The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

July 31, 2008

Noble’s proposal eliminates board’s pay

Commissioners pass 14 percent rate increase that goes into effect Friday

W. TERRY SMITH

Sam Noble could not sleep Wednesday night, so he got up about 4 a.m.

Tarboro's town manager grabbed a legal pad, pen and went to work on a proposal he would present a few hours later at the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency's meeting in Wilson.

The NCEMPA is made up of 32 member cities, including Tarboro. Noble represents Tarboro. He's also chairman of the ElectriCities Board of Directors. ElectriCities, a not-for-profit government service organization, provides management services to the state’s two municipal Power Agencies: North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 (NCMPA1), made up of 19 cities in the western part of the state; and North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA).

Noble, who has been on the board for more than 10 years and chairman twice, proposed doing away with the $1,000 a month salary board members representing the East receive effective Jan. 1. (The chairman receives an additional $500 per month.)

Board members would only be eligible for expenses such as mileage to and from meetings, meals and overnight stays.

This will reduce expenses $84,000 to $90,000 per year.

Noble expressed dissatisfaction with the makeup of the board, which includes six members from the East, six from the West and two non-agency members.

"Eight (members) who don't pay our rates are determining the fate of each of our agencies," he said.

Noble requested legal counsel provide the necessary amendments to allow the six board members representing the East to take actions that affected only the eastern agency. The six board members representing the West would take measures affecting only the western agency.

"We need to ask questions," he continued. "Are we as aware of what's going on as we were in 1995 when the Electric Cities Board of directors was reorganized?"

The Board of Directors meets once a month in Raleigh. The agency's Board of Commissioners meet quarterly in Wilson.

"Meeting quarterly on a billion dollar business results in losing touch with our business," Noble said.

He proposed having the Board of Commissioners meet no less than 12 times a year to keep up with the day-to-day operations, "to keep the cities engaged and knowledgeable about what's going on.

"We're dealing with volatile issues such as coal costs, nuclear fuel costs and rate increases. We all need to know why."

Noble's proposal also included having the chief executive officer report any upper management salary increases since 2006 when CEO Jesse Tilton reorganized his upper management staff.

"This data will be reviewed by the Board of Directors as well as the agency," Noble said.

"We want to see fiscal responsibility in Raleigh," Noble said. "Be just as accountable as we are on the local level."

"We are bleeding money and need to review all costs, including consultants costs, travel costs, salaries, lobbying costs – everything."

His proposal passed unanimously.

Noble said he will make similar remarks at the ElectriCities annual meeting next week in Mrtyle Beach.

He said he will ask the western agency to take similar steps and admitted he had no idea how that will be received.

"They are having rate increases of 2 to 3 percent compared to our 14 percent increase."

Afterwards, Noble said, "You know, $100,000 here and $100,000 there and pretty soon you have a $1 million.

"You ought to be doing this (serving on the ElectriCities board) because 1. you are interested in Tarboro, your town and city, and 2. public power – not the money."

The NCEMPA passed the 14 percent rate increase Wednesday that goes into effective Friday, Aug. 1.

The hike is blamed on rising fuel costs, maintenance cost and debt.

Tarboro passed a 13.2 percent rate increase earlier this month that goes into effect Friday.

Text Only
Local News
  • Teresa Bryant headshot.jpg Bryant declines to seek re-election

    Teresa DeLoatch Bryant announced she will not seek re-election to the District 2 seat she now holds on the Edgecombe County Public Schools Board. The announcement came 91 days before the May 8 Primary Election and nearly a year after the first-term plus one year board member announced her resignation for personal and career reasons. She later rescinded her decision.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • MimiHerman.jpg W.A. Patillo receives $5,000 poetry grant

    W.A. Pattillo School has been awarded $5,000 from the North Carolina Arts Council for Poetry in the Classroom with Mimi Herman.
    The funds will be used to provide a week of poetry writing experiences for seven fourth grade classes through the expertise and creativity of Herman. Students will gain self-confidence, and will view themselves as writers rather than merely consumers of literature. They will learn to use language effectively and creatively to communicate thoughts, feeling, and impressions.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • IMG_5889.JPG Pizza Bowl

    The biggest football game of the year brings the largest sale of the year for two area pizza restaurants.
    Tarboro branches of Pizza Inn and Dominos Pizza are gearing up for Super Bowl XLVI Sunday by increasing their regular employee lineup by as many as seven.
    Pizza Inn is running a special that they believe will keep them busy throughout the day. Last year they sold over 200 large pizzas on Super Bowl Sunday compared to 50 on an average Sunday.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • Edgecombe unemployment up in December

    TARBORO — Unemployment rates increased in 93 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in December. Rates decreased in four counties and remained the same in three.
    Edgecombe, which saw a slight improvement in November, fell back to its October 2011 level (15.7%). Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, Edgecombe and Dare are tied at third highest in unemployment. 

    February 3, 2012

  • Three ECPS campuses ahead of First Lady's nutritional guidelines

    When First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new guidelines for the nutritional overhaul of school meals last week, they could have chosen three of Edgecombe County's public schools as their models.

    February 2, 2012

  • Lynn_Cale.jpg ECC Executive Named to United Way Board

    J. Lynn Cale, associate vice president of instruction at Edgecombe
    Community College, has been named to the United Way Tar River Region
    Board of Directors.
        The Tar River Region serves Edgecombe and Nash counties. Cale
    will serve a one-year term, from January to December 2012.
        He and other board members oversee 41 local health and human
    service programs funded through United Way as well as 21 Community
    Partners and various community development partnerships.
    RIGHT: J. Lynn Cale

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • Pattillo Alumni Association on the move

    The Board of Directors (BOD) of W.A. Pattillo High School National Alumni
    Association, Inc. held a meeting on Jan. 21, at Pattillo School under the leadership of its President, Dr. Fred S. Wood, Jr.  All of the officers except one were in attendance, accompanied by 9 of 16 Board Members and 9 of 10 Appointed Standing Committee Chairpersons.

    February 2, 2012

  • BandSEDriverHouse.jpg Local students selected for N.C. Eastern All-District Band

    Three Edgecombe County Public Schools students have been chosen to play in the All-District Band. Lillian House, an alto saxophone player and Kaitlin Driver, a French horn player both eighth graders from South Edgecombe Middle School and West Edgecombe Middle School eighth grade flute player, Taylor Joyner earned the honor this year and will grace the stage at East Carolina University’s Wright Auditorium Feb. 3.

    February 1, 2012 2 Photos

  • Robbery prevention

    Community education on robbery prevention shares equal importance with the search of robbery suspects. Robbery prevention may seem unachievable, but we can not continue to ignore the problem of robbery in our community. As local citizens, we should create ways in which everyone can benefit from the knowledge of robbery prevention.

    February 1, 2012

  • GHW 01-28-1221.JPG George Henry White: tribute to a great American

      Why isn’t George Henry White a household name?  If Vincent Spalding has anything to do with it, that will soon change.
         Long ignored in African American history books and recognitions, George Henry White of North Carolina was elected to Congress in 1896, and re-elected in 1898, becoming the last African American elected to Congress after Reconstruction, and the first to serve in the 20th century.

    January 31, 2012 1 Photo