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Vance Commissioners Approve Pay Raises For Finance Director, Manager

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners has approved pay raises for the county’s finance director and county manager.

Katherine Bigelow, the county’s finance director, is seeing a $25,000 jump in her salary to $136,503, according to information from County Manager Renee Perry.

As Perry explained in an email on Monday to WIZS News, another county had offered Bigelow a job – and a “significant raise to go along with it,” Perry said.

“I felt we could keep her if we were able to eliminate the financial incentive for her (to) accept the position,” and the board agreed to the salary increase.

“Katherine brings much-needed experience to Vance County and I wanted to retain her on staff,” Perry said.

In their discussions, Perry said her $15,000 increase in pay was approved because commissioners “wanted to ensure the compensation for their manager still exceeded that of the finance director for internal equity purposes.”

Bigelow’s bump in pay also brings with it a new title: She now serves as deputy county manager/chief financial officer.

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VGCC Hosts FAFSA Day Jan. 27

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-information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

Vance-Granville Community College’s Financial Aid Office invites high school students, current college students, families and adult learners to attend FAFSA Day on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. – 12 noon.

The event will take place at VGCC’s Main Campus in Henderson; attendees should check in at the Building 7 front lobby upon arrival.

Organized by the College Foundation of North Carolina, this free event provides one-on-one or small group help with FAFSA completion and submission, according to information from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

The college welcomes anyone in the community seeking financial aid for college, not just current or prospective Vance-Granville students.

There is no requirement to accept any aid offered, but the FAFSA can help you understand your options. By filling out the FAFSA, you could access:

  • Grants and scholarships that you do not have to pay back
  • Work-study programs that allow you to earn money working at the school you attend
  • Student loan options

Completing the FAFSA is more important than ever this year for North Carolina students. It’s the process through which eligible students could receive the Next NC Scholarship, which awards a minimum of $5,000 for those attending a public state university or at least $3,000 for those attending community college. Students with the greatest need for financial aid could qualify for even more funding to help make paying for college more manageable.

Learn more or RSVP for Vance-Granville’s FAFSA Day event at www.cfnc.org/pay-for-college/fafsa-day. For additional questions, please contact VGCC’s Financial Aid Office at fao@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3280.

Chamber’s Leadership Vance 2024 Forming – Applications Due Feb. 2 By 5 P.M.

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The Leadership Vance 2024 application process is open through Friday, Feb. 2 and Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson said participants will get an in-depth look at the county, from its rich history and varied amenities to business and industry growth and much more.

Applications should be received by 5 p.m. on Feb. 2, Wilkerson said.

“Leadership Vance is a proven, structured program, designed to create a corps of informed and dedicated emerging leaders in our community,” Wilkerson said.  Upon graduation, the program participants will be qualified to meet the present and future challenges facing Henderson and Vance County. During the months-long program, participants will get a chance to learn about all aspects of the community in which they live and work.

They also will get to learn about volunteer civic and community opportunities, as well as gain valuable insight to boost their business and career goals.

For more information, contact Wilkerson at 252.438.8414 or via email at sandra@hendersonvance.org.

TownTalk: Housing And Discrimination

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Finding a new place to live can create all kinds of feelings, from excitement to anxiety. But looking for a new place where you and your family call home should NOT make you feel like you’re being discriminated against.

Hope Williams, supervising attorney with N.C. Legal Aid’s Fair Housing Project, said anyone who feels like they have encountered discrimination during the search for a place to live has some recourse.

The Fair Housing Act became law in 1968, a time when discrimination may have been more blatant. “We are still fighting to stop discrimination in housing,” she said on Monday’s TownTalk, although today’s cases may be more subtle – and perhaps more difficult to prove.

She said her office has three attorneys that serve the whole state. They are able to represent some clients, but they simply don’t have the staff to take on all the cases.

“We talk to people who call us and we give them advice about their legal issues,” she said. They help clients file administrative complaints with the federal Housing and Urban Development agency and with the N.C. Human Relations Commission.

They also focus on community education and training to raise awareness about what discrimination is and what it looks like. For instance, many people wrongly assume that fair housing rules only apply to subsidized housing. Not true. It applies to all housing.

Administrative complaints must be filed within one year of the encounter; there is an option to file a complaint in the courts system, which has a two-year window.

One piece of advice Williams has for anyone who feels that they have been the subject of housing discrimination: document everything.

Looking at interactions and communications over time sometimes can help provide critical evidence. “We make timelines to look for patterns,” she said.

Many complaints come from individuals with disabilities. Landlords must comply with “reasonable accommodations” that allow disabled people access. In such cases, the tenant is responsible for the cost of the accommodation – think wheelchair ramp or other physical structure – and for returning the dwelling to its original state if and when they vacate the dwelling.

The bottom line is a landlord can’t just refuse to allow a reasonable accommodation.

Same thing with a service animal, Williams said. A person who uses a service animal would be responsible for any damage by an animal, but he or she can’t be required to pay an upfront pet fee.

Call the Fair Housing Project’s direct line at N.C. Legal Aid at 855.797.FAIR.

Visit www.fairhousingnc.org to learn more.

 

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Invasive Plants

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Property Revaluations Hit County Mailboxes In February

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Vance County property owners will find revaluation information in their mailboxes next month, which will provide information about current market value of homes, as well as business and industrial properties. But it will be later in the year before they’ll know just how that market value calculation will affect their tax bills.

Individual property owners’ bills could go up, go down, or stay about the same – the somewhat fuzzy picture will come into focus as elected officials nail down a budget for next year. Just because your home’s current market value goes up – and it most likely will go up – does not mean that your tax bill will go up, too.

The new values took effect Jan. 1, and tax bills will go out in July. But it won’t be until June that the new tax rate will be determined.

The tax rate is what elected city and county officials will decide on when they’re calculating how much money will be needed to pay for schools, public safety, human services and more.

If the total market value of all the appraised properties increases, that means the county’s overall tax base increases. And that could mean that your tax bill stays pretty much the same, despite the fact that your property’s market value increased.

The county contracted with Vincent Valuations LLC to complete the appraisal, which included every single property in the county. State law requires counties to undertake the revaluation at least every 8 years; the last one completed in Vance County was in 2016.

In addition to complying with state law, a revaluation is necessary to maintain equitable and uniform property values among property owners throughout the county, according to a report prepared by the Vance County Tax Office.

Market value is “the most probable or most likely price that the property would sell for,” the report explained.  It is not the highest or the lowest or an average price.

Appraisers look at everything from square footage, building dimensions, type of construction and condition to help determine market value. They also consider heating and cooling systems, plumbing, the age of a building and its usefulness when making their calculations.

Revaluation is done on all residential, commercial and industrial land and structures but not on personal property like motor vehicles and boats, whose market value is adjusted each year

If a property owner reviews the revaluation notification and disagrees with the market value figure, there is a process to appeal.

The tax office report listed several examples of valid – and invalid – reasons to appeal the decision.

Property owners may choose to appeal if the market value “substantially exceeds” the actual market value of the property, or if the market value is inconsistent with the market value of similar properties within the same neighborhood.

It’s not enough, however, to state that the figure is too high or more than the insurance value of the property. Those aren’t valid reasons, the report states.

Individuals who wish to appeal should complete an informal appeal form and return it via U.S. Postal Service, fax or email.

Mail completed forms to:

Vance County Tax Office

Attn: Revaluation

122 Young St. Suite E

Henderson, NC 27536

 

Completed forms may be faxed to  252.738.2059 or emailed to taxoffice@vancecounty.org.

Red Cross To Host Volunteer Open House Jan. 25 In Granville County

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Granville County doesn’t currently have a chapter of the American Red Cross, but a group of local organizers are planning a Volunteer Open House to share information about what it will take to form a volunteer team there.

The open house will take place Thursday, Jan. 25 at The Venue at HighRock Farm, located at 2317 Enon Rd., Oxford from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Red Cross is known for blood drives and disaster relief efforts across the globe. But did you know that the organization also needs volunteers to help deliver the blood that gets donated and that most of the U.S. disasters are house fires?

“Just knowing that someone is there to lend a helping hand during these trying times provides a light of hope for Granville County residents,” said Laurie Hughes, Executive Director of the Greater Triangle Area Chapter, American Red Cross of North Carolina. “Please join us by resolving to help as a Red Cross volunteer and ensure no one faces life’s emergencies alone.”

The open house is free and all ages are welcome. There will be Hands Only CPR training, and participants can learn more about all the volunteer opportunities available with the Red Cross.

Light refreshments will be served, and organizers would like anyone interested in attending to RSVP by contacting Lesley Ireland at 919.709.8129 or Lesley.Ireland@redcross.org.

The need for volunteers is constant. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to learn more, including the most-needed positions:

  • Blood donor ambassadors and transportation specialists: Blood donations are essential to the health of our communities, and blood donor ambassadors are a vital part of this work by welcoming visitors and taking their temperatures before entering Red Cross facilities and blood drives. Visitors could include potential blood donors, people seeking help, training course participants, and Red Cross employees and volunteers. We also have a high need for transportation specialists in Durham and Wake Counties to help deliver blood from our facilities to local hospitals.
  • Disaster response volunteers: Most of the U.S. disasters that the Red Cross responds to every eight minutes are local home fires, which can destroy nearly everything a family owns in a matter of minutes. Partnering with local fire departments, Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers connect with families by video or phone call to provide emotional support, emergency financial assistance and information to help families begin to recover.
  • Volunteer from home (virtual positions): Help from the comfort of your own home through a wide range of virtual opportunities.

VGCC Celebrates MLK At Jan. 23 Event

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Information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

 

The community is invited to Vance-Granville Community College Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 12:30 p.m. to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The celebration, titled “Decreasing Inequities and Increasing Opportunities” is hosted by the VGCC Men’s Achievement Academy and V.I.E.W., Vance-Granville’s Initiative on Equity for Women.

The event will be held at the VGCC Main Campus Civic Center and is free to attend.

“Expect an inspiring speech from Dr. Kelvin Bullock, Executive Director for Equity & Professional Development for Durham Public Schools, as well as songs from the VGCC Staff Choir,” said VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

Please RSVP at www.vgcc.edu to help event organizers get a count of projected attendance. Refreshments will be served.