Princeton board ponders water service requests
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on July 19, 2006 1:46 PM
PRINCETON -- The Princeton Town Board of Commissioners met with its attorney to discuss out-of-town water customers on U.S. 70-A but took no action.
After the meeting was opened, the board immediately went into closed session with lawyer Robert Spence Jr. of Smithfield and Mayor Linwood Parker of Four Oaks and discussed the matter for about an hour and a half.
Town Clerk Marla Ashworth said that when the board returned to open session, the meeting was adjourned without any action taken.
Parker was invited to the meeting, because Four Oaks may have a similar situation. Several other small-town mayors in Johnston County were invited, the clerk said, but did not attend.
Johnston County had offered to provide water to customers along U.S. 70-A, but Princeton rejected the request during its July 3 meeting.
Mrs. Ashworth said the board may discuss the matter again in a special meeting July 24 or wait until the next monthly meeting on Aug. 7.
Several water customers living near Princeton complained last year about paying more for water than in-town customers.
The matter was referred to Town Commissioner Larry Withrow for further study. But when he was defeated in the November election, the issue went unresolved.
Three water districts serve the Princeton area -- the town's, Brogden to the south and Princeton-Kenly to the north. Some of the town's lines extend into Johnston County.
Town Commissioner Eddie Haddock suggested in Jaunary that the matter be returned to Johnston County so that district lines could be redrawn.