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Audit: Wagram books boast high fund percentage [The Laurinburg Exchange, N.C.](Laurinburg Exchange, The (NC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dec. 06--WAGRAM -- The Wagram town board heard the town's annual audit report on Thursday, receiving approval from a representative of a Whiteville accounting firm. On June 30, the end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year the town had $596,714 available in General Fund balance, 188 percent of annual expenditures. That dollar amount is up from $523,720 the previous year. The town had a Water and Sewer Fund balance of $271,126, or 128.68 percent of expenditures. "There's nothing in here that's bad," said Wade Greene of W. Greene and Company. "I don't know of anybody with a water fund this high; if you have 25 percent, you're better than most." The town collected property and vehicle taxes last year at 85.37 percent. The state average is 96.71 percent. In other business, the board approved expenditures of an additional $164 per year to upgrade Internet service in the town office and a lease of the old town hall to a gospel singing group led by James McQueen, for $75 per month plus the cost of utilities. "We're not doing anything with it now, nobody's wanting to use it, so if we can get a little something out of it, the main thing is that they're going to provide maintenance on the building and that's better than it is now," said Mayor Milton Farmer. "It's kind of a win-win for us." The board also reviewed and approved changes to an agreement with the Scotland County Board of Commissioners concerning maintenance of the Wagram Recreation Center, which is owned by the town and funded primarily by the county. The center costs $180,000 annually to operate and staff. The center's water and sewage demands have been provided by Wagram at a cost of $594 annually since the center opened in 2010. The town has also provided trash collection services valued at $162 per year, as well as grounds maintenance. The amended agreement transfers custodial responsibility for the center's interior from the town to the county. Town Clerk Phyllis Lowery administered the oath of office to Farmer, who was re-elected to the mayor's post last month. Farmer in turn administered the oath to recently re-elected councilmen Jackie Laviner, Hyder Massey, and Robert McLaughlin. Farmer, Massey, and McLaughlin will serve four-year terms. Having received the lowest number of votes in November's election, Laviner will run for re-election in 2015. ___ (c)2013 The Laurinburg Exchange (Laurinburg, N.C.) Visit The Laurinburg Exchange (Laurinburg, N.C.) at www.laurinburgexchange.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |