By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
SPENCER ó Members of the Spencer Board of Aldermen agreed Tuesday to hold a public hearing concerning the proposed 2009-2010 fiscal year budget when they meet again at 7 p.m. on June 9.
The decision to do so came during the board’s regularly-scheduled monthly meeting, held at Town Hall. Aldermen also held a budget workshop at the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting.
Town Manager Larry Smith said he doesn’t anticipate exceptional problems with the budget for the coming fiscal year, but admitted he can never be sure until aldermen have a chance to review it.
“We’re in decent shape, even considering the economy,” Smith said of town finances. “We’re very conservative.”
The current budget totals about $2.5 million and places the tax rate at 60 cents per $100 valuation.
In other matters at Tuesday’s meeting, aldermen:
– Approved an ordinance concerning flood-damage prevention after no one spoke on the matter during a public hearing.
Aldermen said the online version of the ordinance is an update to a 30-year version that has previously been limited to paper maps.
“It’s created to modernize the project,” said Dustin Wilson, the town’s land management director. “It’s easier to see where flood plains extend.”
He said the ordinance adopted by aldermen is identical to that already used by Rowan County.
– Approved an $8,000 contract with the CPA firm of Allred & Carrick to do an audit of the town’s financial records.
– Extended until 11 p.m. on the night of June 5 a noise ordinance pertaining to the neighborhoods surrounding North Rowan High School. A “Night of the Arts” will be held at the school that night with a concert by the Salisbury Swing Band.
– Heard a presentation by Robert Van Geons and Randy Gettys of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission concerning work being done by the commission.
– Heard from Tracy Aitken, who encouraged residents to purchase school books online at ReadUsborneBooks.com. She said librarians at local schools have placed wish lists for books at the site, and said 20 percent of all sales go to Rowan Helping Ministries. She said books at the site sell for $4 to $15. A number of people, Aitken said, have contributed money at the site by which librarians can purchase books for their schools.
– Heard from Police Chief Robert Bennett who said his department was about to enter into a mutual-aid agreement with the East Spencer Police Department. The towns are separated only by a railroad track but have not in recent years had a mutual-aid agreement.
Bennett said that through the agreement, officers from the departments will only assist officers in the neighboring municipalities. Spencer has similar agreements with most other law-enforcement agencies in Rowan County.
– Heard from Town Manager Smith who said 26 people have been given information pertaining to turning the town’s former fire station on Fourth Street into a business.
Contact Steve Huffman at 704-797-4222.