Tag Archive for: #VanceCounty

TownTalk: Collaboration Is Key Where Economic Development Is Concerned

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The public-private partnership model of economic development is a popular approach that allows for a healthy cross-section of individuals to come together as a unified front to promote a particular area.

It’s a concept that members of the Henderson Vance Economic Development Commission wanted to learn more about, and HVEDC Director Ferdinand Rouse delivered at the group’s February meeting.

A driving force behind economic development is the desire to bring dollars and jobs to a community. Having a public-private partnership has numerous advantages, which Rouse reviewed with the HVEDC members.

Such a partnership, described as an implementation organization, usually is formed as a nonprofit organization that gets funding from both the private and public sectors.

According to research Rouse shared, one advantage of this model is that it is less susceptible to political changes. Other advantages include having access to greater capital investment, the ability to make decisions more quickly, maintaining operational flexibility while having access to governmental powers and resources and enhanced connections to businesses and potential prospects through private sector members

Potential downsides could include concerns about transparency, less direct governmental influence and the lack of strong relationships with public bodies to enact policy effectively.

After Rouse’s presentation, the board discussed potential structural changes to align with the public-private partnership model.

Rouse said they’d have to present the idea to the county commissioners and city council and then do some type of feasibility study to determine what the best approach likely would be.

Some communities, especially smaller communities, have merged with an existing organization like the Chamber of Commerce instead of forming its own nonprofit.

Nonprofit organizations can apply for grant funding from foundations like the Cannon Foundation, Golden Leaf Foundation, the John Hope Foundation and Duke Energy, among others, to help create the model they’re striving for.

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TownTalk: Vance Commissioners Retreat Recap – Part 3 – Tax Reval Cycle

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners is likely going to consider a shorter time between real property revaluations than the current eight-year cycle.

It’s a move that county staff recommends, and following a discussion at the Jan. 9 annual retreat, it’s something that most commissioners would appear to get behind.

Vance County is one of about 30 counties across the state still using the eight-year cycle – which is the maximum time the state allows. Granville and Franklin counties, for example, currently are a on six-year cycle. By comparison, Wake County undergoes a revaluation every two years; about two-thirds of the state’s 100 counties use either a four-year or six-year cycle.

Many county residents experienced “sticker shock” when they opened their 2024 tax bills. More than 1,400 residents made appeals, according to County Tax Adminstrator Jennifer D. Williams.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt asked how many of those appeals resulted in adjustments to tax bills.” That would be good information to have,” Brummitt stated, expressing criticism about the results of the 2024 revaluation process.

The county contracts with an outside company to conduct the revaluations – it’s a long process that takes a couple of years to complete and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The 2024 revaluation cost was about $892,000 – one reason for the high price tag was because the reval included a full measurement of every single property in the county. That process doesn’t happen with every revaluation cycle, so future revals shouldn’t be as costly, Williams noted.

Another reason the price tag was so high is because the county doesn’t have the personnel in-house to do the work. With one appraiser on the county payroll, it simply isn’t something the county can do itself, and so it must contract with an outside company.

Williams said the N.C. Dept of Revenue and the UNC School of Government recommend having one appraiser on staff for every 10,000 parcels; Vance County has more than 20,000 parcels.

There’s a lot more to the revaluation process than many realize, and, despite efforts to communicate with county residents that the process was taking place, Williams said there was a great deal of “citizen frustration” and “sticker shock” once the bills hit mailboxes.

She said the county disseminated the information in a variety of ways, from putting notices in bills to speaking at events in the community.

“There was at least a two-year ramp-up leading up to a revaluation date,” Williams said, adding that the goal is to inform and educate – “we try to let them know what’s coming…(and) that the assessed value may not always mean an increase (in tax bills).”

Commissioner Leo Kelly said, “I don’t know what the answer is…you just do a little bit of everything” to try to communicate with residents in the most effective way.

Kelly said he would like to see future public information sessions held in the commissioners’ meeting room where county staff could address residents’ questions.

Williams said a six-year revaluation cycle would promote accuracy and improve taxpayer confidence.

Brummitt agreed that it may be time to start a conversation about a shorter revaluation cycle, but he would not be in favor of changing it right now.

“To knee jerk and move to a shorter cycle doesn’t make sense,” he said, adding that the county needs to be prepared for a shorter cycle, but he isn’t ready to introduce that change just yet.

“We’re seeing pretty consistent growth throughout the county,” he said, mentioning the nearby I-885 shortening the time it takes to get to RTP and the increased interest in properties around Kerr Lake thanks to the Microsoft data center near Boydton.

If the revaluation cycle shortens to six years it would be conducted in 2030 instead of 2032. But the county would need to get started in 2028 to get everything in order, Williams said.

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Investigation Involving Vance County Tax Office Results In Criminal Charges; One Arrest Made

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A county tax office employee was arrested Wednesday on charges of embezzlement, according to information from the State Bureau of Investigation.

Brianna Kele Anderson, 28, faces three felony counts of Embezzlement of Taxes by Officer, the SBI press release stated. After her first court appearance, Anderson was released on a $105,000 secured bond.

According to the SBI, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office requested its assistance on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 regarding allegations of embezzlement.

A press statement issued right around 12 noon on Wednesday from the office of County Manager C. Renee Perry confirmed the investigation, adding that sufficient evidence was established to support criminal charges.

“Due to the matter now being within the judicial process, Vance County is limited in the details it can release at this time. The County remains committed to transparency, accountability, and cooperation with law enforcement while respecting the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings,” the statement read, adding that the SBI is the lead investigative agency in the matter.

No further details were made available.

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Vance County America 250 Committee

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UPDATE 11-3-25:

UPDATE 10-30-25:

The Vance County America 250 committee convened Thursday afternoon to begin making plans to celebrate the 250th birthday of these United States.

Vance County Economic Development Director Ferdinand Rouse led the meeting, but the group will be chaired by Barbara Harrison, with Angie Ryan serving as vice chair and Tem Blackburn serving as secretary.

Dr. Tim Hall, K-12 Social Studies instructional coordinator for Vance County Schools, also was present at the meeting.

Harrison is Regent of the John Penn chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution located in Oxford and Blackburn is vice president of the Vance County Historical Society.

This initial meeting was a brainstorming session, and Rouse provided some context for the local group. The group will meet again on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. at a location to be determined.

The N.C. Department of Cultural Affairs is the point agency for North Carolina, and the official kickoff was in April 2025. Of course, the big event will be July 4 of 2026, but Rouse said events and activities may continue until 2033. The county group will have access to logos and emblems to use for local activities, both existing and new that the committee may create.

County Manager Renee Perry had told commissioners that the county had received a $10,000 grant to fund local America 250 activities and events.

There are existing activities that could be aligned with the special commemoration – think July 4 fireworks at Kerr Lake, for example.

And Blackburn said the historical society is working to secure grant funding to place two-sided banners on Garnett, Breckenridge and Chestnut streets to honor the 125 Vance County individuals who died in wars from World War I to the Iraq War.

Blackburn said the thinking is to put up the banners and have a special ceremony for each war, beginning with the 22 soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.

They’ve got photos of 60 of the 125, but they’ll need help to continue tracking down photos – preferably of the individuals in their uniforms – of the others.

The Veterans Memorial that will be installed in front of the police station is another existing activity that can be aligned with the 250th celebration. Blackburn said the plan is to have that installation complete by July 4, 2026.

Harrison, who is Regent of the John Penn Chapter of the DAR in Oxford, said she’s put in a lot of hours working to get the 13-mile stretch of U.S. 158 between Henderson and Oxford officially recognized as the John Penn Highway.

Apparently, way back in 1927, the highway was given the designation, but there never were any signs placed.

“It’s been granted,” Harrison said of the name designation. “Now it’s a matter of getting the signs.”

Other ideas discussed included the possibility of having a special performance at McGregor Hall of the Broadway show “1776.” If not a live production, then at least a showing of the movie. Concerts by the Community Band or by school bands or choral groups with a theme of patriotic music also were discussed.

Visit https://www.america250.nc.gov/ to learn more about what’s happening at the state level to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday.

To view a recording of the meeting, click  here – from the Vance County YouTube Channel.

But we will have more to post here soon.

UPDATE 10-29-25:

The Vance County America 250 Committee will meet October 30, 2025 for the first time.  The meeting will take place in the commissioner’s meeting room (old courthouse/Admin Building) starting at 4 p.m. and is scheduled to last as long as two hours.

The County intends to make it available on the County’s YouTube Channel as well (here).

Evidenced in the agenda below from the County’s web page, the committee intends to establish itself more formally and begin the earliest stages of planning.

  • Welcome and opening remarks – County Manager
  • Brief introductions of all attendees (name, role, and interest in the committee)
  • Nominations and election of officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer (if applicable)
  • Discussion of officer roles and responsibilities
  • Background on the national and state America 250 celebrations
  • Overview of local goals and opportunities for participation
  • Identify key focus areas (e.g., education, community engagement, heritage, arts and culture, events)
  • Brainstorming ideas for local America 250 events and initiatives
  • Identification of potential partners (schools, civic groups, historical societies, etc.)
  • Summary of decisions made and action items
  • Determine frequency of meetings (monthly, quarterly, etc.)
  • Set next meeting date and location
  • Closing remarks from the Chair

WIZS will continue to update this post and provide details on the radio.

The Local Skinny! County Manager Releases Revised Budget

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Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry said that her $64.3 million proposed budget presented to commissioners last week had some missing information, which prompted a line-by-line review of the numbers to create a revised budget.

The revised budget seems to be about $600,000 more than the original budget, coming in at $64,933,833.

“I know errors happen, but I hated for this to happen,” Perry told WIZS News. ”There was an issue with the data transfer from one spreadsheet to the next, and some of the expenditures and some of the requests did not make it in my budget,” she explained.

Perry said she and her team used a different process with the spreadsheets used to create the budget and “when we merged the data, we didn’t catch that some of the departments’ recommendations were missing, so it threw my numbers off.”

Perry said “something was on my mind” after the Monday, May 5th presentation to commissioners, and when she started looking through the spreadsheets, she realized something was missing.

She emailed commissioners first thing the next day, Tuesday morning May 6, to inform them of the issue.

“As soon as I was aware, I made them aware,” she said.

Perry said she and her team reviewed the budget over the last week, “making sure that we budgeted properly and that what I’m presenting to the commissioners are the things that they need to consider. I don’t want to go after July 1 and realize, ‘Oh, my God!’ we don’t have money for that,” she said.

“I need to present what we need for fiscal year 25-26 in its entirety, and I did not do that (at the Monday meeting). I’m taking full accountability, being transparent…to be able to present what I need to present to my commissioners.”

The revised budget was posted on the county’s website this Wednesday, May 14, giving commissioners a week to review before the scheduled May 20 budget work session.

The public hearing on the budget remains scheduled on June 2 at the regular monthly commissioners’ meeting.

If you happened to notice the first scheduled budget work session for this past Monday, May 12th, was cancelled.  This is the reason why.

In Perry’s cover letter to the budget presented to commissioners, she wrote:

“With all funds balanced and revenues and expenditures noted, this budget will not only meet statutory requirements but primarily seek to move Vance County forward in the next fiscal year by continuing to address needs within our infrastructure, services, and targeting opportunities of growth to capitalize on the inherent strengths of the communities across the County. The following message will outline points of emphasis and funding within the budget and highlight characteristics of the County that point toward continued strength and growth.”

The manager’s proposed budget does not include an increase nor a decrease in the general fund property tax rate of .7129 per $100 in value. The budget does not include an increase nor a decrease to 5.94 cents fire tax rate.

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SportsTalk: Ballparks and Ball Teams

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SportsTalk 12:30 p.m. M-Th

Scout Hughes and George Hoyle talk about ballparks and fields around Vance County and the chance that they can be a part of a restoration project. That and much more on SportsTalk!

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TownTalk: Vance County Board of Commissioners; Economic Development Incentives

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners on Monday approved putting up more than $43,000 in matching funds as part of an economic incentive package for a company that recently announced its plans to locate in Triangle North Campus near I-85 and Poplar Creek Road in Vance County.

The commissioners’ meeting included a public hearing about the proposed incentives; no members of the public spoke either for or against the plan, which was presented by Vance County Economic Development Director Ferdinand Rouse.

“Project Pinpoint” involves a commitment from Syntec Precision Technology Corp. within five years of locating in the county to invest $10 million in business personal property and create 61 new full-time jobs, with an average salary of just over $46,000.

In support of this investment, Vance County is offering several incentives, according to information in the agenda packet:

  • Vance County tax incentive grant based on taxes paid for business
    personal property, not to exceed $166,390.86;
  • $200,000 Building Reuse Grant with a required $10,000 Vance County match; and
  • $100,000 One NC grant with a required match of $33,333.33 Vance County match.

The matching grants come from N.C. Department of Commerce. The arrival of this company is expected to stimulate significant investment in the local economy, generate new jobs with competitive wages, and foster economic growth and development opportunities for the county.

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TownTalk: Vance County Child Well-Being Landscape Analysis February 2025

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The executive summary of a 47-page report released earlier this month paints a sobering picture for children in Vance County, and includes information about challenges, disparities and gaps in a range of services in the community to support children’s well-being.

A project team from Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina gathered information from 16 community partners who agreed to participate in the study. Through these structured interviews, the team learned about current programs and services available to children and families in the county, as well as identify the most pressing issues and challenges children here face and how those challenges affect children’s well-being.

“Children in Vance County face significantly greater challenges than those confronting the average child in North Carolina,” the executive report states. “This disparity can be significantly reduced by increasing collaboration among the agencies and organizations that serve the most vulnerable families and children in Vance County.”

PCANC provided a project team for the study and worked in partnership with Cara Gill, executive director of Strength and Mending Child Advocacy Center of Henderson. The study was commissioned by Triangle North Healthcare Foundation with support from the John William Pope Foundation.

In the North Carolina Public School Forum’s 2023 report called The Roadmap of Need: A Whole Child Needs Assessment for North Carolina Youth, Vance County ranked 93rd worst out of 100 counties for “indicators of wellness across five domains: economic development, physical health, mental health and safety, education inputs and education outcomes.”

The recently released TNHF report uses this information, as well as information from a 2022 vulnerability assessment for the Kerr-Tar COG which states that “Vance County residents, specifically near the county seat of Henderson, should be considered the most vulnerable group in the region.”

The TNHF report includes a list of programs, agencies and resources in the county that work to meet the needs of children and families, from social service agencies to food, housing and day care, to name a few.

The study participants identified mental health needs among the top needs that affect the children in the county. A shortage of programs and staff means more than half the county’s children and adults aren’t able to access the behavioral health care they need.

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2/26/24 – Click Play!

Short Term, Depopulate; Long Term, What Does Architect Firm Think

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At a Vance County Board of Commissioners special called meeting Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock, a motion was voted on and passed 4 to 2 in favor of moving forward with an existing request for quote (RFQ) between the county and Mosley Architects for work at the existing jail as well as building a new jail.

Commissioner Tommy Hester made the motion, and it was seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly.

The main idea appears to be to get an updated quote and find out the architect’s recommendation.

Sheriff Curtis Brame and Major William Mitchell spoke to commissioners at the regular monthly meeting a week ago, February 3, and emphasized the need to reach some decision about addressing the needs of the jail and to develop a plan of action.

The vote now will show state officials some progress here in Vance County, and it does put a plan of action into motion.

Following its most recent inspection in December, inspectors extended until February 21 the deadline for Brame and staff to address 88 deficiencies outlined in the inspection report.  Mitchell indicated the commissioners’ decision would be helpful.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt said some officials in Granville County continue to be receptive to a regional facility and that it could be done, perhaps for less than $45 million. Brummitt spoke of a larger jail and voiced his opinion that a regional facility makes sense in the long run.

He and commissioner Valencia Perry voted against the motion.

Hester said he didn’t think four or five counties would work and said, “We’ve got to do what we have to do for the folks in Vance County and move forward. Hire the architect and move forward right now.”

Board chairperson Carolyn Faines indicated Vance County had been “back and forth with Granville County about the regional concept,” and she said she didn’t think it was going to work. She said she thought Granville would have given Vance a yes by now.

Major Mitchell voiced in the special meeting a scenario that would cut down or perhaps reduce or eliminate the need to spend money on the current facility.

Mitchell talked about keeping 20 detainees in house here at The Vance County jail and housing 80 at other facilities.

An open dorm and holding cell here would allow those arrested here locally to still be detained immediately before being moved to another holding location.

Mitchell said he had spoken with the chief jail inspector for the State of North Carolina, Chris Wood, and it is likely that the state would sign off on that scenario.

In an example, Mitchell used what he called a safe figure annually of $2.5 million to house detainees out of the county. He cited the 2024 jail budget of $4.9 million and said that the county could conceivably have a cost savings while doing a remodeling or rebuilding of the jail.

Through memorandums of understanding with the out-of-county facilities, the example figure of $70 per detainee would include meals, bedding and incidentals. If so, Vance County would be responsible for transportation and outside medical, specifically hospitalization, for example.

Additionally, there are so many unfilled positions right now within the jail that the lapsed salaries and the “money savings” from the lapsed salaries would help cover some of these expenses.

Hester said Vance County is in a position now that it has to move forward.  He spoke of planning and construction of a new jail taking three to four years to complete and $50 million. County Manager Renee Perry could be heard agreeing with Hester’s remarks.

Mitchell indicated actions were already underway to depopulate the jail.

Commissioner Perry cited concerns with this same group of detainees being taken elsewhere and possibly being brought back again for misconduct. It has happened before. She said these same detainees continue to be so disruptive and indicated that she could not see how this proposal would be different.

Using Mitchell’s estimate of $70 per day per detainee figure from last week’s regular meeting, he reminded the board at the special called meeting that $511,000 is saved annually for every 20 detainees removed who do not have to be held somewhere else.

Sheriff Brame said that he was planning to speak with 22 sheriffs Tuesday, February 11 about the continued need to depopulate the Vance County Jail.

Mitchell also disclosed in the special called meeting that the district attorney had arranged special sessions of court where attorneys could discuss a case with the detainee, then appear before a judge.

Apparently, the judges are on board, and the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office are working together with over 40-some cases already worked on towards either a bond for the detainee, time served or removal to the Department of Adult Corrections.

Part of the delay in moving detainees out, according to what Mitchell said, is attorneys have not wanted to go to the jail to see clients and the space for attorney/client meetings at the jail is inhospitable, lacking even an electrical outlet to power a laptop computer that may develop a dead battery after an hour or so.

To combat that impediment, Brame and staff have, in the last 30 days, been bringing detainees to the sheriff’s office so they can meet with their attorneys.

Vance County Commissioners Meeting 1-6-25 Includes 24-25 Budget Public Hearing

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Update 1-5-25:

Straight from the Vance County Commissioners meeting 1-6-25 agenda, the meeting will include within the first few items a fiscal year 2025-2026 pre-budget public hearing.

The public notice says, “The Vance County Board of Commissioners will conduct a FY 2025-26 Pre-Budget Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m., or shortly thereafter, on January 6, 2025 in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC.”

Before the Board of Commissioners begins work on next year’s budget, the board “is interested in receiving suggestions and priorities from residents to help them in the development of the budget.”

This is one of two required public hearings that will be held on the budget.

“The county manager will submit a recommended budget in May and a second public hearing will be held on the proposed budget on June 2, 2025,” the notice within the agenda states.

The budget is supposed to be adopted before July 1, 2024.

The agenda says, “This notice was published on December 24, 2024,” which in North Carolina means it was published in the newspaper.

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