June 7 - 13, 2018
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
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Mayor-council vs. council-manager form of government What are the differences and what is the process for changing a town’s form of government? by PATTI STOKES
SUMMERFIELD – Residents of Summerfield recently received a petition in the mail which seeks to change the town’s council-manager form of government back to the mayor-council form of government which it had prior to 2007. The following are some of
the questions and answers about the differences between the two forms of government and the process involved in changing the town’s charter (a requirement for changing its form of government).
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Photo courtesy of Rick Hannon
IN THIS ISSUE Motion to dismiss granted .........3 Your Questions ............................4 Water system fee ........................6 News in Brief .............................. 10 Pets & Critters ............................ 11 This little piggy .......................... 12 Pet Adoptions............................ 14 HorseFriends relocating ........... 15 Community Calendar .............. 18
Marine Corp veteran and UNC-G student Collin Yarborough passes through the intersection of N.C. 150 and Summerfield Road in Summerfield on the morning of Saturday, June 2, as he makes his way along 110 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, from the Greensboro area to Pilot Mountain. Yarborough planned to run/walk 22 miles a day on the MST to bring awareness to the average of 22 veterans who die each day of suicide.
RidgeFest 2018 .......................... 19
Dry tap fees legal, attorney says Of the 576 water bills sent out last month, 70 were for dry tap fees, Stokesdale’s interim town clerk confirms by STEVE MANN STOKESDALE – During the March 8 Stokesdale Town Council meeting, Mayor John Flynt said he wasn’t sure the town could legally charge dry tap fees and was going to ask the town
attorney to check into it. That caught the attention of at least one citizen, who said she has paid well over $3,000 in dry tap fees rather than have unpaid fees negatively impact her credit report. Stokesdale Town Attorney John Bain said state statutes do allow a municipality to charge a dry tap fee. He said the statutes also allow a municipality to require citizens to connect to a water system, but Stokesdale doesn’t. Before the water system was installed, citizens were initially offered
the opportunity to pay a $200 deposit – which rose to $500 after a few months – as an incentive to sign up. When/if the waterline came by their house, they would not have to pay the connection fee. Flynt said the town was trying to get people to make a decision so it could determine interest. If, and only if, the waterline came by their house, said Council Member Bill Jones, they had to pay the availability fee, which currently is $30.50 a
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Melville takes 1st in 3200 ......... 21 Summerfield Open wraps up ..22 Grins & Gripes ...........................24 Crime/Incident Report .............25 Classifieds ................................. 27 Index of Advertisers ................. 31