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  Johnston Town Council to raise millage rate: may discontinue commercial garbage service web posted May 6, 2008 JOHNSTON - If the Town of Johnston keeps and passes its proposed FY 08-09 budget as it currently stands, Council members will be able to boast a true balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year. But it will only have come after tremendous sacrifice. And that may be just the beginning of more hardship to come, as doing business in the past (no millage increases and the provision of outdated services) may have finally caught up with the town. Meeting for a final budget workshop on Monday, Council discussed a budget which raises the millage rate two mills to 77.7 (the highest increase allowed by the Legislature) and slashes expenditures pretty much everywhere else. Positions are being eliminated and salaries are being forfeited. But that's not why town business owners showed up on Monday. A letter mailed out by the town on Friday had some merchants puzzled and nervous, while others were just plain mad. And unless a compromise can be reached in the next few weeks, it appears that the town will be getting out of the commercial garbage business for good, leaving business owners in the dumps. In part, the letter states that "it is very likely that the town will discontinue commercial garbage pickup June 30, 2008. A poll of surrounding municipalities indicates most have already eliminated or modified this service in some form." The letter goes on to provide reasoning for the move in skyrocketing fuel costs and the large costs of replacing the town's antiquated garbage truck. For some business owners, the explanation was not enough. "I feel that the merchants are being singled out," said Andy Driver. "I don't think you are going to save nearly as much money as it's going to cost us." The cost to replace the town's garbage truck was estimated to be $210,000, an astronomical figure considering the town's fiscal limitations. Mayor Willie Campbell said the truck has been repaired on numerous occasions and that sooner or later (with an emphasis on sooner being more likely) it will be unrepairable. Also, the town has already spent $12,011 on fuel for the truck this year, a number that was $8,700 a year ago. Sam Leaman, with the Upper Savannah Council of Governments, who has stepped in as interim town administrator following the retirement of Olin Gambrell, said Council is out of options. "Any leeway you had to play with is not there anymore," he told Council members. One person asked why this decision had come so suddenly. Councilwoman Tyra Miller responded by saying they had not entertained thoughts of discontinuing commercial pickup until recent weeks when left with no other alternatives to balance the budget. "We're out of options," she said. "We have been fiscally irresponsible and the time has come where we have to stop. We have to hunker down and dig out." "We've worked very hard to cut every corner," Mayor Campbell added. Councilman Tommy Burton said that he and the other members of Council understood why the business owners would be upset saying, "doing what we've done over the past 10 years is how we arrived where we're at. We're not trying to put the squeeze on you. This Council has bit down and said it has to stop. If it doesn't stop it will escalate and we'll be broke. We certainly don't want to cause an extra burden but we only have so many options." Burton also informed those in attendance that all members of council would not be accepting any pay for the year or reimbursement for travel expenses. Kevin Powell of Powell's Trash Service (Powell's services McCormick and Ridge Spring) was in attendance and said his company would be available to address any needs the town or its business owners may have. Mr. Powell also offered Council and business owners answers to basic questions. A suggestion - which was favorably received - was made that business owners form a committee to meet and work with Council over the next few weeks to see if there is any middle ground to be found. A Public hearing on the new budget will take place at Council's regular monthly meeting next Monday, May 12, starting at 6:30 p.m. The Citizen News contributed to this report. ©
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