KENANSVILLE — The Duplin County budget moved one step closer to adoption Monday night. In the announced public hearing for the 2010-11 county budget, the commissioners listened to only a few citizens who expressed their concerns regarding budget issues.

Warsaw Mayor Win Batten commented on the diminutive group gathered for the hearing. “We have just discussed a $47 million budget with only about 47 people attending. That would equal about $1 million per person here.”

Three citizens addressed the board during the public comment portion of the meeting prior to the public hearing, requesting the commissioners fund their specific program.

April Pickett from The Carousel Center in Wilmington, that provides services to sexually and physically abused children in Duplin County as well as other counties in the area, said the county has not been funding the program but the free service is provided for Duplin’s children. The Carousel Center is the only agency in southeastern North Carolina that provides such services. The spokeswomen shared that it costs the center $1,700 per child to treat them for the abuses suffered. Last year the center served 27 children from Duplin, totaling about $47,000. She stated that thus far in the current year 19 children from the county had already been served. The Carousel Center had requested $10,000 from the commissioners, but currently no funds have been appropriated.

A representative from Vocational Rehabilitation Services requested that the commissioners approve the full $25,355 requested rather than the $7,027 that is included in the proposed budget. The request was made in order to meet the matching requirements for funding from the other sources in which they receive their money. Without the full amount requested, vocational rehab services may be eliminated.

Joan Williams, the executive director for Duplin County Partnership for Children, came speaking as a citizens and asking the commissioners not to discontinue funding for the public library, public transportation, services for the aging and economic development. She listed both personal and other public opinions regarding the funding of these programs. “One of my children’s classmates does not have a computer at home and utilizes the technology services offered in the library to complete her school work. My son has used the library extensively attempting to complete his senior project.” Williams expressed that if transportation is eliminated, many county residents will lose the only transportation they have.

Persons addressing the board during the public hearing did not list specifics as much as they expressed concern about a continued growth in expenditures without cutting. A cry came from several citizens of the River Landing community, who stated that any increases in salary for the county employees should be merit-based and not across the board. Productivity of the county employees was a focus by these citizens. One person rose to commend the commissioners for attempting to be as transparent in their conducting of the county’s business in direct opposition to the county school board’s lack of transparency. He also thanked the commissioners for not raising the property taxes for the fourth year in a row.

The proposed budget totaling $47,763,315 is up $680,197 from the 2009-2010 budget.

Included in the proposal is a 2 percent raise for all county employees and longevity pay for those who have been employed for 10 years and over. Although the commissioners had wanted to present a balanced budget without using fund balance to accomplish the balance, $3,321,814 would come from the general fund balance. This is a reduction from the 7.40 percent used to balance the current year’s budget.

The commissioners will adopt the budget at their next scheduled meeting on June 27.

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