The Vance County Board of Commissioners did not approve a proposed fiscal operations policy presented Tuesday during a special called meeting.
The vote was 3-3, with Commissioners Leo Kelly, Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain voting in favor and Commissioners Yolanda Feimster, Valencia Perry and Dan Brummitt voting against. Commissioner Tommy Hester was not in attendance.
In presenting the document for their consideration, County Finance Director Stephanie Williams explained to commissioners the need to have a comprehensive policy in place.
The 30-page document includes “clear, uniform standards” across all county departments to ensure compliance governing the county’s finances.
“You want to hold people to a standard, but you have to give them standards to put in place,” Williams said.
County Manager C. Renee Perry stated that the county has never had such a policy.
“This is really big for us, for sure,” Perry told commissioners.
Williams said she found an 8-page policy when Perry brought her on board.
“No way you can run a county with eight pages of policy,” she said, adding that although the League of Municipalities doesn’t mandate counties to have fiscal operations policies, she stressed “the absolute importance we have a policy to move forward.”
The existing document addresses topics including debt, cash management and budget policy, but doesn’t include policy about bidding, purchasing and cash handling – internal controls that have been found lacking in recent LGC audit findings.
Perry asked commissioners to send her via email any questions or concerns regarding the proposed policy by Dec. 29.
The commissioners will gather for their annual retreat on Friday, Dec. 19. Their next regular meeting will take place on Jan. 6, 2026.
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