The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-20
THE WILMINGTON MORNING STAR. WILMINGTON. \
LeGrand Completes Work
On Amended Service Bill

sions will be received by some
of the elective officers. The pres
ent system may eventually become
costly to the City and County and
7 recommend that the governing
bodies Of the two units, as well
as the Trustees of the two funds,
give consideration to formulating
new retirement system for en-
actment by the 1947 Legislature. 1t
is now too late in the present Ses-
sion to consider fully exactly what
changes should be made.
The City Council has requested
enactment of legislation which
would permit but not require the
City to contribute up to tWo-thlrds
Of the cost of operating the Con-
solidated Board Of Health. When
the respective Boards Of Health
of the City and County were con-
solidated in 1918, it was provided
that the City should pay As OF the
cost of operation and the County
one-fifth. Later these proportions
were changed to ga for the City
and IA for the County. In the Leg
islature of 1941, by agreement be-
tween the governing bodies OF the
two units, I introduced and had
passed an act which required the
City to pay % and the County
1-3 of this cost. The County has
objected to the change now re-
quested by the City and, since the
present contributions were fixed by
agreement in 1941, 1 am unwilling
to change the law in the absence
of another agreement. Further
more, it is my understanding that
the greater part of the work Of
the Health Department at present
is for the benefit of the City.
The County has requested legis-
lation to permit it to receive IL
of the profits from the operation
of the ABC Board instead of the
1-3 which is now allotted to it. If
this request should be granted, the
City would receive IL instead of
% of the revenue received from
this source as at present. The
change would result in probably
loss of $4,000 annually to the City
with a possible increase in the City
ad valorem tax rate. The City is
faced with the possibility of
large capital outlay if extension
of the City limits becomes effec-
tive under the legislation just,
passed for that purpose and, &C
cordingly, it seems unwise to
change the present ALLEGATION of
ABC profits for the benefit of the
County and at the expense Of the
City. 1t is my intention to permit
the present ALLEGATIONS to stand.
Two bills have been presented to
me relative to changes in the cleo
ton laws of the Town of Carolina
Beach. This question has been a
matter of controversy before the
for the past eight years
and an apparent attempt was made
to settle the matter by referdum
under provisions of an act pass
ed before the Legislature in 1943.
Disagreement has arisen as to the
legal effect of the referendum un-
der the 1913 Act and conflicting
bills to clarity the question have
been prepared by Mr.. VIM. B.
Campbell as representing enc
group and Mr.. r. M. Kermon the
other. l propose to introduce both
of these bills without prejudice or
recommendation on my part and
permit the interested parties to
present their views before the prop
er legislative committee to which
the bills will be referred for dis
cussion and decision by that COM
mittee.
In 1871, l introduced and had
passed, at the request Of the City,
an act which precludes employees
of the city from receiving disabili-
ty benefits under existing pension
or retirement laws while such en-
ployees receive compensation under
the provisions OF the Workmen' S
Compensation Act. The effect of
this law is to prevent a city en-
ployee who receives accidental in
jury in connection with his en-
ployment which is compensate UNI
der the North Carolina Workmen' S
Compensation Act from receiving
also pension benefits to which he
would be otherwise entitled from
pension fund to which he has
been making contributions out of
his salary. Thus far, this act has
affected adversely only two men,
bers Of the Fire Department, who
were injured in performance of
their duty, and its repeal will not
impose any real financial burden
on the city but will be of substan-
tial benefit to those injured en-
ployees who are not now able to
work. I think I was in error in
sponsoring this legislation in 1s41
and propose to repeal it now.
The Town of Wrightsville Beach
has requested enactment of leg
islation which will permit the
Board of Aldermen to leave IN
assessment on Beach property Tor
paving improvements without Pc
tition Of the property owners as
is now required. Such authority has
been vested in the City of Viii.
mington for some time but I have
requested the Board of Aldermen
to reconsider this matter before
final decision is reached.