Party Chairman, John Stallings and his wife Inez.

Inez and Chairman John Stallings Represent Bertie County

The entire article about happenings at the convention, including coverage of Fred Smith's Keynote Speech is posted on the Inner Banks Eagle. Check out the blog or click on the title of this article to link directly to the convention coverage.