Roanoke Rapids Herald

County Commissioners Discuss Property Revaluation And Other Matters In Long Session; Negro Ministers File Protest

Halifax—The Halifax County Commissioners spent considerable time Monday at their regular meeting discussing a proposed property revaluation for the county, heard a delegation of Negro ministers from Weldon and heard a report of the county welfare department. The property valuation question came in for considerable discussion after the commissioners had heard a representative of a tax consultant firm. The commissioners decided that the entire board would visit other counties which recently revalued their property for tax purposes and discuss the matter further at the next meeting of the board.

Protest Filed

The delegation of Negro ministers requested the commissioners to place some restrictions as to hours on the operation of "piccolos". The members of the delegation declared that the establishments were in many cases scenes of disorder and trouble. The county attorney was instructed by the commissioners to look into the matter and see what the commissioners could legally do. Attorney Irwin Clark was of the opinion that the commissioners could not place any restrictions on the establishments without some new legislation. The commissioners reenacted a resolution calling for the condemnation of certain pieces of property on which the proposed county airport would be constructed. The resolution was repassed and included a more complete description of the property than that previously adopted.

Welfare Report

J. B. Hall, superintendent of the Halifax County Welfare department made his report to the board and it was approved. Case workers for the welfare department were granted an additional $10 a month for the use of their automobiles. A beer license was granted to Clarence Hawkins of Essex. The county auditor was instructed to insure the building recently acquired by the county from the Farm Security Administration and which is to be used for health department purposes and by the State Highway patrol. The commissioners instructed the clerk to write a letter to the State Highway Commission requesting that the state maintain Grant Drive in the Grant Park sub-division near Weldon. The session was a lengthy one and the major discussion was on the revaluation question, with some of the commissioners expressing themselves as thinking that the revaluation would equalize the tax burden, increase the county's revenue and might lead to a reduction of the over-all tax rate.