City Council reviews budget

LAURINBURG — The Laurinburg City Council held two meetings this week, a special budget meeting and its regular meeting.

During the budget meeting, the council reviewed a draft of the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget, which includes a five percent cost of living increase for city employees.

“With the cost of everything going through the roof, the least we could do was try to implement 5% for employees. The most important asset we have is the 150 employees that we have,” said city manager Charles Nichols.

Also in the $39.7 million budget, there’s funding for the Hillside Cemetary road completion.

Nichols said there is $120,000 earmarked to complete the northside loop.

“It’s important and needed to open up that north section and have it more available. That will complete the paving and expansion on new Hillside,” he said.

There’s $160,000 budgeted to replace four police vehicles, which would include patrol or K-9 vehicles, and to continue the leasing of the Tsunami security cameras.

Laurinburg Police Chief Darwin Williams said the first year the cameras were in use, they added to solving crimes in the city, including murder.

“We depend on them in troubled areas, we’re able to move them from pole to pole. It’s like having a police officer there 24/7 that’s able to see at night in infra-red,” Williams said, noting that Laurinburg is the only city in the area that uses the technology.

“We’re grateful that council has allowed us to partner with Tsunami over the last four to five years.”

The department is also getting $450,000 for Viper radios, which would allow for communications with all law enforcement agencies, including the NC Highway Patrol. Portable and car radios would have to be replaced in order for the system to work. Scotland County is leading the charge to get the system in the area, Nichols said and the County agreed to fund most of the project as long as the city paid for the police department’s equipment.

There’s $120,000 in the budget to replace fire equipment for the Laurinburg Fire Department, such as ropes and things like that. The city and county both benefit from funds that State Rep. Garland Pierce secured for the area during the short session of the General Assembly. A portion of those funds will be used for new fire trucks.

The budget also has funding for street repaving and stormwater maintenance for the city.

In other business:

—During the regular meeting, the council meeting, the city paid tribute to Willams, who is retiring on Jun. 1.

Williams thanked his wife and daughter for their support. “No man can succeed in life with a good life partner, a great life partner and through my wife, God blessed me with a wonderful child that understood Daddy. And allowed me to be me and love other kids. She was never selfish, she allowed me to coach kids and allowed me to do that.”

Williams also thanked the citizens for allowing him to be their police chief for the last nine years.

—The city’s dog park is close to completion and is scheduled to open May 19th at 9 a.m.