NEWTON GROVE —The uncertain future of countywide recreation has Newton Grove town board members concerned and unsure what their next move should be.

Tuesday night, mayor Gerald Darden shared with board members what he called the unsettling issue of countywide recreation. The mayor said he had talked with several county commissioners and each one had told him that there would be changes coming to recreation. But no one, he said, would define what that changes might be.

“I have had the opportunity to speak with commissioners Faison, Lockamy and Strickland, and they could not give me details as to what was going to happen, but (they) guaranteed me that changes were coming.”

Darden reminded the board that years ago, when the town attempted to operate the recreation program themselves, it was not very successful, which is why the board agreed to sign on with the county when they offered to operate the recreation department.

He further emphasized that budget cuts were coming to the parks and recreation department and it would have an impact in Newton Grove.

“I feel we are very happy with what the county program has offered in the past but I do know changes are coming. I do not know what those changes will be, but I feel they are going to give us X amount of dollars and tell us to run our own program. And if that happens, we are in trouble.”

Commissioners Alan Herring and Gary Mac Herring both expressed their satisfaction with the county’s recreation program. They did question how teams would be able to compete if the town operates the program. They also wondered what activities would be available.

Darden again stated that he did not have the answers to those questions and would not until receiving more information from the county.

Commissioners are expected to revisit the recreation issue in February.

Further business

Police chief Frankie Harrell informed the board that things in the department are going well and the officer who is out due to surgery is expected to return no later than April.

Sheila Barefoot, town clerk ,explained that the street work around the circle had been delayed due to an emergency situation elsewhere in the county. She also stated that a minor sewage line problem had been repaired as well as a water line that had been damaged due to the cold weather.

Commissioner Gary Mac Herring shared that the phone tree used by the town had been updated as the result of Barefoot’s efforts of putting a note on the water bills in December asking for the residents to update their information. “We have been able to update several citizen’s information as a result of Sheila’s and Jennifer’s idea to include the note on the water bills. We were pleased to note that the majority of information we had was correct.” The commissioner also informed the board that the town’s Facebook account has been up and running for a week and has had 350 “fans” to sign up. He did state that not all the fans where actual residents but many had ties to the town, and it was rewarding to be able to keep in touch with the citizens and bring them up-to-date on the happenings of the town.

Alan Herring told the board that the town had a surplus police cruiser for sale and asked what the procedure would be for dispersement of the vehicle. The mayor, with advice of the board attorney, stated that the town would take sealed bids for the car. The town clerk stated that once the cruiser had been cleaned and the police stripping removed the town would advertise for bids.

Barefoot also informed the board that a community service worker was working to pick up litter around town and would be for the next several days.

The commissioners also heard a mid-year budget report which appeared to be within the expected expenditures for the period.

To contact Billy Todd, call 910-592-8137 ext. 117 or e-mail sigeneral@myclintonnc.com.