Tag Archive for: #vancecountyboardofcommissioners

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The Local Skinny! Vance Co. Commissioners’ Special Called Meeting Tuesday, Dec. 16 At 4 P.M.

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. to hold public hearings on several zoning requests and to receive and potentially approve a fiscal operations policy.

According to information from Clerk to the Board Dywanda Pettaway, Board Chair Carolyn Faines called the meeting, which will be held in the commissioners’ conference room of the county’s administration building, 122 Young St.

The two rezoning requests – (ZMA25-003 & ZMA25-004) – are pursuant to Section 11.2(D)(1) of the County Zoning  Ordinance and N.C. G.S. 160D. Article 6.

Public hearings regarding the two rezoning requests will be held beginning at 4 p.m., after which the commissioners will receive an updated fiscal operations policy. The board may choose to approve this policy, which contains information detailing county procedures and policies “designed to reflect best practice, not minimum practice,” according to information from Finance Director Stephanie Williams. “The intention is to create a consistent, disciplined framework that supports the long-term financial health of Vance County,” the statement continued.

 

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TownTalk: Sheriff Brame Set To Bring County Vehicle Policy Objections To Commissioners

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UPDATE: Dec 1 at 11 p.m.

The Vance County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to have Chair Carolyn Faines continue in the role for 2026. The board also elected newcomer Charisse Fain to the role of vice chair.

In making his motion to nominate Faines, Commissioner Tommy Hester told Faines she’d done an “outstanding job. I’d like to spend my last year with you as chair.”

Commissioner Leo Kelly seconded the motion.

Kelly nominated Fain to be vice chair. That motion was seconded by Hester and also was passed without objection.

After adopting the 2026 holiday, work session and meeting agendas, the commissioners heard from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, who appeared before the board to express his concerns about the county vehicle acceptable use policy, which was approved in September.

Before Brame’s comments, Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry told the board that liability and risk are prime concerns for her.

She cited costs the county has incurred -$212,000 in jail repairs, $690,000 in emergency pay and an $80,000 increase in liability insurance due to concerns at the jail and with the Department of Social Services handling of child welfare cases.

The county implemented one cost-saving measure during spring budget deliberations – switching to leased vehicles, including vehicles destined for the sheriff’s office.

Those vehicles remain parked and unused, however, because the manager and the sheriff cannot agree on whether deputies should be allowed to transport their children to and from school.

Perry said she and Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones had met with Brame, who expressed concerns about the new policy. “The only issue he had with the new policy was transport of family and children,” Perry said, adding that the sheriff said he would lose staff members if that one particular benefit was taken away.

“I guess I see the issue totally different than the sheriff. I don’t want any added liability for the county,” Perry said.

Brame said he was all for the county saving money, and agreed to the idea that sheriff’s office replacement vehicles be included in the lease agreement.

But his office hasn’t been able to replace the old vehicles with the new ones because of the impasse.

Brame said that six of his office’s current vehicles have more than 131,000 miles on them. “If we continue to operate those cars, they’re not going to be any good for resale,” Brame said, adding that they will be hazardous and dangerous.

“Holding on to new cars simply because the sheriff disagrees with the county manager,  I think that’s wrong. I really do,” Brame said.

After close to half an hour of discussion and back and forth comments, Commissioner Dan Brummitt made a motion to allow deputies to continue to transport their children to and from school in their work vehicles. The motion failed for lack of a second.

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UPDATE: Dec 1 at 12 p.m.

Sheriff Curtis Brame is set to appear before the Vance County Board of Commissioners Monday to advocate for his deputies about the county’s proposed guidelines for use of county vehicles.

The county decided to stop purchasing vehicles and go with leasing vehicles during its most recent budget process, a cost-cutting move that Brame told WIZS he had no problem with. The main sticking point, however, is over wording in the county’s acceptable use policy that would curtail activities like deputies dropping off or picking up their children from school on their way to or from work in a patrol car.

“I’m agreeing to adopt some of their wording,” Brame told WIZS News. But he said the sheriff doesn’t have to comply with county policies. The sheriff’s office has its own policy that does allow employees to use their work vehicles for non-work activities like dropping children off at school, as well as other personal activities like stopping at the grocery store or driving a patrol car to church when the officer is on call.

“My argument is, I think they are over-stepping their authority,” he continued, by placing certain limitations on the sheriff’s office and its employees.

County Manager C. Renee Perry confirmed that the leased vehicles are being held until a decision is reached at the board of commissioners meeting.

Perry said she has no authority over the sheriff’s car policy, but she added that the leased vehicles are not in the sheriff’s budget.
“All leased vehicles are budgeted under the FY 25/26 budget. They are in central services budget, not the sheriff’s office budget,” Perry stated.

When county staff posed the question about having children or other family members riding in county vehicles would affect the county’s auto insurance, a senior underwriter for the County Risk Group responded that it isn’t recommended, “unless absolutely necessary.”

In an email response to county staff back in August, Ariele D’Angelo stated, “There is some added/risk exposure since if an accident occurs and is the county’s fault, then the county would be on the hook for injuries/deaths to the passengers.”

Brame addressed each of more than 40 points contained in the county’s acceptable use policy for vehicles and noted which ones he agreed with and which ones he did not agree with.

One such portion under Authorized Use states “All passengers accompanying County employees in County vehicles must have a business interest in the travel. Due to insurance limitations and regulations, no other passengers are permitted unless authorized by the County Manager. Any exceptions would require the employee and passenger to complete and have place in their personnel file a waiver of responsibility form.”

Another point Brame takes exception with is in the Driver Requirements portion, which reads: “Passengers who are not employees or authorized Departments of Offices in Vance County are not allowed to be transported in County vehicles except on official County business.”

From Brame’s perspective, seeing a patrol car in the school drop-off or pick-up lanes is a positive thing. Ditto for having a deputy pull into a grocery store parking lot to pick up items on the way home from work or drive a patrol car to church when on call.

“There’s too much down time,” Brame said, if a deputy gets a call and has to drive home to pick up the patrol car before heading to the scene.

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TownTalk: Vance Commissioners Table Action On Updated Emergency Operations Plan, Vote To Terminate Fire Commission

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners were presented an updated version of the county’s approved Emergency Operations Plan but voted to table taking action to allow for more discussion.

Vance County Emergency Management Specialist Willie Kearney presented the draft document – the most recent update had been July 2019.

Kearney said the Vance County Rescue Squad has been removed from the EOP since it had been defunded by the county.

And since the 911 Communications and Emergency Management are no longer housed under Emergency Operations, Kearney stated that that Vivian Lassiter will oversee 911 and Kearney will oversee emergency management services in the plan.

Other proposed changes include an updated mutual aid agreement with the state of North Carolina. That agreement was signed on Sept. 23, 2025 by Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones.

The local Department of Social Services responsibilities were amended in the EOP since DSS is no longer responsible for contacting medical/health care facilities to encourage development of emergency guidelines.

The existing EOP refers to a N.C. General Statute that was repealed and replaced with an updated G.S. concerning emergency declarations, and that also was updated in the draft document.

In other action taken by the board, County Manager C. Renee Perry said, at the direction of Chair Carolyn Faines, she is in the process of reviewing various county committees to determine whether they should be decommissioned.

First up was the Fire Commission, which Perry said she would suggest that the board decommission, since it was created for the specific purpose of resolving issues around the most recent fire study.

Since the commissioners have regularly scheduled work sessions, Perry said the work of individual committees could take place at work sessions instead. Commissioner Tommy Hester made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly, Jr. to decommission the Fire Commission. The lone dissenter was Commissioner Dan Brummitt.

Before the vote was taken, Brummitt said, “I still believe that committees are an essential part of the board. I don’t agree with getting rid of committees…I think we need to continue with our committees.”

Perry said commissioners earlier had decided to move the work of committees to regularly scheduled work sessions, allowing all board members to receive the same information at the same time.

“It’s always good for me not to be surprised with what questions are going to be asked at the meeting, so we can be prepared to answer those questions,” Perry said.

Speaking of work sessions, commissioners voted to cancel the upcoming Nov. 17 work session. Perry made the request, stating that the board would be together twice in December, once for the regular December meeting and the second for the annual retreat.

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TownTalk: Commissioners Approve Revised Emergency Pay Policy For Jail Staffing

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During a special called meeting Monday, the Vance County Commissioners approved a revised emergency pay policy that has been in effect since April to staff the county detention center.

Since the policy was put in place – which allows for employees of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office to fill in at the jail because of staffing shortages – the county has paid more than $483,000 to keep adequate staff at the jail. The funds have come from lapsed salaries.

County Manager C. Renee Perry recommended some changes to the policy to commissioners, which includes removing exempt staff from substituting at the jail, using individual employees’ overtime pay rate and allowing no more than 60 hours overtime per pay period.

The revised policy states that exempt employees and non-exempt staff at a pay grade of 72 or above be excluded from the emergency pay policy.

Sheriff Curtis Brame responded to commissioners’ concerns and said he opposed some of what the manager included in the revised policy. He requested that a cap not be placed on the number of hours an individual can work, and he balked at having on-duty patrol deputies be responsible for transporting detainees.

Brame said that he is down 12 staff at the sheriff’s office, and having patrol deputies transporting detainees would mean they’re not patrolling the county.

“We’re talking about safety, we’re definitely talking about safety,” Brame said. As of Monday, the county has 171 detainees, 63 of which are housed at the county jail. That means that the other 108 are in other detention facilities spread across the state of North Carolina from the coast to the Tennessee border.

In response to questions earlier Tuesday from WIZS, Perry said the sheriff “must reach out for approval in advance, just to ensure that the funds are available, not necessarily if the employees can work – just that funds are available,” she reiterated.

With regard to transport of detainees, Perry said that historically, deputies were able to transport. “My preference is to have his deputies do the actual transport without additional pay on their regular shift,” she said, but added that if that causes an undue hardship she would entertain conversations with the sheriff about that. “He just needs to let me know,” she said.

The policy that Perry proposes states that when the lapses salary well goes dry, the emergency pay policy will end.

Brame said county money needs to be made available to keep the staffing at the jail. He called the fund balance a rainy-day fund, used when emergencies arise. “It’s raining like hell in Vance County,” Brame said, “and I’m getting wet.”

After close to a half hour discussion, Commissioner Tommy Hester made a motion to approve the policy Perry recommended. The motion was seconded and was approved, with a lone “no “vote cast by Commissioner Valencia Perry.

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Vance County Seeks Applicants To Serve On Opioid Committee

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Vance County is looking for individuals interested in serving on its Opioid Committee. The purpose of this committee is to advise the Board of County Commissioners on strategies to address opioid-related impacts in Vance County through the effective use of settlement funds. Its duties include reviewing community needs, identifying evidence-based interventions, encouraging public and municipal input, and promoting intergovernmental collaboration to ensure that funding decisions reflect shared priorities and support long-term solutions.

The Board of County Commissioners is seeking to fill these roles on the committee:

  • Individuals with lived experience (maximum of 2 appointments)
  • Service Providers (maximum of 2 appointments)
  • Community Organizations (maximum of 2 appointments)

Applications may be obtained at www.vancecounty.org or by contacting Kelly H. Grissom, Clerk to the Board at kgrissom@vancecounty.org. Please submit completed applications to 122 Young Street, Suite B, Henderson, NC 27536 or kgrissom@vancecounty.org.

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Commissioners Give Nod To Continuing Joint City, County Code Enforcement Agreement, Nix Matching Funds For Splash Park

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners approved by consensus Monday a request from City Manager Hassan T. Kingsberry to continue the county’s joint building code enforcement agreement with the city.

Although the Henderson City Council had voted to come out of that agreement at its December 2024 meeting, Kingsberry said he has recommended to the council that the existing agreement remain in effect.

“I have the support of the majority of my council,” Kingsberry said.

City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell told WIZS News Thursday the Council voted on June 30 to extend the current contract for two months, until Aug. 31. The Council has not made a formal vote on the matter; rather, the agreement to re-enter the joint agreement with the county was reached by consensus.

Commissioner Tommy Hester said, “I think that is an exceptionally good idea” and

was prepared to make a motion to continue the agreement, but at the recommendation of County Attorney Jonathan Care, the board offered instead a consensus for approval.

Care said he would recommend that county staff go and negotiate and bring back an actual agreement that both parties approve of.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said she would bring an agreement to the September meeting.

In the meantime, because the current agreement expires Aug. 31, Hester made a motion for a 30-day extension. That motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Commissioner Yolanda Feimster was absent from the meeting.

“We need to work with the city any way we can to bring economic development to this community,” Hester said.

Perry said the budget for the department had stayed in place because she didn’t know what the city would decide to do. “We budgeted for a full department, as we have done historically,” she said.

In other action during the meeting, commissioners voted to deny contributing to a matching grant request for funding the Montgomery/William Street splash park.

During her report, Perry reminded commissioners that during an April 2025 work session, Recreation and Parks Department Director Kendrick Vann and the city manager had requested matching funds of $495,000 from the county for the park.

“The match is now $864,982,” Perry said. “I have concerns with the match just because I don’t feel that we’re in a financial position to come up with that type of cash right now.”

“I think my main concern is, this board didn’t know anything about this grant,” she said.

Dan Brummitt made the motion to deny the county match. It was seconded and passed unanimously.

TownTalk: Commissioners Terminate Funding and Contract Relationship with “Rescue Squad”

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In a 4-2 vote, the Vance County Board of Commissioners Monday terminated funding for the Vance County Rescue Squad, effective Sept. 30, 2025.

The county did not renew the contract with the rescue squad, which expired on June 30, but commissioners agreed to a 90-day extension. That extension ends Sept. 30.

During a joint meeting last week of the county’s public safety committee and the fire commission, the discussion ramped up to include the possibility of merging the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, a 501(c)3 organization established in 1953.

Several people spoke Monday night to commissioners in support of the rescue squad during the public comment portion of the meeting, among them, Brandon Link, president of the Vance County Firefighters Association.

County Manager C. Renee Perry told commissioners that the county has the authority to reduce or terminate funding for the rescue squad, but not to dissolve the rescue squad, which is a volunteer organization.

Commissioner Tommy Hester’s motion to terminate funding, effective Sept. 30, was seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly.

Commissioners Dan Brummitt and Valencia Perry cast the “no” votes and Commissioners Hester, Kelly, Chair Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain cast votes in favor of the termination. Commissioner Feimster was absent.

“I want to save taxpayers money,” Hester said. “I want to move forward. I think we’ve got the fire chief to do it,” he said.

Commissioner Perry said, “We need to slow it down,” with regard to making a decision whether to continue funding the rescue squad, which got applause from the audience.

Commissioner Kelly said it’s a matter of looking at consolidation, not trying to put anyone out of business.

“Their service is valuable,” Kelly said, referring to the Vance County Rescue Squad.

During a joint meeting last week of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and the Vance County Commissioner Public Safety Committee, Vance County Fire Department Chief Marvin Harrison said, “Let us move forward, grounded in truth and committed to collaboration, for the good of the public we are sworn to protect.”

At that joint meeting, Manager Perry said, “I have so much confidence in the Vance County Fire Department.  If the commissioners choose to end the contract on sept. 30, I have no doubt in my mind that the Vance County citizens will be ok.“

The outcome is contrary to what the fire association said it wanted in a letter written after its mid-July meeting.  The fire association wanted the Rescue Squad funded the same as other volunteer departments in Vance County, with a contract for 2025-2028 in place.

Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-5-25 AFTER the Vance County Commissioners Meeting

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Click Play for TownTalk Audio on 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting

UPDATE 8-4-25 BEFORE the Vance County Commissioners Meeting

Members of the Vance County Firefighter’s Association and Vance County Commissioners Public Safety Committee held a joint meeting last week to continue discussions about the future – and fate – of the Vance County Rescue Squad.

The Vance County Board of Commissioners did not renew a contract with the rescue squad, which ended on June 30. The commissioners did, however, agree to a 90-day extension. That period ends Sept. 30, 2025.

During the joint meeting, County Manager C. Renee Perry said the item would be on tonight’s agenda for the commissioners’ regular monthly meeting, which begins at 6 p.m.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt, a member of the Public Safety Committee, shared contents of a letter signed by seven members of the Vance County Firefighters Association which offered support for the rescue squad.

“The association sees the benefit of the Vance County Rescue Squad and supports that organization and their mission to protect the citizens of Vance County,” the letter states.

“The certifications, equipment, and experience of the rescue squad, serving continuously since 1953, are an asset to all fire departments and citizens in Vance County,” it continued. The letter called for the county to reinstate the three-year contract with the rescue squad for 2025-28 and that the rescue squad be fully funded in 2025-26 just like all the other departments.

Brummitt said, “These are the guys that are out in the field. These are the guys that know what they’re doing and these are the ones that put their lives on the line every day and they’re asking for the support of the rescue squad. So I can’t see how we can do anything any different.”

Back in 2023, a fire study completed by AP Triton recommended that the county consider merging or at least increasing collaboration between the Vance County Fire Department and the Vance County Rescue Squad, County Manager C. Renee Perry reminded.

If the two entities merge, Perry said the rescue squad members would have to apply for positions with the Vance County Fire Dept and be part-time personnel. She said she didn’t know how a merger would affect the rescue squad assets (equipment). The rescue squad has been in operation since 1953 and is a nonprofit organization. Its members are volunteers.

Brummitt said he would get behind creating a combination department to allow to have paid staff and volunteers, just like the county’s other fire departments.

“It would save money and would allow us to spend money in other areas of the county to offer equal protection to all of our citizens in the county,” Brummitt said.

Brummitt continued, “It would not do away with the department, it would do away with the structure of the department.”

To which Perry said, “The study did not recommend that.” It recommended that the Vance County Fire Department (Golden Belt) remain a career fire department.

Brummitt took issue with other findings in the 2023 fire study, including response times. He said some redistricting could improve call times.

Public Safety Committee, Fire Commission Plan Joint Meeting July 29 To Discuss Fire Study, Future Of Rescue Squad

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The county’s Public Safety Committee and the Vance County Fire Commission have scheduled a joint meeting on Tuesday, July 29 at 4 p.m. to discuss the fire study.

The public safety committee consists of Commissioners Dan Brummitt, Valencia Perry and Board Chair Carolyn Faines.

At Monday’s regular monthly meeting, commissioners discussed the pros and cons of having a separate county rescue squad. The contract extension ended on June 30, but commissioners approved a 90-day extension to allow for more discussion before making a final decision.

Commissioners heard from Rescue Squad Chief Doyle Carpunky about the role of the rescue squad and the specialized certifications necessary for rescue squad members to perform several different types of rescues, including high-angle and water rescues.

Carpunky spent the early moments of his presentation refuting information shared at the previous meeting about the status of rescue squads in other counties.

He talked about the extensive training involved in the rescue certification process. Members of the rescue squad do more than water rescues, but besides the City of Henderson fire department, only Watkins Volunteer Fire Department is heavy-rescue certified. More than half of the rescue squad members are fire certified, he said.

The commissioners agreed to a 90-day contract extension so allow time for the county to purchase equipment and Vance County Fire Chief Marvin Harrison shared information about various pieces of equipment that he’s been researching.

“All departments should be self-sufficient in every way,” he said. Harrison is looking at an all-terrain vehicle, as well as different types of water craft, including one that rescuers can dive from, and an inflatable craft. Harrison said whatever equipment is purchased would be available to any of the county’s fire departments.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt said sending the issue back to the public safety committee would allow for more in-depth conversation. He said the county shouldn’t be spending taxpayers’ money “duplicating things that we already have that we could be working together on.”

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Vance County Schools’ Certified, Classified Staff Could Benefit In FY 2025-26 County Budget

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When the Vance County Board of Commissioners convenes next week to adopt the FY 2025-26 budget, teachers and classified staff in Vance County Schools will be among those listening closely to learn whether they will be getting a bigger supplement or – in the case of classified staff, a bump in pay.

The commissioners discussed increasing the amount the school district gets from the county for this purpose at a budget work session on Monday, June 16.

It will add about $1.2 million to the total county budget, which stands now at more than $66 million.

VCS Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett said local funding provides vital support for areas not covered by federal or state sources. Teacher supplements is one such area.

Bennett told WIZS News that certified teaching staff currently get a supplement of $2,500 – that amount hasn’t gone up since at least 1999 – that’s 25 years.

In its funding request to commissioners, the Vance County Board of Education had asked that the supplement be doubled, and that classified staff get a 10 percent salary supplement.

Commissioners discussed providing $1,000 for certified staff and a 2 percent increase for classified staff.

“This supplement is funded through local appropriations and is included in the annual budget approved by the Vance County Board of Commissioners,” Bennett said. “Though the amount of teachers has decreased with fewer students in the district, expenses have increased in many areas, most notably insurance rates, state-mandated pay raises for locally funded positions, and increased payments to charter schools,” she stated.

Bennett acknowledged the collaboration between the school district and county leaders with regard to educator compensation, calling it “an encouraging step in the right direction.”

She said she and school leaders “remain hopeful that additional support will be appropriated, inclusive of our classified staff.”

Local supplements help attract and retain teacher talent, Bennett said. School districts in larger counties can offer larger supplements, making it difficult for smaller districts to keep teachers.

Bennett said that once the county has approved its budget, 30 percent of the money appropriated to Vance County Schools is distributed to charter schools. “Currently, there are 21 charter schools who receive funding from these appropriations for 2,113 students,” Bennett said.

Data from 2023-24 shows Vance County ranks 101st among the state’s 115 Local Education Agencies In North Carolina for local per-pupil expenditure, with $1,748.12 per pupil.

Granville County ranks 33rd at $2,918.94 per pupil, Warren County ranks 21st at $3,405.61 per pupil and Franklin County is 52nd at $2,531.59 per pupil.

This information comes from the N.C. Public Schools Statistical Profile, found in the following link: http://apps.schools.nc.gov/ords/f?p=145:34:::NO:::

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Vance County $1.5M Vehicle Lease Agreement Will Save Thousands Of Dollars

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Beginning July 1, Vance County will begin leasing vehicles, a move that County Manager C. Renee Perry said will be “a good cost savings” for the county.

The county commissioners approved moving forward with the plan at a March work session, Perry told WIZS News.

“We’ll no longer purchase vehicles,” she said. “At some point, all of our vehicles will be leased.”

Because the county is on the Local Government Commission’s Unit Assistance List , the five year, $1.5 million dollar plan had to be approved by the LGC, which it did at its meeting earlier this week.

The plan could mean substantial savings for the county as it moves toward replacement of its entire fleet of vehicles.

“Normally, we budget around $480,000 just for new sheriff vehicles,” Perry said.  The cost for the lease agreement works out to be about $300,000 each year of the five-year plan.

“That’s a good thing for Vance County, for sure,” she said.