It's was a good news, bad news budget that advanced out of committee Monday night but South Boston policymakers prefer to accentuate the positive as they prepare to respond to taxpayers June 14 when a public hearing on the proposed FY 2000 budget is held.
South Boston's proposed general fund expenditure of $6,207,100 is actually 3.69 percent less than the current operating budget of $6.4 million. If approved, the real estate tax rate will decrease from 21¢/$100 to 19¢/$100 of assessed value.
Now for the bad news!
According to studies, the town's sewer expenses for FY 1999 will be more than double sewer revenues. Present rates have been unchanged since 1994 but if approved by council, the bimonthly combined water and sewer bill for customers who use approximately 6,000 gallons will increase $28.04 per billing period.
Out-of-town customers would pay twice that amount.
New connection fees of $1,250 for water and a like amount for sewer are proposed new revenue sources and would place the total cost including tap-on fees to approximately $3,200.
The finance committee is recommending that the consumer utility tax rate be lowered from 20% of the first $15 for residential to 10% of first $20.
Electric and telephone residential customers would save $2 per month or $24 annually. Commercial customers utility tax rate of 20% of first $1,000 would be changed to 10% of the first $2,000.
Businesses having telephone expenses of $500 a month and electric of $1,000, would save an average of $200 per month or $2,400 a year.
The Business and Professional Operators License (BPOL) rate would be cut in half saving licensees $285,000 annually according to studies.
Town employees would receive a cost-of-ling pay increase of approximately 2.5% according to Town Treasurer Vandie Saunders. An exception to that amount would be South Boston's police officers who would enjoy a larger increase if recommendations are accepted by council.
Ball Park Lighting
Mason Day Jr. and Burt Mills, representing Dixie Inc., has asked that the lights from C.H. Friend Elementary School fields be relocated to the Dixie Complex. The lights were bought and installed by the city in 1989 at a cost of $27,650.
The C.H. Friend field is currently used for football, soccer and baseball practice and the town's Recreation Director Matthew McCargo and school principal Linda Owen have asked that the lights remain in place.
When South Boston reverted to a town, the school property was turned over to the county and the committee instructed the Dixie Inc. representatives to take the matter up with the county school board.

South Boston physician Gerald Burnett announced yesterday he will not seek the House of Delegates seat held by Halifax attorney W.W. "Ted" Bennett in the November 2 general election.
"After careful consideration and due deliberations, I have decided that I will not be a candidate in the general election for the 60th House of Delegates legislative seat during this election cycle," said Burnett in a brief statement.
The news came following the Halifax County Republican Party's decision to cancel a mass meeting scheduled last night. Burnett was expected to run under the GOP banner.
GOP Chairman Jeff Oakes said yesterday if the Party has pre-filing and only one candidate files for office in that slot, there is no need for a mass meeting.
However, the Party is allowed to nominate by vote of the committee in offices for which there is no pre-filed candidate, 5th District Chairman Tucker Watkins said yesterday. That deadline, he added, would be June 8.
To date, candidates running under the GOP banner here include Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker, Sheriff Jeff Oakes, Supervisor Earl Watts, ED-5, and David Martin, seeking the ED-4 supervisor's seat.
Republicans will next meet Monday, June 7, at 7 a.m. Shoney's, Oakes announced yesterday. Rather than a Mass Meeting, the GOP chairman said the June meeting is a regular quarterly meeting.

Local law enforcement and Halifax County School System officials met Monday to determine not who is responsible for recent school violence in America, but how to be part of the solution.
Touting the two hour work session as "very productive," Halifax County Schools Superintendent Dennis Witt outlined several proposals to increase security and help ensure safety in local schools.
"Even though we don't enjoy having to have this sort of meeting, we felt it was necessary. School is still the safest place for children to be in America, and we want to keep it that way," Witt said.
Witt said authorities hope to create a proactive rather than reactive security system for Halifax County Schools.
School and law enforcement officials hope to accomplish this goal by incorporating a 24-hour hotline through CrimeStoppers to report threats of school violence, drug activity or other problems; increasing the number resource officers in the middle and high school; random use of metal detectors; and enacting new policies regarding book-bags and school lockers.
"One of the things we all agreed on is that we want to incorporate the CrimeStoppers hotline into the school system, and make it known to students that they can call this number anonymously 24-hours a day, seven days a week, if they wish to report something they feel is suspicious," Witt said. "It has a catchy number - 572-TIPS and 476-TIPS - that is easy to remember."
Witt said if a tip leads to a conviction, a reward system similar to that used by CrimeStoppers would probably be worked out within the school system.
"We also plan to talk to the phone company about putting on a message informing people that their call is being recorded - something like the ones that tell you your call is being recorded for quality control - and that way we'll have a voice print in the case that we need it," Witt said. "We already have annoyance call tracing, which gives us the ability to track where a call comes from. We had that put in place immediately after the bomb threat to the high school more than a month ago."
While the group also discussed things such as upgrading security and installing cameras at the schools' entrances and exits and the random use of hand-held metal detectors in individual classrooms at the middle and high schools, Witt said one of the best ways to increase school security would be to have more resource officers in both the high school and middle school.
"Right now we have one resource officer (Halifax County Deputy Steve Moore) at the high school, and we felt like the high school could use two or three, one per level. Having that sort of supervision walking around the building at the high school and middle school would not only be preventative, but would create a greater sense of security among both the students and their parents," Witt said.
"These officers are specially trained and have a feel for the school environment. They are not there as enforcers, but to help make people feel safe and comfortable. These resource officers are there as part of a preventative program."
Group participants also discussed the best procedure for responding to bomb threats, and agreed that the current policy is probably the best.
"We agreed that the procedure we used when we had the bomb threat about a month and a half ago was appropriate," Witt said.
When the call came through, Witt explained that the high school was "frozen", and all activities and movement within the school was put on hold until a search was completed and the premises were secured.
"In the event of a bomb threat we immediately contact the authorities and essentially put everything on hold while the building is completely searched," Witt said. "All threats will be taken seriously. We leave the students in the rooms, because when we get a call like that we have no idea of where the threat is. There is no guarantee of safety if we evacuate the building, because we have no idea of where the bomb might be."
Witt said the group agreed that evacuating the building and sending students home could be so disruptive as to encourage individuals to make threatening calls.
"You can never be too safe, but you also can't overreact and hold the school system hostage, so to speak. That would allow anonymous callers to basically shut the system down," he said.
While the threat of school violence is real, especially in the wake of recent outbreaks around the country, Witt said he felt that "99.99 percent of the students want safer schools and will help us achieve this goal if given the opportunity."
As far as funding these increased security measures that he hopes to see in place for the 1999-2000 school year, Witt said the school system would look into obtaining federal and state funding where available, and tapping into local funding where necessary.
"We'll have to evaluate the cost of these measures and see what federal and state funds are available to us first. Then if it looks like we need more, we'll look at local funding and begin prioritizing," Witt said.
J.O. Crews, Supervisor of Facilities for the Halifax County School System, will present these proposed security measures during the June 14 School Board meeting.

Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker and Public Defender Buddy Ward will kick off the Literacy Program's fund-raising spelling bee Thursday evening tackling the "Crime and Punishment" category.
The legal eagles will take center stage at 6:45 p.m. at the new Continuing Education site on Factory Street in South Boston.
The public is invited.
Greenbacker and staff member Tanya Powell will face Ward and Tracy Quackenbush.
David Wilborn will serve as mater of ceremonies for the event.
Twelve corporate teams of three each will compete following the legal opening.
Corporate teams include: CCI Systems, Ray Yarboro, Mike Cassada and Angela Dyer; Dollar General, Janet Terry, Debra Hart and McArthur Stephens; Edward Jones Co., Ryan Garrett, Jill Garrett and Edith Stutts; Electric Service Co., Sara Hughes, Louis Conner and Tom Raab; Fincher, Inc., Brenda Fincher, Dorothy Bradshaw and Ben Fincher.
Also competing are Halifax Regional Hospital, Tom Kluge, Patricia Thomas and Janet Moore; Hilden-Halifax, Inc., Jill Nicoll, Sharlene Gulley and Terri Powell; J.M. Huber Corp, Darren White, Joanne Carter and Beth Holtman; One Valley Bank, Suzanne Shotwell, Ginny Watts and Connie Snead; O'Sullivan Industries, Tom Townsend, Donna Lawson and Mary Ann Newton; R.O. Harrell, Inc., Rick Harrell, Linda Wilkerson and Mickey Vanney; and The Woodview, Marla Glass, Candice Blane and Dawn Emerson.
The fund-raiser is co-sponsored by the Gazette-Virginian and the News & Record.

KIRKLIN, Ind. (AP) - Hog farmer Jay Hawley isn't exactly ecstatic these days, but for the first time in nine months he can sell his hogs for about what it costs to raise them.
After enduring the worst hog price crisis since the Great Depression, Hawley and other hog farmers hope prices rise or at least remain stable so they can erase debts incurred when the market collapsed last year.
''It's sad when you look at break-even as being good,'' Hawley said. ''The basic premise is you should make money doing this.''
Small and midsize family farmers such as Hawley - who's been farming hogs in Clinton County for 30 years - lost tens of thousands of dollars each during the low-price crisis.
Starved for profits, they now need to pay overdue bills, replenish bank balances and justify to themselves and their families their continued toil at one of farming's dirtiest and toughest jobs.
Purdue University economists estimate that the crisis could have robbed Indiana farmers of $300 million in net worth when the final numbers are tallied up.
The price plunge struck with a vengeance at the end of last summer, knocking farm prices below the break-even range of 35 cents to 40 cents a pound.
Prices tumbled even further in autumn, and in December, they dipped under 10 cents a pound - a record low if inflation is factored out.
Money-losing prices continued to haunt farmers until this month, when prices edged back up to the break-even price of 40 cents per pound.
Whether slaughter plants will continue paying those prices isn't clear. Prices typically shoot up in May because of a temporary lull in hog shipments as farmers are busy with spring planting.
Getting the crops in the ground every spring is critical for a hog farmer, especially in these low-price times. Half of the corn Hawley raises is fed to his hogs as a cheap, homegrown food source.
Some 2,300 hogs of all ages and sizes - from squealing piglets to 800-pound boars - spend their lives in the eight-building hog complex behind Hawley's house.
Like many producers, Hawley hasn't actually seen a check from his buyers reflecting the price rebound. He sells only one batch of hogs a month, and his next 200-head shipment isn't due out until Memorial Day.
One day last week, Hawley's 72-year-old father, Robert Hawley, returned from spraying herbicide on weeds sprouting along the farm's fence lines. He came with big news.
''Guess what I found? A 150-pound pig in the field. Sprayed him and kind of woke him up,'' he says.
The news prompted a search, and before long the escapee is found lying in tall grass by a fence, a few hundred feet from the barn. Roused by Hawley's dogs, the panting hog gets to its feet, and soon climbs willingly into a livestock trailer hauled to the scene.
Back at the barn, father and son shoo the hog back inside its pen and nail a plank over a gap in a well-worn fence where the hog had escaped.
With hog prices over 40 cents a pound for the first time in a long time, every hog counts.

Dorothy Shearin Williams, 70, of Clarksville, widow of Robert Hunt Williams, died Sunday, May 23, 1999 in Triangle Hospice at the Meadowlands in Hillsborough, NC.
Mrs. Williams was born in Vance County. She was a member of Clarksville Baptist Church and had worked at Russell Stover Candy Co.
A funeral service was held Tuesday, May 25 in Watkins Cooper Lyon Funeral Chapel with Rev. H.V. Conner officiating. Entombment followed in Eternity Mausoleum.
Surviving Mrs. Williams are her mother, Maggie Lee Bolton Shearin of Bullock, NC; two daughters, Brenda W. Dyer of South Boston and Marion W. Newby of Chesterfield; one brother, David Shearin of Chesterfield; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Cephas Sanford, 52, of Buffalo Junction died Saturday, May 22 at his home.
Mr. Sanford was born in Granville County, NC on July 26, 1946. He was a veteran of the US Army.
Survivors include his wife, Lucinda P. Sanford; three daughters, Lisa Sanford, Cathy Sanford and Christine Sanford, all of Durham, NC; two sons, Cephas J. Sanford of Buffalo Junction and Cecil T. Sanford of Durham; seven grandchildren; two sisters, Matilda J. Richardson of Clarksville and Mary C. Yancey of South Boston.
Funeral services for Mr. Sanford were held May 25 at 11 a.m. at St. Mark Baptist Church, Buffalo Junction, with Rev. James W. Lester officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Ronald Morris Perkins of 1058 Boxwood Trail, Halifax died Sunday, May 23, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was 60 years old at the time of his death.
Mr. Perkins was born in Halifax County on February 2, 1939 the son of Oscar Morris Perkins and Opal Adams Perkins. He was a member of Emanuel Episcopal Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Brenda P. Adams of South Hill and Marcia P. Williams of Chase City; two sons, Ronald Ray Perkins and David Edward Perkins, both of Chase City; four sisters, Lois P. Crewdson of Lexington, Kathryn 'Kitty' P.Blair of Danville, Nera Lee P. Hunt of Mechanicsville and Ruth P. Adams of Halifax; one brother, James L. Medley of Halifax; and 12 grandchildren.

Glennis Moore Greenwood of 611 Linden Place, South Boston died Sunday, May 23, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was 73 years of age.
Mrs. Greenwood was born in Kenbridge on September 20, 1925 the daughter of George Edward Moore and Blanche Abernathy Moore and was married to Gilmer Glenn Greenwood. She was a member of First Baptist Church, where she was a former deacon and Sunday school teacher for the Ruth Adult 4 Class, was a retired Home Economics teacher with the Halifax County school system, was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, and the Retired Teachers Association.
Survivors include one sister, Susie M. Cieszko of Havlock, NC and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Mrs. Greenwood will be held today, May 26 at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Bob Fox conducting the service. Burial will take place in Halifax Memorial Gardens.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider First Baptist Church Elevator Fund, 815 N. Main St., South Boston, VA 24592, the Halifax County Cancer Association, PO Box 875, South Boston, VA 24592 or a charity of your choice.

Clarice Guthrie Lewis of Woodcrest Apartments, South Boston died Monday, May 24, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was 88 years of age.
Mrs. Lewis was born in Halifax County on September 1, 1910 the daughter of Archer J. Guthrie and Lena Roark Guthrie and was married to Johnnie Lee Lewis. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Republican Grove.
Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Janice L. and Fred Hauser of Lynchburg, Lois L. and Thomas Lowery of South Boston; one sister, Elaine G. Fisher of Nathalie; one brother, Neil T. Guthrie of Nathalie; five grandchildren, Scott Lowery and Rodney Lowery, both of Raleigh, NC, Fred Hauser and Ed Hauser, both of Lynchburg and Susan Hauser Sitton of Goode; one great-granddaughter, Logan Lyn Sitton of Goode.
Funeral services for Mrs. Lewis will be today, May 26 at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Republican Grove with Revs. Shelton Miles and Jim Smith conducting the service. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the building fund of First Baptist Church of Republican Grove, PO Box 175, Long Island, VA 24569.

Nellie Throckmorton Slayton of Clover died Sunday, May 23, 1999 at Medical College of Virginia, Richmond. She was 88 years of age.
Mrs. Slayton was born August 17, 1910 in Halifax County the daughter of William Walker Throckmorton and Susie J. Nichols and was married to E.L. Slayton. She was a member of Clover Baptist Church, and was a retired bookkeeper with Slayton Electric & Plumbing.
A funeral will be held at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel today, May 26 at 2 p.m. with Rev. Tom Walker officiating. Burial will take place in Halifax Memorial Gardens.
Survivors of Mrs. Slayton include one daughter and son-in-law, Vicki and Jamie Campbell of Richmond; one grandson, Isaac Ward of Richmond; two sisters, Christine Osborne of Saxe and Erma Perkins of Newport News; and a family friend, Katherine McCargo of Scottsburg.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Multiple Sclerosis Society.