Tag Archive for: #vancecountycommissioners

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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TownTalk: Commissioners Discuss Detention Center Updates, Fiscal Policy Adoption, ABC Expansion

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners approved a budget amendment Monday that will continue covering expenses for detainees held in jails outside the county and other costs stemming from challenges associated with the current state of the detention facility.

Sheriff Curtis Brame and detention center co-administrator Capt. Shannon Hawley appeared before commissioners at the regular monthly meeting to request that funding continue as the county makes decisions about repairs to the existing jail while making plans to construct a new facility.

In the spring of 2025, the state declared that the jail be depopulated – between the physical condition of the jail itself and a staffing shortage, the maximum number of detainees was slashed from more than 100 to 20.

Since that time, with improvements, repairs and better staffing, the jail houses 45 detainees. But there are 100 or more who should be housed locally but are farmed out to other jails willing to take them. That comes at a cost to the county, however.

“The county has invested an inordinate amount of money…a ridiculous amount of money,” Hawley said, but it’s necessary.

“We ask that we continue to fund housing our inmates outside the facility until a new facility can be built,” he added.

Brame said his staff is “scrambling…hurting each and every day,” adding that he worries about the safety of his officers working at the jail, as well as the safety of the detainees.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said the county has spent roughly $1.2 million since April, including $732,000 in emergency pay and $324,000 in repairs to the jail.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt said he’d visited the jail recently and sees “substantial” improvements but added there’s a long way to go. The electronic doors do not work, for example, creating a risk to personnel and to detainees.

“These are things that have got to be done…(we) don’t have a choice,” Brummitt said.

The repairs are projected to be completed in November 2026, Perry said, but noted that the jail capacity would only be 90. The problem will persist, she said, until there is a new facility.

Commissioners also approved a spending cap of $2.93 million to complete the repairs to the existing jail facility as part of the design-build concept being used to bring the jail up to speed as it moves forward with plans for new construction.

The approval places a cap on spending for the renovation/repair portion of the project at $2,938,278.

Commissioners also approved a plan submitted by the local ABC Board to remodel and expand the ABC store on Beckford Drive.

ABC Board Chair Jerry Stainback said the expansion could take up to one year to complete, but he anticipates being able to pay off any financial obligation quickly.

In 2007, when the current store was approved, the ABC Board was able to pay off the note four years early.

The plan calls for a 4,500 square-foot expansion of the current store. “We can’t pay for it all in a year, but we can get it paid in significantly less than 10 years,” Stainback predicted. He said the store does $6 million in sales each year.

Commissioners also approved an updated fiscal operations policy, which had been brought before commissioners at an earlier meeting. Commissioner Tommy Hester made the motion to approve the policy. Commissioner Brummitt voted against.

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The Local Skinny! Vance County Schools Asks Commissioners For 5% Match Of State Grant Funding For Repair Projects

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The majority of Vance County’s schools need some work, from roof repairs and paint  to sewer lift station upgrades and new windows and doors. All that work would surely come with a hefty price tag, but Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett has a work-around that she presented Tuesday to the Vance County Board of Commissioners.

The work-around comes in the form of a state-administered grant for capital improvements and Vance County could stand to get more than $47 million to make those necessary repairs and renovations, Bennett told commissioners Tuesday.

“The capital needs grant allows us to apply for $47.2 million as a school district,” Bennett stated in her comments to the board. All the commissioners need to do is agree to a 5 percent match.

If the school district were to be approved to receive the maximum amount, the 5 percent match would amount to about $2.5 million.

The matching funds wouldn’t have to be paid all at once; rather, the money could come in over the course of the projects, which could take several years.

Bennett and Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry agree that Vance County is poised to receive the funding because of its Tier 1 designation and because it hasn’t applied previously to get the funding.

Time is of the essence, however, and that’s why Bennett and VCS Chief Finance Officer John Suther appealed to the commissioners for financial support. The grant opened on Aug. 15 and the application came online on Aug. 18, Bennett explained. All documentation must be back to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction no later than Oct. 3.

Although she expressed full support for the plan, Perry said she would request that commissioners have a chance to review the documents shared by Bennett before the board makes a decision.

“I’m in full support,” Perry said, but suggested that commissioners review and discuss the matter at an upcoming work session and then make a decision at a special called meeting in a couple of weeks. As of Thursday morning, that special meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. The matching funds for the schools is one of three topics to be discussed.

“We need to look at our fund balance,” Perry said. “We also have to think about (other) capital projects. The school district gets money from the county each year that is designated for capital outlay, so perhaps some of that money from the budget line item could be used as part of the 5 percent match, she said.

Commissioner Tommy Hester called the decision a “no brainer” since the school district normally relies on county funding for capital projects. A 5 percent match is like saying the county will get a 95 percent discount if the state approves the grant funding.

 

(Our WIZS written coverage will appear here soon.)

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TownTalk: Sheriff Brame Requests Extension of Support from County Commissioners

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame appeared before the board of commissioners on Tuesday to thank them for the financial support that allows sheriff’s office employees to give much-needed support at the detention center and to ask for an extension of that support through the end of the year.

In the past five months, County Manager C. Renee Perry said the county has paid more than $483,000. And that is an unsustainable amount, Perry told commissioners at their Tuesday meeting.

Brame contends that much of the money comes from lapsed salaries – money budgeted for positions that haven’t been filled.

“It’s still a lot of money,” Perry told commissioners. “Five hundred thousand is excessive in my opinion.”

Perry estimated that the county has paid for roughly 9,671 hours – at $50/hour to sheriff’s office employees to fill in at the jail. She suggested that the agreement be revised to exclude exempt staff. “We’ve got to get this cost down – we have to,” Perry stated.

Brame said he expects that six of the 12 new jail hires can be certified by Dec. 1.

He said it takes time for employees to be trained, much less certified, for the positions they’ve been hired for.

“Right now, we need it,” Brame told commissioners. The ongoing staffing shortage, coupled with corrective action plans in place by the state spell big challenges for the sheriff, who oversees the detention center.

The state mandated the jail be depopulated, dispersing detainees to other facilities from Cherokee County in the mountains to Brunswick County on the coast.

On any given day, up to four transport teams are traveling to fetch detainees from where they’re being housed to court here in Vance County or to medical appointments. All the while, these teams are on the clock, racking up hours in vehicles, as well as lodging and other associated costs.

The Vance County jail has between 45 and 50 detainees as of Wednesday, but that number can swell temporarily as individuals come in for court appearances and other matters related to due process. Brame said there are about 150 detainees housed in facilities across the state at this time.

Perry said there will come a time when she will have to come before the commissioners to ask them for more money for the jail situation.

“At some point, we won’t have enough money to do a jail,” she said.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt said he would like commissioners to take some time to review the current plan, “probably make some revisions to it to try to tighten the belt a little bit.”

A motion by Commissioner Tommy Hester, seconded by Brummitt, passed unanimously to table a decision until the commissioners’ work session in a couple of weeks.

 

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TownTalk: Commissioners Expected To Adopt $66M Budget Monday, June 23

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners is expected to adopt the FY 2025-26 budget at a meeting to be held at 4 p.m. on June 23. At a budget work session on Monday, June 16, commissioners discussed increasing teacher supplements, skyrocketing insurance costs and cost-of-living adjustments – all of which contributed to $3.1 million in new expenses that caused the budget to be about 10 percent more than last year’s approved budget.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said the 2025-26 budget stands at $66,383,251, which is $1.4 million more than the budget that she presented to commissioners in May.

Perry said $4,068,875 will come from the general fund to balance the budget.

With $1.2 million for health insurance, $1.2 million in additional funds to the school system and $750,000 in cost-of-living adjustments for county employees, the budget had no way to go but up.

Vance County Schools will use the extra $1.2 million to cover a supplement increase to $1,000 for certified teachers and a 2 percent adjustment for classified staff. “This will be recurring annually and it’s three pennies of the tax increase from last year,” Perry told WIZS News Tuesday morning.

During the budget work session, Commission Chair Carolyn Faines vocalized support for teachers. Despite decreasing enrollment, school consolidation and fewer teachers working in the district, Faines said, “Teachers are still teaching…it’s not about how many students or how many teachers.”

Commissioner Leo Kelly advocated for the supplement increase to show “we support you and we’re doing everything we can to keep you,” Kelly said. “I support giving them as much as we can.”

Property and liability insurance rates also climbed by $85,000, Perry said, because of the situation with the Department of Social Services child welfare liabilities takeover by the state and the ongoing issues at the detention center. And Perry Memorial Library Director Patti McNally asked for an additional $63,000 for library employees’ health insurance.

The rates had not been released when the library budget request was submitted, Perry said, so that’s why it was not included in the original request. Library employees are included among those who get health insurance from the county.

“At some point, we have to have discussions on how to possibly reduce our budget,” Perry stated to commissioners, “but also increase our tax base with economic development – we have to.”

About 20 minutes into the work session, Commissioner Tommy Hester asked where the county could look to decrease the budget.

“I’m going to bring up a touchy subject and I might as well bring it up now while we’re looking at a decrease,” Hester said.

He continued by stating that the Vance County Rescue Squad has received more than $785,000 in the past 35 months – that’s about $25,000 a month, he figured.

How much money would the county save if the rescue squad functions were placed under the umbrella of the Vance County Fire Department?

Addressing commissioners, Fire Chief Marvin Harrison said it would be a matter of millions, over 15 or 20 years’ time.

The current contract with the rescue squad ends on June 30, 2025, and commissioners agreed that a 90-day extension would allow for adequate discussion. Faines said she would like to have rescue squad representatives come to the July meeting.

Perry told WIZS News Tuesday that “the rescue squad would be funded for 90 days while Vance County Fire Department purchases equipment and apparatus needed to provide the same service that the rescue squad offers. “A lot of people in this community think that because it’s in Vance County that that’s part of the county. It is not,” Hester emphasized.

Harrison told commissioners that the county has sufficient staff trained for rescue to be successful if a consolidation occurs. Perry confirmed that statement Tuesday. “The county fire department has staff trained currently as well as other volunteer fire agencies trained to assist if needed.”

What the county lacks is the equipment necessary to do the job properly.

Harrison said the rescue squad is supposed to provide the services of heavy rescue, water rescue and another service that he didn’t specify.

Brummitt said the rescue squad assists firefighters on calls. “They…provide air bottles when they’re on scene, they refill air bottles when they’re fighting fires.”

Harrison said it would cost roughly $150,000 – a one-time cost – to purchase the equipment needed to perform the rescue services.

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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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TownTalk: Commissioners Will Combine Committee Meetings, Work Sessions – On A Trial Basis

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The Vance County commissioners will begin holding committee meetings in conjunction with scheduled work sessions – in the commissioners’ meeting room – with an eye on more efficient scheduling and as a way to be available to the public.

Based on a recommendation from the county’s IT staff, holding the committee meetings in the main meeting space will allow the meetings to be livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel.

Merging the committee meetings with the scheduled work sessions will be done on a trial basis, but it’s unclear just how long the trial period will last. The change takes place as a result of the March 17 work session.

Commissioner Leo Kelly said, “I think it’s a good way to handle it right now,” but Commissioner Dan Brummitt said the commissioners’ meeting room may not suit the format of the less formal committee meetings.

Commissioners take no action during committee meetings; rather, committees bring discussion and recommendations to the full board to make decisions. Board Chair Carolyn Faines reminded fellow commissioners that the decision to include committee meetings in the work sessions allows citizens to see this process – either in person, via livestream or by viewing the archived recording.

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Commissioners Give Nod To “Design/Build” Process For Jail Repairs, Renovations

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners have approved a pathway for county staff to proceed with a “design/build” process to make necessary repairs to the jail as it weighs further options for construction of a new detention center.

County Attorney Jonathan Care explained to commissioners at their Monday meeting why he recommends this “new” approach be used for the repairs and expressed the need to move quickly, based on a letter from the state citing, among other things, the poor physical condition of the jail.

Care spelled out options for the short-term repairs needed at the existing jail while pursuing design and construction options for a brand-new jail; the consensus at Monday’s meeting was to use the design/build process for the repairs. Care told commissioners staff could have everything in place by the next meeting, if not sooner, to put that plan in motion.

One of the main components of the design/build approach, he explained, has both the construction side and the design side collaborating on the project instead of hiring an architect to design and then a construction team to build.

“I think that is the absolute best way to move forward,” Care said, “and that is my recommendation to move forward with repairs to our current facility.”

The design/build approach begins with a request for qualification – an RFQ – instead of a request for proposals – an RFP, which often results in awarding projects to the company who submits the lowest bid.

He said the design/build process won’t be the cheapest way, but it should result in fewer change orders during construction and fewer issues that inevitably pop up.

With the repairs, however, “time is as much of a factor as cost is.”

A jail is not something that should be pieced out and parceled, Care said.

“We need to know, down the road, that we’re going to have a facility that isn’t such a unicorn that we’re reliant on one person” to come in and make needed repairs, he said, referencing the problem with broken doors at the jail.

“I can tell you, unfortunately, we’ve experienced some of that in our current facility with updating, remodeling and building…that isn’t working for us, and it’s costing us dearly now.”

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TownTalk: Commissioners Question District 3 Hopefuls

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In a special called meeting Monday afternoon, Vance County Commissioners heard from the four candidates vying for the open District 3 seat on the board.

At the conclusion of the meeting, which lasted less than an hour, Chairwoman Carolyn Faines said she would like to reconvene next week – at a second special called meeting – to vote on which individual will be appointed to fill the seat vacated by Sean Alston more than a month ago. That meeting will take place Monday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room.

The four individuals are Doyle Carpunky, Charisse Fain, Jeanette Floyd and Charles J. Turrentine, Jr. They spoke, in turn, to commissioners about their vision, goals and experiences that they feel will help them if selected to fill Alston’s unexpired term.

Although the commissioners had received copies of their applications, several asked additional questions, ranging from their views on economic growth and the current jail situation to whether they’d consider running for the seat when it is next up for a vote in the 2026 election.

Turrentine, said he had planned to run in the previous election, but deferred to Alston after the two discussed the matter.

All four said they would plan to run for the seat when their appointed term ends.

Turrentine said his main goal is having a positive impact on young people.

“We’ve got to focus on our kids at an early age,” he said, to impress upon them the value of getting an education, a job and making contributions where you live.

“Education and public safety go hand in hand,” Turrentine said. “We’ve got to support our law enforcement…everybody has that right to feel safe.” Once the county has a handle on education and public safety, economic growth is sure to follow.

Fain, a registered nurse for more than 25 years, currently is a district director for clinical services for more than a dozen senior living facilities in the region. She said the county needs more services and programs for people who need mental health support, whether to address immediate needs or long-term needs like transition housing and recovery programs.

Floyd has been a pastor for more than two decades and has been the co-chair of Community Partners of Hope for the past couple of years.

In remarks to the commissioners, Floyd said she didn’t consider herself so much a politician as “a servant leader…making a difference in the lives of the people here.”

She cited the need for jobs and affordable housing in the county. Bringing in new industry creates opportunities for people to earn money so they can afford their housing, she said.

Carpunky said the county is moving forward in the right direction as far as attracting new business is concerned.

“We need to keep moving forward,” he said, “and not be detoured.” He said the countywide water system is an asset that is attractive to prospective business and industry.

Kerr Lake is another, he said.

“The houses are coming,” Carpunky said. “We have to make sure we have the services for them.”

Listen to the entire meeting at wizs.com to hear the prospective commissioners’ complete responses.

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TownTalk: Commissioners Hold Retreat

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UPDATED: 2 p.m. February 4

The Vance County Board of Commissioners and county staff spent Friday, Jan. 31 at a planning retreat to discuss a wide range of issues, ranging from conditions and maintenance needs at the county detention center and creation of a possible emergency services complex to changing the property tax revaluation cycle and next steps in filling the District 3 vacancy.

Instead of holding a special called meeting to discuss the potential appointees, the commissioners opted to use the scheduled Feb. 17 work session to possibly choose the person who will fill the District 3 seat, previously held by Sean Alston. The work session is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said although five individuals had submitted their names for consideration, only four remain in contention:

  • Joseph Doyle Carpunky
  • Charisse Fain
  • Jeanette B. Floyd
  • Charles Turrentine, Jr.

Former District 3 Commissioner Gordon Wilder had submitted his name for consideration, but he is not affiliated with the Democratic Party. To be considered, individuals must be affiliated with the same party as the person who vacated the seat. Sean Alston, a Democrat, resigned his seat in January.

The retreat took place in the commissioners’ meeting room, and the first agenda item was capital improvements – specifically the jail, EMS/Fire Main Station, EMS substation and the commissioners meeting room.

Among those speaking to commissioners were Sheriff Curtis Brame and Major William Mitchell, who shared information needed maintenance and repairs and answered questions about existing conditions at a facility that was described as having a “history of neglect.”

Brame and Mitchell had plenty of examples about conditions at the jail, from broken doors to antiquated monitoring systems.

Jail staff got a quote of $85,000 to rehang brand-new heavy steel doors on big, heavy steel hinges that inmates managed to dismantle in less than a minute.

“It took less than 30 seconds – they wedged broom handles behind the hinges until they were sprung,” Mitchell explained. This is not a repair job that the current maintenance staff can complete without help, he continued.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said she intended to ask commissioners to consider a plan for jail maintenance at their February meeting, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3.

Commissioners also discussed a second possible site for an EMS substation in the northern part of the county. Perry said she would provide information at the Feb. 3 meeting for commissioners to consider. The board previously had agreed to pursue another tract, but a couple of commissioners expressed concern about the slope of the property. This second tract is 6.5 acres and significantly flatter, according to Frankie Nobles, special projects coordinator.

After a lunch break, the commissioners discussed pros and cons of the current tax revaluation cycle.

Vance County is one of 30 counties across the state that uses an eight-year cycle.

Warren County uses the 8-year cycle; Franklin and Granville counties are on 6-year cycles; Halifax, Lee and Person counties are on 4-year cycles.

Commissioners expressed concern about the cost of more frequent revaluations and the financial feasibility of using in-house staff to complete the reval process instead of hiring outside contractors.

As for progress being made in using the close to $2 million in opioid settlement funds that the county has received so far, commissioners would like to reconvene a meeting of community stakeholders, from county leaders to mental health experts, public health staff, DSS, law enforcement and others to gather input about how to spend the money.

So far, the county has disbursed zero dollars, according to Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles.

Perry said she would work to convene a meeting of stakeholders in March.

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(Original version posted February 3, 2025)