Fremont board remembers Andy Evans, passes budget
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on June 21, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Mayor Darron Flowers, right, opens the floor for comments and reflections about the late Andy Evans, former mayor and active community member, during Tuesday night's Fremont Board of Aldermen meeting at town hall. Seated next to Flowers are Barbara Aycock, town administrator, center, and Shannon Daly, town clerk, left.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The Rev. Ira Reynolds shares a recent memory of Andy Evans during Tuesday's Fremont Board of Aldermen meeting. Reynolds, First Missionary Baptist Church pastor, said he and Evans had many things in common, including their age. Evans would have celebrated his birthday Monday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Fremont Public Works Director Tim Howell talks about the late Andy Evans, former mayor of Fremont and mentor to Howell.
Before passing the town's 2018-19 budget Tuesday evening, the Fremont Board of Aldermen took time to remember former Mayor Andy Evans with board members, town staff and residents alike offering their thoughts on what Evans meant to them and the town.
Evans, who was found shot to death in his home Saturday, served as mayor from 1998 to 2003. Tim Howell, Fremont public works director, said that Evans had been a friend of his for over 35 years.
"He was my mentor. Instrumental in me having a job with the town of Fremont," he said. "Most people don't know this, but after he decided not to run for re-election, he's done a lot for this town. He was a good man, and this town is very sad of his passing."
Mayor Darron Flowers said that Evans was a member of Masonic Lodge 613 in Fremont with him, and he counted Evans as a friend.
"I had the privilege of meeting with him a week ago at the regular meeting," Flowers said. "He was part of the discussion and left, I thought, in really good spirits. I don't think people realize the charitable support he gave to almost everything he participated in."
Flowers called on the room to have a moment of silent reflection in Evans' memory, followed by a prayer from the Rev. Ira Reynolds.
Once the moment had passed, the board got to business, the main focus of which was the town's fiscal year 2018-19 budget. The budget is broken up into four funds -- the general fund, fire department, water and sewer fund and the electric fund. Overall, the budget is $3,850,388, which Town Administrator Barbara Aycock said is almost identical to the current budget.
The only major change to the budget came in the form of a 10 percent increase in water rates, which the board voted on prior to adopting the budget. The increase was necessary, Aycock said, because of an identical rate increase from the Wayne Water District. After similar increases in the past, the town could not afford to foot the bill this time around.
"We had to pass this one along to the customers," Aycock said. "Last year, we had another increase that we didn't pass on. We just absorbed it."
Alderwoman Joyce Artis said that the board should find something in the budget to cut, rather than increase rates for town residents, many of whom already have well-documented issues paying utility bills.
When the board voted, Aldermen W.T. Smith and Leon Mooring voted in favor of the increase, while Artis voted against. Alderwomen Joyce Reid and Annie Lewis did not vote -- effectively voting in favor -- and Alderman Al Lewis was not in attendance.
When it came time for the overall budget vote, Smith, Mooring, Reid and Lewis voted in favor, while Artis did not cast a vote. The budget will go into effect July 1.