Mayor Pro-Tem Speaks About Latta

By Betsy Finklea
Mayor Pro-Tem Brian Mason spoke about the Town of Latta at a recent meeting of the Latta Rotary Club.

Mason said he was looking at Rotary’s Four-Way Test which is:
First… Is it the TRUTH?
Second… Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Third… Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Fourth… Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Mason said this is what government should do and what the Town of Latta tries to do. He said they try to do things that are fair to everyone and try to consider everybody.
One of the biggest things that happened in the town this year was the change in the form of government from strong mayor/weak council to strong council/weak mayor. This basically means there are seven council members. Each year, they will choose an administrator. Mason was the administrator last year because he came up with the idea. Jarett Taylor is this year’s administrator. Mason said he thought Taylor would do a good job.
Mason said the town has approximately 1,200 residents, a budget of a little over $1 million dollars, and 23 employees at the moment (25 employees at full staff).
Mason said they are finishing with phase two of the streetscape which is 80-90 percent complete. He said the two trees by Tiger Mart will be replaced by dwarf Japanese Maples. Also, the streetlights on one end of the street are different than those on the other end. He said they want everything to match. Duke Energy has ordered the matching poles. They were not in stock.
The $25,000 match for the streetscape cost the town zero dollars and no town money was spent. He said the money came from “C” funds, which comes from the gas tax. This money will not be used for paving this go around, he said. He said asphalting and resurfacing will be done when the water pipes are fixed.
Mason said the water pipes in Latta are being replaced which he showed on a map. He said as they replace the water lines, the water is getting clearer. Some pipes are 50-80 years old. Some of the sewage pumps are being replaced. The town is replacing what they can replace. Engineering costs are required on the ones the town can’t replace and can run up to $75,000. The town will have to apply for grants to pay for those. They are also replacing some old water meters in town.
Another thing they are working on is replacing some of the faded and missing street signs. Also, decorative signs are being place in the historic district.
Mason said the recreation department has stabilized. Jimmy Haselden is the new director. Mason said there are many projects to help the parks that can be done by Eagle Scouts. There are several upcoming tournaments which bring people into town, who spend money on gas and food.
Mason then discussed the fire department. He said there is a mix of the same people on both departments. He said the budget could be saved as well as insurance costs if they could get the county to take over the fire service. He said this is something they are going to talk to the county about, but they will not do it if it is not a good match.
Mason said the police department has been getting military equipment through the 1031 program. The town pays a fee to be in the program. They can apply for equipment and get it at no cost. He said their options are to use the equipment or hold for a while and disburse how they want.
Another topic discussed was economic development. He said Tonny McNeil, Dillon County Economic Development Director, has been assisting the town. Soon there will be an announcement for “Project Geometric” which is expected to bring 25 additional jobs and will help add to the tax base.
Mason said they are working on incentives that the town can give businesses such as breaks on business licenses, etc.
Mason said Family Dollar is looking at moving near First Bank. He said hopefully they could attract another retail business for the current location.
He said the Johnson Foundation has taken over the old Kornbult’s store. He said it will not be a retail store. He said their Partnership for Kids works with children in foster care. As the children move from house to house, many times their belongings do not. This location will help meet their needs for things such as clothes, shoes, etc. They also help burn-outs, etc. Eventually, they would like to set up an afterschool mentoring program.
The town is also looking at annexation to expand the size of the town and bring in bigger tax base.
Mason said the proposed budget had a $2 million dollar increase, but it was voted down. He said they wanted to find a way to do it without a tax increase. Economic development and annexation would be ways to bring in money without raising taxes.
After his comments, Mason answered questions from the Rotarians.

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