Scramble on to find cemetery funds
By Steve Herring
Published in News on June 25, 2017 8:33 PM
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News-Argus/JOHN JOYCE
Larry D. Hall, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Friday told the News-Argus that the state budget does not include the $200,000 needed to cover the next two years of operations for the maintenance at the cemetery. That means the cemetery would have to be closed at the end of the month, and there would be no more burials there and people could not visit the graves of loved ones already buried there.
Local leaders Sunday were hesitant to be critical of the Republican-controlled General Assembly for passing a budget that eliminated funding and positions for the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery.
Rather, they expressed confidence that House Majority Leader John Bell of Goldsboro and legislators will be able to find a way to restore the funding this week in order to keep the cemetery open.
Larry D. Hall, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Friday told the News-Argus that the state budget does not include the $200,000 needed to cover the next two years of operations for the maintenance at the cemetery.
That means the cemetery would have to be closed at the end of the month, Hall said. Also, there would be no more burials there and people could not visit the graves of loved ones already buried there.
Also, the state will have to repay the $5 million federal grant used to construct the cemetery, Hall said.
The cemetery was a pet project of Wayne County Commission Chairman Bill Pate and former commissioner Andy Anderson, both Republicans.
Anderson even helped to secure additional land for the project.
Sunday, both said they had been unaware there were any issues and had been surprised when they found out the funding and positions were eliminated.
Anderson said he has been out of town and had "no knowledge whatsoever" there was a funding issue.
"It doesn't make sense at all," he said.
Anderson said he had just walked into his home when contacted for comment and had not had time to "dig into it."
"I understand they are looking at it, working on it and hopefully they will get it resolved," he said. "At this point in time, that is all that we can say because we don't know the facts."
Pate said he not known about the issue until he read the story in Sunday's News-Argus and had spoken with Bell, who assured him it will be resolved this week.
"I was surprised, but I am not in the middle of the budget so it is hard for me really to give much of an opinion on how they operate," Pate said. "But I had no idea. I was caught by surprise. I had no idea there was an issue at all.
"But having said that, I knew if there was an issue with the veterans cemetery, it would be taken care of. I feel confident it will be taken care of. But that is one man's opinion of course. I am not in a position to discuss how they operate up there. I have confidence in John it is going to be taken care."
State Sen. Louis Pate of Mount Olive, another supporter of the cemetery project, said he was "surprised" when he saw the story in Sunday's newspaper.
"I had not heard anything about it," he said. "It just floored me."
Pate said he had received about 25 emails Sunday from people asking about the issue.
He said he had made a few phone calls, but that it had been difficult to get up with anyone because it was Sunday.
"Not a lot can be done about it right now," Pate said. "But we are going to get to work tomorrow and try to get it straightened out. I really won't say who I think is behind all of this. We will try to get it straightened out tomorrow or this week.
"It is too valuable of an asset. It has just been there two years. It had a lot of support in the state government when we went forward with the idea. Andy Anderson was the big driver behind it. He was very passionate about it, and so some of us took up the idea and went before the legislative body and talked about it and got it approved."
As such, Pate said he is not ready to give up on it "just because some people cannot account for their money properly."
There is money to cover the cemetery cost, according to what colleagues have told him, he said.
Pate said he does not know why the funding was eliminated and would know more today.
Another concern would be having to repay the $5 million, he said.
The funding was in Gov. Roy Cooper's budget and was repeatedly requested by the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Hall said.
As such lawmakers cannot say they were unaware of the funding need, the $5 million liability and forcing closure of the cemetery, he said.
Hall said he did want there to be any impression created that the department was derelict in its duty to ask for the funds or advocate for them.
Bell told the News-Argus Friday the funding was included in a request he had made, but that it was one that didn't make the cut.
"What I am working on, I am trying to identify some extra funds in the budget that I can get moved in a technical correction piece and get the veterans cemetery some additional funding so we won't have any problems there," he said.