Fiscal year revenue totals from the register of deeds office reflect the current downturn in the economy on the local, state and national levels.
This was the summary of a report given to Halifax County commissioners today by Register of Deeds Judy Evans-Barbee.
Revenues for this past fiscal year were $402,034, according to the report, while in the previous year they were $575,300.75.
The report showed revenue stamp fees — which are used to determine property transaction values — were $158,789 this past fiscal year. That represents $79,394,500 worth of transaction values.
The previous year’s figure was $291,687, representing $145,843,500 in transactions.
There were also $67,300 worth of vital records recorded this past fiscal year, Evans-Barbee said, which included 3,437 birth certificates, 2,268 death certificates and 316 marriage licenses issued.
She also updated the board on other things going on in the office, including scanning maps in-house, which represents a $7,000 annual savings. The office is also working on getting birth and death records scanned. Currently they are up to the year 1955 in births and 1983 in deaths, with plans to go back to 1913.
In other matters today the board:
• Approved buying a reconditioned compactor for the landfill from Road Machinery Services in Statesville to replace one which burned recently. Price of the compactor was $58,000.
While the board approved buying the equipment, Commissioner James Pierce said he wanted to know why he didn’t know about the fire. “Personally, I would like to be aware of an incident of this magnitude,” he said.
He also wanted to know if there was any preventive maintenance which could have been done to prevent the fire, to which County Manager Tony responded he wasn’t sure if anything could have been done. There were no injuries in the fire.
• Approved a $20,866 change order for the sludge dewatering project at Reser’s Fine Foods.
The board debated on a door for the system, which was priced at $2,900 and initially approved the change order, excluding the door.
Chairman Gene Minton, however, suggested the board approve the change order with the cost of the door to be no more than $2,000. Commissioner Rives Manning voted against that measure.
“We can’t afford to delay the project,” Minton said. “We don’t want to do anything to stop the process.”
Meanwhile, Gwen Matthews, public utilities director, reported the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District was accepting waste from the plant beginning today.
• Recognized the Finance Department for its award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada for 10 straight years of excellence in financial reporting. The board also honored each employee with a plaque.
