Commission approves funding plan
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 6, 2015 1:46 PM
Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning approved funding tabled just two week ago for projects in Mount Olive, Pikeville and the county.
They also agreed to hold in reserve $50,000 of $966,000 intended for the county's agricultural and convention center.
"These are the last four (requests) and they would fully allocate out the Eastern Region loan money that we received," County Manager George Wood. "We received a little over $3 million. Most of it has been allocated out.
"But this allocation will be $45,000 to the town of Pikeville for a utility project, $966,000 for the agricultural and convention center construction, $40,000 for the town of Mount Olive for a railroad crossing project and $34,000 for the town of Mount Olive for its airport road relocation project."
The list is identical to the one that was on the agenda two weeks ago, he said.
Wood said he recommended approval.
Joe Daughtery made a motion to approve the funding.
"Just for my understanding, we are using up all of the Eastern Region money," Commissioner Ray Mayo said. "For example, if another municipality or entity needed some money, could we still use some of the agricultural/convention center money because it is going to be a couple of years before that is used. Is that correct?"
Mayo said he wanted to know if Pikeville, Seven Springs or Eureka needed money, if could the county accommodate them.
"You could as long as the money hasn't been spent," Wood said. "The board could always change its mind. I will say we have had this money for almost 18 months, and we have made repeated offers to them to use the money.
"These are the final ones (requests) that we have had. We had some for Eureka, but they turned it down. We were going to use some for Fremont sewer, but they came up with a state revolving loan fund which was a better deal for them than this."
Someone else may ask for the funding, but Wood said he thought that doubtful.
"At some point we need to lock down this agricultural money because we need to get it nailed down how we are going to pay for it," Wood said.
Mayo said the Fremont loan still had to be applied for.
"They haven't gotten it," he said.
One of the reasons the county had gotten the money was to help different areas of the county, he said.
"I am concerned about not having any reserve at all," he said.
Wood said it was his understanding the loan had not been approved, but that Fremont town officials "felt good" about it.
"They will know shortly on that," he said.
The county already is paying on the loan so it needs to use the money, Wood said.
County finance officer Pam Holt reminded the board that once the money is placed in the capital project fund for the agricultural center that it cannot be used for any other purpose.
Wood suggested that $50,000 -- the amount Fremont had originally asked for -- be placed in reserve and put the remaining $916,000 in the capital project fund.
Daughtery agreed and changed his motion to reflect Wood's suggestion.
It was unanimously approved.