The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-07
RECREATIONAL
CENTER PLANS ARE
ADVANCED AT MEET
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funds from the ABC board would
bring in sufficient money to cover
the county's portion of financing
the project. w. Louis Fisher, COM
missioner of finance, said the city
expected only funds from the ABC
board as have already been pro-
vided for in the budget.
$1,000 Building
Commissioner Coleman tn e n
presented preliminary project
plans, costs, and estimates, call
ing for a building to cost about
81, $50, including $1,000 plumbing,
1920 lights and electricity, an 1885,
$40 for materials and labor.
Project dimensions, as submit
ted by Coleman, provided for:
main building go feet by 40 feet,
front porch, two wings Is feet by
IS feet, and rear portion, 40 feet
by 16 feet.
Coleman's plans called for about
3,S40 square feet of space for re-
creational facilities for the soldiers
and the building dimensions, were
only slightly revised from those
submitted previously by a special
committee of the Wilmington De-
Tense council. 3
On motion of Commissioner
Wade and a second by Commits
sioner Fisher, the city passed a
resolution rendering the S of its
property at the northwest corner
of Fourth and Princess streets for
the proposed recreational center.
WPA Will Aid
Commissioner Wade said he I'm
derstood a current WPA program
would take care of the running ex-
penses of the project, furnishing
The operating personnel, whose
names would be carried on the
WPA payroll. Expenses of light,
water, and heat fall to the spon-
sors, as is customary with all SINH
lar WPA projects, Commissioner
Wade said.
County Attorney Bellamy said an
act of the state legislature would
be required before the city and
county commissioners would have
the authority to contribute funds
for the erection of a building on
city-owned property.
Bellamy and City Attorney
Campbell were asked to draft a
bill for submission to the general
assembly giving authority to the
county to spend available funds for
construction of the proposed pro.
ject on city property ard enter in
to a contract with the city for
operation, maintenance, and final
disposition, after the building is
erected.
Bellamy explained to the tw G
bodies that the county government
at present has no legal right or
proper authority to spend public
funds for a building to be located
on city-owned property.
$3.50 Basis
A motion that the city pay two
thirds and the county one third to.
ward the financing of the project
was voted down after considerable
discussion. The two boards later
agreed to promote the project on
a $3.50 basis.
Harry Gardner, county commits.
sioner, expressed the opinion thai
every time there is a dual spon.
sorship the people in the city are
taxed twice for the purpose of
benefiting the people in the county
as a whole. Anything of a county
wide nature should be sponsored
solely by the county, with citizens
in the county paying an equal
amount of the tax, Gardner said.
George w. Trask, county COM
missioner, said if you throw all
these things Functions of the city,
on the county and have one a x
rate for the city and county, you
might as we'll consolidate every
thing under one government"
Citing the fact that the present
policy to tax a man in the county
the same as a man in the city,
Trask said 'the people in the coun-
ty don't get the same benefits from
a project of this kind as do the
city and the merchants"
Trask said if the county is going
on a $3.50 basis in this PROPOSE
ton, you might as well cut out
one of the governments and let
one government handle the whole
thing. If the people in the county
are going to continue to have the
same tax rate as those in the city,
it's about time to consolidate
things"
Estimate at Cost
Chairman Hewlett suggested
that project leaders ask the ma
terial men to submit estimates Of
material at cost, in an effort to
reduce the expense of building the
center and in view of the COM
munitywide nature of the proposal.
Commissioner Coleman .ex-
pressed the belief that material
men should be glad and willing to
furnish materials for the rtructure
at cost, and agreed to prepare fl
nal detailed project plans for con-
sideration at the next joint of the
two boards.
R. B. Page, general chairman Of
the Wilmington Defense council,
explained that the special commit
tee of the Wilmington Defense
council will accept anything that
the county commissioners pass