In Thursday’s “State of the County” address sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Henderson Rotary Club, county officials laid out a list of initiatives and programs, all of which bode well for Vance County, both in the immediate future and in the long-term.
County Manager Jordan McMillen painted a positive picture in remarks to the group of about 100 business and corporate leaders, elected officials and other key players.
“Vance County is alive and thriving,” McMillen said. “That’s not to say that we don’t have our challenges…but today’s going to be positive.”
Vance County Board of Commissioners Chairman Leo Kelly also spoke to the group assembled at the business luncheon held at Henderson Country Club.
Kelly highlighted four projects within the county that have helped to propel the county forward:
- The $4.5 million renovation of the Eaton Johnson campus, which now houses several different agencies, from DSS and the Senior Center to GRRO and the city-county youth services
- The second shell building in the industrial park
- Sale of the former DSS building to the Henderson Family YMCA
- Purchase of 2.5 acres beside the EMS building to prepare for construction of a new facility
“We’re real proud of what happened to that building,” Kelly said of the renovation of the former middle school campus. “The building is getting fantastic use.”
Finding ways to use existing buildings is one way the county has maximized its resources, but the shell building concept is one that has proven itself as well.
When Mako Medical was looking for a location in 2017, McMillen said, company leaders looked here “because we had a building.”
Public-private partnerships like the shell buildings are going to continue to play a vital role in moving the local economy forward, McMillen noted, and he encouraged the audience to continue to invest in the future of the county and their community.
The total value of all the property in Vance County comes to just shy of $3 billion, and that property generates about $26 million in tax revenue, he said. “That funds everything we do.”
More than three-quarters of the county’s total $55 million budget goes to three sectors: public safety, education and human services.
Other county services highlighted include:
- Tax collection rates are at an all-time high, more than 97 percent
- Senior Center provides more than 20,000 meals and in-home assistance to older citizens
- Animal Services has a new facility and boasts the lowest euthanasia rate in the area
- 911 answers an average of 236 calls a day
- Veterans service staff helped more than 1,200 veterans and their dependents access $17 million in benefits
- The kitchen at the county detention center provides meals for inmates, but also prepares meals for the Senior Center and for Meals on Wheels
- Parks and rec programs – which gets 45 percent of its funding from the county – served 8,500 youth in its various programs and activities
- Another 6,500 residents participated in Cooperative Extension activities and programs
- Smart Start, the Boys & Girls Club, Gang Free, Inc. and the local children’s home all are supported by county funding.
Residential home construction is on the rise, and the county is getting more tourism dollars – and a record occupancy tax from hotels and motels. There’s plenty of room for more, McMillen said.
“We’re not there yet, but I think the state of Vance County is strong,” McMillen said.
To view the presentation, visit https://www.vancecounty.org/and click on the link titled State of the County under the heading Latest News.