Johnston County
Board
of Commissioners report from August 5 sessions |
 |
Commissioners present: Chairman
Ted Godwin, Tony Braswell, Jeff Carver,
Patrick Harris, Butch Lawter, Chad Stewart,
Larry Wood
Absent: None
NOTE: The board normally conducts
two sessions on the first Monday of the month
--- one at 10 a.m. to conduct general business;
a second at 6 p.m. primarily to hear rezoning
requests.
County Commissioners
receive report
on tax collections,
revaluation appeals
| REAL
& PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES COLLECTED YEARLY IN JOHNSTON COUNTY 2018-19........$117,688,895 2017-18........$113,595,657 2016-17........$109,007,082 2015-16........$105,453,200 2014-15........$101,400,615 2013-14..........$98,472,944 Those numbers do not include property taxes on registered motor vehicles. Amounts for that have risen from $11.75 million to $15.39 million since 2014-15. |
What's more, for FY 2018-19 (completed June 30) Johnston's collections surpassed the previous year by more than $4 million --- with a collection rate of 99.88%, she added, giving credit to "a qualified and dedicated staff" in the county's Tax Office. The collection rate for 2017-18 was 99.90%.
She also gave the board an update on property revaluation recently completed. "The staff, in conjunction with Pearson Appraisal, reviewed 100,612 parcels to determine market value of each," she reported. Those reviews were prompted by both formal and informal appeals of revaluation notices sent to all of Johnston's property owners at the beginning of this year.
Property-tax bills were mailed to taxpayers last week. Commissioner Tony Braswell remarked that he had received a complaint from a taxpayer who wasn't pleased. Ms. Andrews said her office also started getting phone calls last Friday after many of the bills had been delivered.
She reminded the board that the bills aren't due till September. Commissioner Chad Stewart said a more important due date is next January 6. After that, late-payment charges are added.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF COUNTY'S SEWER SERVICE?
Director of Public Utilities Chandra Farmer gave the board an update on the county's wastewater service. From about 1,000 retail customers in rural areas of Johnston in 2003, the county now serves about 6,200 customers. That's in addition to sewer customers served by the county's system through the towns of Smithfield, Selma, Clayton, Four Oaks, and Pine Level as well as privately owned utility companies. Current capacity of the county's sewage-treatment facilities is 9.5 million gallons per day (MDG). Average daily flow at present is 5.84 MGD, Ms. Farmer noted, with an additional 2.42 MGD committed to contracts with the towns as well as large-project developers. That leaves just 1.24 MGD presently available, her figures show. Commissioners expressed concern about the county's continuing to take on sewer customers outside the service districts of Johnston's municipalities. To address that, Commissioners' Chairman Ted Godwin asked staff to arrange a board "work session" on the issue in the near future. Real-estate developers and Johnston's mayors as well as the public at large will be encouraged to take part in that discussion, the board was told.
DETENTION CENTER'S CONSTRUCTION DEBT INCREASED
To comply with U.S. Department of Treasury regulations, commissioners adopted a resolution raising from $39 million to $49 million "the maximum principal amount of debt" that may be incurred to construct the proposed detention center to be built off Highway 70 Business east of Smithfield. Actual construction cost is yet to be determined. A 112,000-square-foot facility is being planned that will include 469 cells with support facilities sized to accommodate 600 inmates in the future. Once construction is finished, projected by the end of 2021, the new "prison" will relieve overcrowded conditions in the present Courthouse jail and free up space there for expanded courtrooms and administrative offices. On a related matter, commissioners authorized Moseley Architects to proceed with the "Design Development Phase" for the detention center, which is actually the first phase of an envisioned Public Safety Center that eventually could house the Sheriff's Department, Emergency Management, and 9-1-1 Communications.
APPOINTMENTS MADE TO SEVERAL ADVISORY BOARDS
Commissioners appointed Banks Wallace to the county's Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee.
They appointed Dr. Matt Thompson and Jennifer Boykin to fill two of five vacancies on the Child Fatality Prevention Team.
And they approved reappointments to the following:
Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority ---
Butch Scott, Zachary Thornton, Skip Green.
County Board of Adjustment ---
Craig Jones, Flint M. Benson, Ernest R. Allsbrook Jr.
Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action Board --- Dawn Winn-Burdo.
Livestock Arena Management Board ---
Brandy Crocker, Eric W. Honeycutt, Paul H. (Sonny) Howard Jr.
Commissioners nominated Brad Oakes for appointment to the Hospital Authority Board of Commissioners, subject to that board's concurrence.
SUBDIVISION STREETS ADDED TO STATE'S SYSTEM
Commissioners approved the addition of Brazil Nut Lane and Kola Nut Lane in Smithfield Township's Maplewood Run subdivision to the state-maintained secondary-road system. Also added were Pathway Drive in Whitfield at Flowers Plantation in Wilders Township and six streets in the Bryerstone subdivision in Pleasant Grove Township.
JUDGE ANDY CORBETT'S PORTRAIT TO BE HUNG
Commissioners adopted a resolution authorizing a portrait of retired Chief District Court Judge Albert A. (Andy) Corbett Jr. to be hung in the historic Superior Courtroom inside the Johnston County Courthouse. Judge Corbett held office for 24 years, including 13 years as chief judge until his retirement in 2014. Before his service as a judge, Mr. Corbett served as attorney for the Johnston County Board of Education for 20 years. Numerous portraits of former judges line the walls of the large courtroom inside the original portion of the Courthouse built in 1921.
REZONING FOR LARGER "SOLAR PARK" IN BOON HILL
Following a public hearing that drew no opposition, commissioners rezoned 13 acres of a 54-acre tract at 2072 Old Rock Quarry Road in Boon Hill Township from Agricultural Residential to Industrial 2 Special Use District to allow for expansion of a "solar park" --- panels erected in a field to capture energy from the sun to produce electricity. A business operating as ESA Princeton 2, LLC is handling the project. The property is owned by James and Sherry Worley.
COMMISSIONERS
MEET "MERLE
THE SQUIRREL"Johnston County Emergency Services introduced the department's new mascot, "Merle the JoCo Preparedness Squirrel," to the County Commissioners at Monday morning's session. He's a lively part of a campaign to teach school youngsters how to keep themselves safe from harm. In the picture with Merle are commissioners (left to right) Tony Braswell, Chad Stewart, Ted Godwin, Jeff Carver, Butch Lawter, Larry Wood, and Patrick Harris. (Photo from an Emergency Services Facebook posting.)