City approves budget, new sign rules

The Havelock Board of Commissioners adopted the city's 2009-2010 budget as well as new sign regulations that restrict display of even some of its own messages during its meeting Monday night.

The $14 million budget is10 percent below the current year and keeps the property tax rate at 53 cents per $100 in valuation. It does include a 5.5 percent increase in water rates that will cost the average home owner about $3.55 extra per month.

It provides enough money to keep all employees working but not enough to pay them the traditional cost of living pay hike or perks including career path or education subsidies.

It does, however, include money for merit hikes and adds a minimum of three fire department positions beginning in January - six if a stimulus-related grant for four years is approved.

The new budget, in which the $1.99 million police department and $1 million fire department budgets get the largest shares, also includes money for three new police cars, a fire truck and an ambulance. The vehicles are being purchased with a low interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"All-in-all, it is a pretty good budget," Mayor Jimmy Sanders said. "We did not want to furlough our employees and did not want to eliminate jobs and we did not want to increases taxes. We are spending some fund balance."

The new budget and the last amendment to reconcile spending in the current fiscal year taps close to $500,000 in reserve funding.

"Services basically remain the same with the addition of solid waste sanitation improvements coming July 1," Jim Freeman, city manager, said in reference to the city's mandatory garbage collection program.

There is no across-the-board salary hike but the city is paying for a 20 percent increase in health benefit costs and a workman's compensation increase for employees, rather than passing it on.

Havelock commissioners agreed to include $49,510 for the Havelock-Craven County Public Library, including $6,000 earmarked for a new server.

Commissioner George Liner said the base allocation of $43,510, although lower than last year, "is keeping the same percentage that the county reduced them" and represents the city's share 65-35 split between Craven County and Havelock.

"I'm comfortable with that even though the $6,000 is a little higher," Commissioner Will Lewis said. "The number is a true reflection" of the city's share.

Commissioners Bob Priesing, Jim Stuart, and Danny Walsh all said they were comfortable with the budget

"I'm proud of how we worked as a board," said Walsh. "We didn't raise the rate. We took care of the library. Some people are going to have to bite the bullet, but it's done."

Commissioners also approved changes to new regulations on electronic and digital signs on Monday Night.

Richard Ortiz, the owner of an electronic sign, was the lone speaker during a public hearing on the new rules. Commissioners then hashed out some changes to the proposed revisions before adopting the new regulations that seemed not to please everyone but brought only one dissenting vote from Stuart.

Commissioners plan to look again at the regulations, but approved the new rules Monday night with a moratorium against new digital signs set to expire July 1.

The new rules prohibit signs that flash or have intermittent or moving lights. Spinning, zooming, bursting or scrolling messages won't be permitted. Animation and video on the signs is also not allowed.

It requires the signs to be a static display with no moving messages but simple transitions between messages.

According to the city, 12 such signs already exist in Havelock, including a city sign in front of the Havelock Recreation Complex and another in front of the Havelock Tourist and Event Center.