Commission adds signs, cuts library
By Steve Herring
Published in News on June 3, 2015 1:46 PM
Wayne County Commissioner Joe Daughtery has a reputation for budget slashing. Tuesday afternoon while wielding his budget ax, he asked for something to be added -- $32,000 in signs welcoming travelers to Wayne County.
Minutes after commissioners unanimously approved his motion to add the signs, Daughtery turned his attention back to cuts including $18,000 from the Wayne County Public Library.
"Under transportation expenses, I am actually asking for us to increase the budget," he said. "Please write that down -- increase the budget to accommodate the acquisition of four welcome signs coming into Wayne County. If you come into Wayne County, all you see is a little sign that says Wayne County at the county line.
"We need a sign welcoming folks, talking about Seymour Johnson or something there that we take pride in our community. It really does put a different attitude toward marketing Wayne County."
The cost would be about $8,000 per sign.
He suggested the signs placed on Interstate 795 South, at the Wayne-Lenoir county line coming into the new U.S. 70 Bypass, U.S. 70 East and one south of Mount Olive on U.S. 117.
Daughtery said he recently attended a program at the Wayne County Library during which the library's audio/visual equipment was used.
But library officials have asked for $18,000 to update the equipment.
"I would ask that you eliminate that portion of the budget," he said. "It is working by the way. It is not broke. I think they just wanted to go ahead and replace it."
County Manager George Wood said library officials did want to replace the equipment with something comparable to what is at Steele Memorial Library in Mount Olive.
"I don't have a problem replacing it if it needs replacing," Chairman Wayne Aycock said. "But if it doesn't need replacing it doesn't matter what they have in Mount Olive. If it quits in the middle of the year we can do a budget amendment."
Wood agreed.
"In other words, if it ain't broke, let's not fix it this year," Daughtery said.
Commissioner Ed Cromartie asked if the library had submitted a written explanation of why the new equipment was requested.
Wood said he thought it was because the equipment has "some age on it."
Reading from the budget book, Cromartie said the equipment was installed in 2003 and at that time met the library's needs. Technology has advanced since then and the old equipment no longer meets the public's needs.
"She (Library Director Donna Phillips) is saying that while it works, they struggle to use it," Cromartie said.
Cromartie said he wasn't saying the equipment was not useable, but that it might not be compatible with current technology.
Cromartie voted against Daughtery's motion to cut the request. The motion was approved 6-1.