Government – Moore County Edition

May

26

2022

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By Moore County Staff

Most highway construction on hold for Memorial Day weekend

Entertainment, Government, News2022, Memorial Day

RALEIGH – The Memorial Day holiday weekend is the unofficial start to summer, and many people will kick it off with a road trip. AAA predicts nearly 1.2 million North Carolinians will travel at least 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, which is a 7.2% increase over 2021. The N.C. Department of Transportation will be shutting down major construction that could affect travelers because of lane closures along interstates, U.S. and key N.C. routes from this Friday morning until next Tuesday night. There are some exceptions where construction conditions do not allow for the opening of…

May

24

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Aberdeen approves budget for upcoming fiscal year

Government, Newsbudget, council, fiscal year, town of aberdeen

ABERDEEN — The Town of Aberdeen Council met Monday, May 23 where the proposed budget for fiscal year 2022-23 was presented and approved. The proposed budget has a total operating budget of $17,048,910 and will see an increased tax rate of $1 for residential and commercial garbage collection rates and a 3% higher volume rate for water and sewer. However, due to Aberdeen’s steady growth – property valuations in Aberdeen rose approximately 7% – the property tax rate and base rate for water and sewer will remain the same. “We have a great town,” said Mayor Robert Farrell. “It’s growing…

May

24

2022

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By Associated Press

Several incumbents lose state legislative primaries

Government, NewsGeneral Assembly, incumbents, legislative, NCGA, primaries

RALEIGH — Several state legislators won’t be returning to the North Carolina General Assembly next January after primary losses, while former lawmakers had mixed results in trying to get back to the House or Senate. Six incumbents — four Republicans and two Democrats — lost in Tuesday’s primaries for seats in their current chamber. Four of those sitting Republicans ran against fellow GOP incumbents who lived in the same district due to redistricting changes. Two Senate Democrats — Sens. Kirk deViere and Ernestine Bazemore — and Republican Rep. Pat Hurley — also lost primaries for their seats. In addition, two current…

May

18

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Proposed budget sees reduction in Pinehurst property tax rate

Government, Newsbudget, Pinehurst, property tax, Village of Pinehurst Council

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, May 10, to further discuss the proposed fiscal year 2023 budget and vote on multiple action items. Village Manager Jeff Sanborn gave an updated presentation to the council on the fiscal year 2023 budget and strategic operating plan. The Village is looking to have a $27.1 million budget, which is 6% above the 2022 amended general fund budget. The proposed budget will also see a reduction in the property tax rate to $0.31, down half a cent from the previously projected rate. The budget also includes five initiative action plans that…

May

18

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Southern Pines preliminary budget sees tax rate remaining steady

Government, Newsbudget, government, tax rate, The Town of Southern Pines Council

SOUTHERN PINES — The Town of Southern Pines Council met Tuesday, May 10, where they went over their preliminary budget for fiscal year 2023 and continued public hearings from their last meeting. The Town of Southern Pines saw a tax base growth of 5% which means that the town received enough income to keep their property tax rate at $0.40 for another year, which it has remained at since 2017-18. “Bottom line, all current service levels are maintained, property tax rate is held at $0.40, obviously we continue to move money towards capital assets and facilities, the rainy day fund…

May

18

2022

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By Ryan Henkel

Moss tops Boles, Jackson cruises as Moore County sets November election ballots

Government, News, PoliticsBen Moss, Jamie Boles, ncpol, Richard Hudson

Moore County results in line with state-wide elections RALEIGH — The 2022 North Carolina GOP primaries concluded last night and Moore County will have a handful of new GOP challengers for local offices. In the races for the two NC House of Representatives seats, incumbent Jamie Boles fell to fellow House member Ben Moss is District 52. Moore County resident and political newcomer Neal Jackson emerged as the GOP nominee to replace retiring Allen McNeill for the District 78 seat which includes much of Randolph County and part of Moore. In the Republican primaries for Board of Commissioners District I…

May

04

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

New sales tax projections could mean lower property taxes

Government, Newsprojections, property tax, sales tax, Village of Pinehurst Council

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met on Tuesday, April 26 where they provided updates on recent hires, property tax projections and new construction. The Village announced that they had recently made two additional hires for their planning department. “For a very long time, we’ve been kind of shorthanded in our planning department and we’re very happy to announce that over the last two weeks, we’ve hired two new planners,” said Village Manager, Jeff Sanborn. “So we’ll be at full strength starting about the middle of May.” Sanborn also clarified that now that the Village has received and analyzed…

Apr

27

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Use for former school property still undecided in Aberdeen

Governmentpublic hearings, rezoning, school property, town of aberdeen

ABERDEEN — The Town of Aberdeen board met Monday, April 25 with two public hearings dealing with requests for rezonings being the items of focus on the agenda. The two zoning change requests were for a 6.28 acre parcel north of the intersection of Bethesda Rd. and Saunders Blvd. and 17.7 acres among eight parcels west of US Highway 1. The first public hearing that was brought before the board was for a zoning map amendment submitted by Robert W. Mitchell to rezone the 6.28 acre parcel north of the intersection of Bethesda Rd. and Saunders Blvd. from R-20 –…

Apr

20

2022

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By Associated Press

GOP states eye voting system upgrades

Government, News, StateGOP, upgrades, voting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For years, Tennessee Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro’s call to require the state’s voting infrastructure to include a paper record of each ballot cast has been batted down in the Republican-dominated Legislature. But as the fallout around the 2020 presidential election — and some GOP voters’ distrust of voting machines — Tennessee Republican lawmakers who have held off are coming around on a paper-backed mandate. A similar scenario is playing out in some of the five other states -- most of which are Republican-led -- that do not currently have a voting system with a paper…

Apr

20

2022

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By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Southern Pines moves closer to changing municipal election process

Government, Newsmunicipal elections, The Town of Southern Pines Council

SOUTHERN PINES – The Town of Southern Pines Council met Tuesday, April 12 with public hearings for the St. John Paul Catholic School expansion and changes to the municipal election structure as the key items on the agenda. The council held a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the town charter to change the process for municipal elections. The proposed amendment would change municipal elections to the plurality method, essentially eliminating the primary and having just a single vote in the general election for council members. The ordinance would also potentially save the town about $20,000 according to the…