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The Ashe County Board of Commissioners met in regular session
Feb. 2 with an extremely light agenda. Following normal opening
ceremonies, the board heard from Priscilla Norris, who presented
the 2008 county audit.
According to Norris' report, during the audit process, the auditors
"became aware of several matters that, while not involving
material weaknesses in the internal control structure, are opportunities
for strengthening the structure and operating efficiency."
Included in the short list of matters discovered was information
that the county's overall tax collection rate had held steady
at just over 95 percent, the county had no instances of over-budgeted
expenditures during the year and the General Fund balance increased
$1,599,445 compared to increases of $2,030,800 in 2007. At the
same time, total governmental funds experienced an overall increase
of $17,942,939 which includes loans in the amount of $17,500,000
for jail and library projects.
In other business, Bob McCoy was unanimously reappointed to
continue his service on the New River Service Authority Board.
The board also unanimously approved a request from the Building
Inspections Department Advisory Committee that the $50 fee for
building permits that are issued and then cancelled have no
more than 50 percent of the fee refunded if the party does not
build within a year of the permit date. The entity requesting
the permit must have the agreement read to them verbally and
thensign acknowledgement of the limitations of the refund.
During commissioner comments, Commissioner Gerald Price took
time to clarify what he considered was misinformation in the
public arena concerning his vote on appointing Henry Doss to
the county planning board.
"In reference to Mr. Henry Doss, who was seeking a seat
on the Ashe County Planning Board, one of the local papers reported
that it was possibly a political decision on my part to vote
against Mr. Doss. It was not by any means whatsoever political.
I personally am in favor of a five member planning board and
have been since my first time as commissioner. I have a lot
of respect for Mr. Doss and my vote was nothing personal against
him," Price said.
The Ashe County Board of Commissioners meet the first and third
Monday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in the third floor courtroom
of the Ashe County Courthouse. - Ron Fitzwater
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