03/27/2024
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The Bladenboro Town Board voted to approve the FY 2017-18 Budget during their meeting on Monday. The total budget for the town is $1,702,180, said Town Administrator John O’Daniel.

The board opened the meeting with a public hearing on the town’s FY 2017-18 budget and no one signed up to speak. Later in the meeting, the board voted to approve the budget. There is no increase in the ad valorem tax rate which is 0.64 cents per $100 valuation. The newly adopted budget also includes a 2 percent cost of living adjustment for town employees.

O’Daniel said the FY 2017-18 budget has decreased slightly from last year’s budget by 1.9 percent due to several items that were debt service which have been removed. The Consumer Price Index, which town staff use for many of their estimates, has a current inflation rate of 2.4 percent.

Based on the Consumer Price index, the budget also carries some proposed rate changes. O’Daniel said the fees for garbage collection will increased by 3.6 percent and it is based on the town’s contract with Waste Management. O’Daniel told the board at the May meeting instead of a fuel surcharge like the town had in the last contract, the current contract has a CPI adjustment.

The town’s water and sewer rates will increase by 4.1 percent, said O’Daniel.

In other business:
*Bladenboro Town Commissioner Sarah Jane Benson asked the board to consider a change to the town’s policy on utility adjustments. “I’d like to see us adjust the way we do this (utility bill adjustments) now,” said Benson. She said she had looked over the reviews of the policies of other towns and said she would personally like to see the town give everyone a courtesy adjustment once per year on their water and their sewer. The board voted 4 to 3 in favor of studying the water and sewer adjustment policy.

*The board voted to approve an upgrade to the Wateree Park area lighting. There are two lights – one is located in the vicinity of the playground and the other light is located near the concession stand, according to O’Daniel. These lights will increase safety and visibility at the park. Mayor Rufus Duckworth asked how much brighter the lights would be and O’Daniel said the new lights will be similar to those utilized by car dealerships.

* The board voted to approve the addition of a street light on 5th Street. O’Daniel told the board that the gaps between the existing lights are far apart due to vacant lots on the street and Town Board member Patsi Callihan commented the street is dark.

*The board approved a letter of support for the Bladenboro Famer’s Market for a grant application to the Tobacco Trust Fund. The grant application is seeking funds to construct an addition to the farmers market. The board approved the letter.

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