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State Takes Temporary Leadership Of Vance County DSS Child Welfare Services Wednesday, May 14

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— Information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

 

Effective tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will temporarily assume leadership of child welfare services at the Vance County Department of Social Services, as authorized under state law.

Vance County leadership and Vance County DSS staff received this letter earlier today. Both have expressed support for this temporary action by the state.

“We take very seriously the department’s role in protecting the safety and well-being of children and families involved in the child welfare system,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “This urgent, temporary action is necessary for us to work directly with Vance County staff, improve the county’s ability to effectively administer child welfare services, and ensure better outcomes for children and families in the county moving forward.”

NCDHHS has been working closely with Vance County DSS since July 2024 to address serious concerns over their practice and delivery of child welfare services. Vance County DSS has not demonstrated significant progress toward addressing these concerns, resulting in a substantial threat to the safety and welfare of children in the county who receive or are eligible for these services.

Due to the urgency of this situation, NCDHHS is taking action to assume control over Vance County’s child welfare services and will be on-site administering services as of Wednesday, May 14.

“To all DSS Partners, in spirit together we stand successfully, divided we will continue to fall. We can achieve climbing this mountain,” said Rev. Dr. Leonard Frieson Sr, Vance County DSS Board Chairman.

“We have a strong team at the Department of Social Services and as we move forward with shifting these services to DHHS, our goal is simple: make sure kids and families get the support they need, when they need it. This isn’t about stepping back—it’s about making smart changes that help us serve the community even better,” said Vance County Manager Renee Perry.

NCDHHS staff will remain on-site at Vance County DSS throughout this interim period and will work closely with staff to manage and stabilize child welfare services. The department is also working with the county to develop a plan to bring their child welfare services into compliance with all applicable laws and appropriate practices. This temporary action is authorized under N.C.G.S. § 108A-74.

Read the letter here: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/vance-county-assumption-authority-secretary/open

 

TownTalk: Henderson City Council Meeting Budget Presented

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Henderson Finance Director Joey Fuqua presented the FY 2025-26 proposed budget of $54.5 million to the City Council Monday. The balanced budget means that no tax increase will be called for, but the city will have to dip big into its fund balance – to the tune of $4,058,000.

Fuqua called the budget “conservative” and “really challenging,” indicating that he had to deal with a shortfall of about $880,000.

In broad terms, increased salaries that outpace revenues from proposed development are a big reason for the shortfall, and Fuqua said the city implemented savings strategies in January to help as much as possible. The total budget – 54,517,011 – represents a very conservative 1 percent increase over last year’s budget.

Facing a $880,000 shortfall, Fuqua  turned to cost-saving measures in January 2025 to help stem the tide. He also turned to the city’s department heads to look for savings.

“Police and fire collectively were able to come up with $300,000 in savings within their budget,” Fuqua told WIZS Monday. The rest of the savings came from across other departments, further chipping away at the shortfall.

Those cost-saving measures and a healthy fund balance are what enabled Fuqua to keep the current tax rate.

Water and sewer rates will be going up, however. Water rates will increase 13.5 percent over the next two years. Sewer rates will rise by 7 percent over the next two years.

Property tax and sales tax are the city’s primary source of revenue. In Fuqua’s presentation to the Council, he said collections are pacing ahead of last year’s total as of April. Tax collections have remained essentially even to 2024 at 97.26 percent.

He said he did question some numbers coming from the county’s tax department, adding that he expected some of those figures to be adjusted in the city’s favor.

Projected increases in the tax base are just that – projections. And Fuqua told Council members several times during his presentation that the city needs to grow – in population to create new taxpayers and in development to increase the tax base.

“We are not being saved by development because we aren’t having development,” he said. Simply put, until the city can afford to pay for services like public safety and more, the tax rate will not be going down.

“.65 is the rate that would be necessary to pay for the salaries that the city has arrived at over a number of recent years,” Fuqua explained to WIZS Monday night after the meeting concluded. “We’re on the hook for those that hit the bottom line…when you factor in those salary levels and all the fringe, .65 is what’s going to pay for it. We don’t have other forms of revenue to supplement what we have to do to make that mark.”

The City Council has scheduled its first budget work session for May 19 at 6 p.m. The new budget must be adopted by July 1, 2025 when the new fiscal year begins.

 

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The Henderson City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 12 for its regular monthly meeting.  Items on the agenda include presentation of the 2025-26 city budget and a discussion of water and sewer rate increases.

Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott has announced a special called meeting set for 5 p.m. as well, to discuss a personnel matter, according to information from Clerk Tracey Kimbrell. Water and sewer rates have remained the same for six years, and results of a study were presented to Council during a September 2024 work session. The study concluded that a significant adjustment to the water rates was needed, while a less substantial adjustment to the sewer rates was also required. The Council is expected to act on the resolution to increase the rates.

Anyone wishing to address the Council must do so in person or submit questions/comments to the City Clerk by 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

Join the Zoom Meeting at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81365676350?pwd=B5woNmYx1X0G0s3VTpBOptHqPWY2eA.1

Originally written and posted on May 12, 2025

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TownTalk: Council Restricts Mayor’s Time At City Hall, Reinstates Daeke As Mayor Pro Tem

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The Henderson City Council voted 6-2 Monday to limit the time Mayor Melissa Elliott can spend at City Hall to no more than two hours twice a week until it can review information contained in recent employee surveys.

It was one of two items added to Monday’s agenda at the request of Council Member Lamont Noel. The other item concerned removing Michael Venable as mayor pro tem and reinstating Garry Daeke.

Daeke, Noel and Council Member Sara Coffey were not present when Venable was voted in as pro tem back in February. The action violates the rule that all members be present to vote on agenda additions.

Coffey made the motion, which Venable seconded. The motion passed 7-1, with Council Member Geraldine Champion voting no.

Coming on the heels of the mayor pro tem vote was Noel’s recommendation to restrict – temporarily – the amount of time that the mayor can spend at City Hall.

Noel told WIZS News Monday night that the move was made “to offer relief based on the complaints that we have received in the employee surveys. The findings were rather alarming,” he said, without going into any details.

Noel continued by saying the Council needs to carefully review and consider the information in the employee surveys to determine next steps. In the meantime, Elliott was to turn in her key fob and limit her time to no more than two hours a day, twice a week at City Hall.

Council Member Sam Seifert made a motion to accept Noel’s recommendation. Council Member Daeke seconded the motion and it passed 6-2. Voting no were Council members Champion and Venable.

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Impact of Kudzu

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On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Michael Ellington:

We speak about the history and impact of Kudzu. We also discuss our efforts to educate residents on how to control it by hosting research trials at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market community garden.

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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Sheriff Curtis Brame: Two Injured In Friday Shooting

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On Friday, May 9, Vance County deputies responded to the Variety Wholesalers warehouse, located at 1000 Facet Rd. in Henderson, after receiving a report of shots fired in the parking lot.

While deputies were at the scene for further investigation, it was determined that two subjects had walked into Maria Parham Health with gunshot wounds from the incident. Both subjects were transported to Duke Hospital for further treatment for their injuries.

Brame told WIZS Friday afternoon, “I understand it started somewhere else and ended up there,” on the parking lot.

A spokesperson for Variety Wholesalers told WIZS News Friday afternoon that they were aware of the incident and were cooperating with law enforcement officers to determine what happened.

“We are aware of an incident that occurred on Friday afternoon on our Henderson Distribution Center campus where two people
were allegedly shot. We understand that the incident involved a Variety Wholesalers employee and non-Variety Wholesalers employee. We are currently gathering facts and cooperating with authorities to find out more information. We will provide more information as the investigation continues and as we are able to communicate further.”

Neither the identities of the individuals involved in the incident nor their condition has been released.

This matter is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with any information is asked to please contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at 252.738.2200.

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Organic Garden

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On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Wayne Rowland:

Organic gardens can be accomplished by using only organic soil principles.

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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H-V Industrial Park Board Votes Unanimously To Sell Shell Building For $3M

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The Henderson-Vance Industrial Park Board approved Wednesday afternoon to sell the shell building and 10 acres of property in the park to Linde Gas & Equipment, Inc., a leading global industrial gases and engineering company.

County Attorney Jonathan Care said this deal is better by about $300,000 than previous deals to purchase the building. Two other companies had expressed interest in the building, but both deals fell through.

Board President Tommy Hester called the meeting for 4 p.m. Wednesday, after getting the go-ahead from commissioners to sell for $135,000 three acres of land in the park to Linde in addition to the building and the seven acres it sits on. The industrial park board owns the building and the seven acres, located at 39 Commerce Dr. inside the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park near the U.S. 1 Bypass.

It took less than 10 minutes for the board to reach a unanimous vote in favor of the sale, which will total $3,135,000. Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott made the motion, seconded by Vance County Commissioner Leo Kelly and the motion passed unanimously. Hester and Henderson Mayor Pro Tem Michael Venable, along with Elliott and Kelly, comprise the board.

Hester called it “one of the best deals ever for this community.” The company has said the plan is to finish out the building with a $25 million investment and initially hire about 30 employees before ramping up to 50 or 60 soon thereafter.

Hester told WIZS News that he had gotten endorsements from N.C. Sen. Lisa Barnes and N.C. Rep. Matthew Winslow, who fully support the project.

“We don’t need to miss this,” Hester said. And with endorsements from local legislators, Hester said it helps attract more projects to the county in the future.

The sale of the shell building and adjacent property is a win all the way around, Hester said – for the county, the city and for economic development.

One of the drawing cards to Vance County for Linde, Hester said, is the area’s commitment to invest in the community. “If you build it, they’ll come,” Hester said at the outset of the Wednesday meeting.

Linde is willing to put down $60,000 in earnest money, complete a 90-day due diligence process, with the possibility of an extra 30 days if needed. After the due diligence is completed, they’ll be able to close within 15 days.

The company did ask the county and the industrial park board to consider future zoning to ensure that any future “neighbors” would not be inconsistent with itsoperation.

The county will provide any environmental studies that are available, and the park board will pay 3 percent to the buying agent at closing.

As Hester explained, Linde will buy the building and seven acres for $3 million, then invest $25 million to finish it out. The average worker’s salary is about $60,000, so it will help Vance County’s status as a Tier 1 county. He said company officials have already stated they want to eventually expand the building from the current 57,000 square feet to 97,000 square feet.

Expanding the tax base, hiring workers and putting the shell building back on the tax books all spell progress and growth, Hester said.

And although city leaders at the time chose not to share the costs for constructing the shell building, the city will get the benefit of having the new occupant pay for water and sewer, which the city furnishes.

According to Hester, Linde’s home office is in New Jersey. This facility will be used to create a high-pressure and liquid filling facility for industrial, specialty and medical gases to serve the Research Triangle Park, as well as other markets in North Carolina and Virginia.

“They don’t have anything else on the East Coast for manufacturing,” he said.

They’re going to pay cash, and there are no incentives offered to locate here, Hester said.

Care said Linde is looking to expand and grow. “This was the property that they concentrated on,” he said, adding that the prospective buyer has done everything that they said they were going to do during the process.

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