Fontana Dam – The Local Government Commission has advised one Graham County township to pivot on its budgetary course.
At the June 17 Fontana Dam Town Council meeting, Town Administrator Zelerie Rogers said the commission suggested Fontana switch course and instead adopt an “interim” budget, which allows the town to map out two months of expenses, rather than a full year.
The interim budget will be $28,156 – to be pulled from the town’s general fund – with $20,156 of that going toward administrative and water/wastewater expenses. The switch is necessitated by the uncertainty surrounding the reopening of Fontana Village Resort, the town’s main revenue stream.
“It’s very, very limited,” Rogers said. “I can’t send out any tax bills or generate any new income while we’re under this interim budget. The only thing we can do is operate on the money we have in the budget.”
Resort update
Mayor Rob Hardy provided the council with a brief update on the future of Fontana Village Resort.
Hardy and Rogers met with Tennessee Valley Authority representatives on June 15 and came away with few answers, but both believe the TVA is searching for an investor to run the resort.
“There’s a lot of hypotheticals, and I think they’re trying to examine everything,” he said. “Initial indications are positive; that’s the takeaway.”
The resort’s outstanding balance with the town may have to be negotiated in the future as well.
Other news and notes
* Water plant Operator in Responsible Charge Dennis Pilkington gave an update on chemical treatments, noting that additives such as liquid alum and bleach have been reduced in usage by 66 percent. Pilkington said the significant drop is due to some adjustments made to the mixture, which has happened while still confining to state guidelines. The board voted at the end of the meeting to give Pilkington a $500 bonus for the extra work put in while staffing has been limited.
* The town has began exploring the option of tearing down the old water plant, which was the final wood-structure operation in North Carolina until the town switched to the new plant in 2012. Rogers said the building has fallen into a severe state of disrepair and presents a safety hazard.
* Turner & Co. CPA of Murphy was awarded the town’s annual audit contract, which will come at a cost of $5,625.