County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

To the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. [snorts] All ready. need explain a little bit on the agenda here in general business item two starting salary adjustment April's going to discuss that but we also I'm asking to move that down for action too there's a need for that to be moved down

four right [snorts] so I need a motion to do that accept that second got a motion second any further discussion All in favor sign up. Thank you.

Okay. Need a approval of minutes. I trust everybody's looked over the minutes from 42026. If so, take a motion to approve. I make a [snorts] motion to approve the minutes of last um session. Second.

Motion and second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Five. Okay. [snorts] Public comment. At this time, we'll open the floor for public comment. Anybody has any comments and concerns? Seeing no movement, we'll close the public comment section. Move on down to presentation to the board. Uh, Miss Rita Miller, tax administrator. Good evening. Evening.

Um, I bring to you tonight um some information um on about April 8th, Mr. Sheffley um forwarded me an email from Kevin. Hold that down. There you go.

From Kevin Leonard with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. There's been several bills introduced to the legislature um this session and last year as well. Um property taxes definitely on everybody's radar and this particular resolution is one Mr. Shepley and I had talked about and then um the Association of County Commissioners actually sent out a template for um opposition to the bill about um the tax levy or tax cap. Um it's uh it proposes a constitutional amendment, not just a change to laws we already have. Um it's it's very vague. It talks about putting levy limits on the that amount is to determine after the law passes. That's another concern. And then one is what the um levy limits could do to your to your budget process. I'm not here to advocate. I'm just here to educate. Okay. Um, I did go on to your your association, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioner website, and um, there are several good videos and some good information on that site for for you folks um, to look at about all the bills that are out there. This Thursday, there's one um, and if you didn't get the invite, Mr. Shley or I can share that with you. This Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00, there's a virtual meeting for county managers and county commissioners and they're going to be going over um bill that just came out at the end of last week on property tax reform. And that's about uh uh revaluation moratorum on things going on in some other counties. So, that was something that just came out last week. And again, these are all just bills. nothing has passed and it takes time to get things through to the legislature

that the property tax is definitely on everybody's mind right now. Um what I don't want to advocate but I think that um expanding what we have currently for our elderly I think that's what most concern is is our elderly and those strapped income want to keep them in their homes not tax them out of their homes. So, I think expansion to some of our current programs um is the the better answer, but again, there's been several bills put out there and your association sent this template of resolution of opposition. This is just for you to consider tonight. And again, I would go to your website, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, and watch some of those videos. Um Kevin um Kevin Leonard I don't know if he's your all's association president [clears throat] but he's got a lot of good information on that website.

So um just a couple of things that came up the end of last week through my association was uh house bill 1181 which makes changes to different programs property tax modifications. Um, Senate Bill 798, elderly property tax appreciation. Um, House Bill 1092, reform North Carolina property tax. Um, Senate 889, property tax reappraisal moratorum. I believe the thing on Thursday is going to be a lot about that. that just has the amount. Um there's from my meeting this this morning, there's 12 counties the fiscal effect um this year and this is making them push out their 2026 rebound to 2027. Challenges with that for for us a small county that would be how much a revaluation cost that would be very difficult. And then House Bill 1089 is the um constitutional amendment about property tax related limits. And again, this is something I've been watching very closely, been talking with Mr. Shley frequently and keeping an eye on what's going on and how it's going to affect us as a county. Um, but I'll be glad to answer any questions I can.

Yeah. Bobby, on the on the reval part, if the short session passes this or long session, is that going to move us to 27 to? Well, I mean, we've already started. It won't affect us. This this law, if passed, only affects 2026 revaluation counties the way it's written right now. But we've already started. Correct. We're a 2027 count. So it doesn't affect us? No. Well, what's the 12 counties? Gosh. I mean, I know the counties, but we're one of those. No, we're a 2027 county.

Okay. This is only affecting 2026 counties at this time. Okay. The 12 county involvement is only for 26. Okay. Yes. Okay. I'd like Bob, I thought we was in there. Yeah. And I I think the reason you thought that is because I put that in mistakenly put that in that email that I sent you today. I apologize for that. Boy, there's a lot of going on in Raleigh for that one period for tax. Very busy. Busiest I've ever seen as far as property tax. Yeah. Yeah. Anybody else? Yeah. So that shows I read your email. [laughter]

Thank you very much. If they do pass this tax, property tax, Raleigh, how's it going to affect the county here like for seniors or so? Right now, there are several bills out there. Yeah.

And what will pass if anything? Who knows? And each one of them affects our senior population differently, you know, to expand and raise the income um and would be ideal for our seniors. There's one bill out there that has a deferred um language in it, meaning when the property transferred deferred taxes. There's just several versions out there [clears throat] and I'll be glad to send you all of them if you want if you'd like. I've looked at some of them. But will pass at this? If they do pass, you think it's going to affect our tax base? What your revenue? Anything that they do is going to affect our tax base?

Revenue. How much the most again I want to educate not advocate but um to me the most dangerous one is that cap for limit because that's a constitutional amendment not just a change to our properties that's all. So the this county commissioner resolution I got here most of them are against all these. Um your association is just this one just the one on the levy not not the rest of the bills that are out there. So some of these bills did pass as possibly save the senior some money. Yes and hopeful that that does happen some

that's all I got right now. Okay. Thank you, Craig. Anybody else? Really? We appreciate all the info there and your hard work. Thank you. A lot to keep up with. Thank you. Thank you. All righty. Next up is April Ham, chairman of the finance committee [clears throat] office. Okay. Good evening. Good evening.

Um what I have to present this evening, um Mr. Shepley and Tiffany Boyer, our HR director, and I have had several meetings with the new sheriff and some of his staff. And currently, the sheriff's department, between the sheriff's department and detention, they have seven vacant positions. Now, some of this is just timing, some of it is change over of the sheriff. It's just different things that have gone [clears throat] on. Um, a couple of months ago,

we had a presentation to the board talking about EMS and changing the the new hire salaries to EMS and the board approved that. This is a similar request to the board. So, after several meetings with the sheriff and a lot of back and forth and negotiating, we we have a couple of recommendations for the sheriff's department to help with what's going on right now in the sheriff's department. And it is getting to a critical point at this point. The current salary for a new hired deputy sheriff is $40,491. Currently, we would like to request that the board consider raising that to 45,000. In all of our discussions, there was uh research done and that puts us at a very competitive level with the surrounding counties with beginning salaries for a deputy sheriff. The other thing that we would like to present to um for consideration is doing a law enforcement service credit adjustment. Meaning if someone puts in an application with the sheriff's office and they have 15 to 20 years of service, we would like to give them some type of credit for that 15 to 20 years of service.

That's at some other department. Correct. o other county. Correct. Okay.

Could be another county. They could have retired from the SBI or the FBI and and decided they want to come back to work for a few years. And for that adjustment, what we what we finally landed at is $1,300 per five years of law enforcement service. So, if someone comes in with five years of service, they would get $1,300 on top of that $45,000. If they come in with 10 years of service, it would just double. It would be 2600 on top of that $45,000. So, we bring this tonight to the board for consideration. Um, we we're we're talking internally about doing another salary study. Don't know if we're going to find the money this year to do that, but to be competitive in some of these departments with protective services and emergency services, I think we're going to have to do some adjustments.

Okay, any questions?

How do you [clears throat and cough] key that into your budget from year to year? It's an unknown factor. It is an unknown factor, but currently since law enforcement is down so many folks, we have that money sitting there that we have the ability to do this today. Now, this is not talking about next year's budget. So, whatever we adjust today, we will have to adjust in next year's budget. But I can tell you, we went through those numbers and worst case scenario, unless we got five um applicants that had 20 years of service, worst case scenario, we're talking about $40,000 more in next year's budget.

The entire SH budget. Yeah. It's not it's not a big ask to to go ahead and do this now. and hopefully the new sheriff can recruit some folks to come on in. So if that money is figured in the budget and it's not used, it goes back into our fund balance. Okay. Yes. Okay. Anybody else?

Does that Are there any other items included besides just the deputy sheriffs? Are we are we adjusting the others for like sergeant, lieutenant, captain, chief deputy, things like that? Are those being adjusted as well or is it just the starting salary for a deputy? It's just going to be the starting salary for a deputy currently, but we are continuing conversations about a couple other positions that the board's going to hear about soon.

Thank you. Do they have much interest in I mean you got a 20-year guy that's 50 200 bucks a year more. Do they have much interest in people coming back in as I told you or be retiring out in 20 years. Uh do they have much interest in those folks coming back in? And I'm I'm gonna look at Tiffany for a moment because she she has been involved in the applications and and those discussions with with the sheriff, but I believe they have somebody with over 20 years of service currently that is interested in maybe being a SRO at one of the schools. Bob, now this is just for a full-time correct

person, not not a part-time. somebody comes back for a month or two months. Correct. This is for a full-time deputy sheriff position is what we're talking about tonight. They ain't talking about the janitors or nothing. Uh we're not talking about any kind of adjustments right now for the detention officers.

Okay. [clears throat] All righty. We'll take this up again down here for action. General business. Anybody got any more? Anything else? If not, move on down. I'll take this uh county clerk week proclamation. Do I need to read all this? You guys got this in your packet here. It's page 12. So, I would ask for a motion to Do I need to read? No. Okay. [laughter] Getting this sidebar view over here. Anyway, like to have a motion to recognize this as Commissioner County Clerk Week.

Got a motion. I'll take a motion. Bobby's got a second. Any questions? All in favor? 5. Thank y'all. Okay. General business. That concludes [snorts] is that both of them that's in that's in this right here. No, just one [snorts] uh moving on down general business. Garrison Wagner. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate that. Uh so [snorts] we've met with the uh recreation committee again earlier today and our recommendation to the board is to in instead of selecting a a single firm at this point we had five respondents [snorts] and those five respondents were Fitfields McGillan Associates Kimley Horn BC and Andre Johnson architects. Uh they had some very nice uh packets look uh put together. [snorts] Uh but it was the consensus of the committee that we get authorization from the full board to conduct a uh site visit and information session with all five respondents. Uh the purpose of which uh would be to get everybody up here so they can tour the site, ask any questions that they need to ask for their uh design proposal and see who is really interested in coming up here and you know putting some boots on the ground. So that's where we stand at the moment. We have uh five respondents and we'd like to move forward with scheduling uh a Q&A session and a site visit for these folks to come up and kind of get to know them before we make a decision. We'd like to interview these uh respondents in person. So, u that's that's what I'm asking the board for is authorization to move forward uh in that direction.

So, move second. Motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Five. [clears throat and cough] Okay. Yeah. I'm sorry. No, let me my paper here. Page 13. Okay. We got a request for approval of resolution for Brian Mains and that is page 13. Uh I would ask the same thing for a motion to approve. So move second.

Motion to second. Any further discussion? All in favor? 5. Appreciate that. Brian's done a good job. Okay, moving on down pay land chief finance officer line item transfer. Okay, just have one transfer uh for this evening and it's uh from hospital insurance expense for the jail to some extra computer expense $3,900. Okay, we've heard the ask. Need a motion to approve. Second.

Second. Any further questions? All in favor? 50. Okay, that concludes general business. Moving on down to the one added item. One add Yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry. With law enforcement salary, [clears throat] can I answer any additional questions about this is about the law enforcement salary up here? She's asking, does anybody got any more questions? Hearing none. Open the floor for a motion to accept. So moved. Second. Motion, second. Any further discussion? [clears throat] All in favor? 5. Thank you.

Thank you. Now, moving on down, Mr. County Manager. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I'd like to uh pay tribute today to um our firefighters. And I found a a document that online that I thought described how we feel about the role that the firefighters uh do for what they do for our people. And today is International Firefighters Day. So with the board's permission, I'd like to to read what I've got here. Go right ahead.

Firefighters are often the first to arrive when danger is at its worst. They run towards burning buildings when others are running away. They face unpredictable conditions, risking their lives to protect people they may never meet again. But their work goes far beyond fighting fires. They respond to accidents, natural disasters, medical emergencies, and countless situations where calm, skill, and bravery are needed most. What makes firefighters truly remarkable is not just their strength or training. It's their commitment to service. They choose a path that demands long hours, personal sacrifice, and constant readiness. Behind every call is a family waiting at home, hoping for their safe return. International firefighters day is a time to remember those who have al who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Their sacrifice is a solemn reminder of the risks this profession carries and why our gratitude must be more than words. So today, let us take a moment to thank the firefighters in our community, whether full-time or volunteer. Their dedications help keep us safe every day. And let us support them, not just today, but year round, by recognizing their service and ensuring they have the resources that they need.

[clears throat] To all firefighters, thank you for your bravery, your sacrifice, and your unwavering commitment to protecting others. The people of Alageney County and the entire nation are grateful. Very very I also, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to uh when we have board meetings, I'd like to recognize uh groups that attention's been being brought to like for instance for Memorial Day to have uh something similar to this to be able to enter into the record about our our feelings about that particular uh group. I totally support that.

Great. Thank you. and we are busy working on the budget. We've had multiple meetings. Um some of the meetings with the larger groups have included uh Bill and Timmy. Um we are still about um $800,000 away, would you say, April? So, we still have little ways to go to get to where we need to be to get a balanced budget. And we're still working on that and we'll get there. Um we you know we're you know one of the things that you know people say well we've got a lot of money in the in the general fund. We do but we also had to secure part of that money has to be un not can't be touched because of the school loan that we've taken on. So, it's very important for the board and for the the people in the community to know that that greatly reduced the amount of money that's available to us to touch because of the loan that we have from the for for the school. Um, but we're in good shape. we will get this taken care of and be looking I'm looking forward to meeting with you all in some of our uh budget sessions that we'll have to make sure that you're in agreement with what we will recommend to you.

Okay, that's all I've got. Thank you, Bill. Yes, sir. County Commissioner comments. I guess we start with Garrison tonight.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um I don't have a whole lot. Um, thanks to everybody who uh put all their effort into the apple pie festival this past weekend. A lot of visitors. Excited to see the numbers uh that come in and the impact that they had on the businesses in the town. Hope that was successful for everybody. Uh and I'm really excited to see our ball field projects moving forward. Uh we got a lot of momentum behind it right now. So, if you've had a a part in that, we appreciate all the time and [snorts] effort that you put into bringing this vision into reality. Thank you. Okay, Bobby.

Um, well, I'll just comment on the apple pie festival. It looked like a great success, but the fairgrounds, that's the main draw for this county. So I I've heard estimates tonight four 5,000 maybe 6,000 people. It's just not buying apple pies. They spend money in town. They spend money in the county. So I mean it's economic development for us and that that's that's one thing that we're after is economic development. So, as much use as we can make out of the fairgrounds, that's good for the county. And uh there again, the budget committee, I hope, you know, paying attention to the fairgrounds and uh the work that needs continual work needs to be done. the Veterans Park. We are in the process with the help of the county of adding a new walkway on the left hand side of the memorial to add additional bricks. And we appreciate everything the county's done, you know, to get us to this point. And we had a meeting this morning. Mr. Shipley was there that we're going to u here in the next few days I hope get those bricks laid down. The veterans committee is going to pay for that part of it. I mean that's the money that we raise out of selling these bricks goes to improve the veterans park. But once those bricks are in then it belongs to the county. We're we're just trying to enhance it. We've talked uh several different people

about what they can do to help us lay the bricks. And now, it's my understanding we're going to have the the uh parking lot resealed, the cracks filled in, and a new striping done. I don't know if we can do that by May by Memorial Day, but that was that was a hope that we had. But sometimes construction gets slowed down, weather and other things. [snorts] And on the back side of the memorial on the on the uh on the Parkway, we've uh looked at this grant that we had a special meeting last week. We hope that we're [clears throat] going to be able to at a minimum put in two baseball fields, uh possibly a playground, uh and some other amenities for the people of the county to use [clears throat] and a track. Uh we don't know exactly what the track will look like, but all of that depends on the grant. And uh I'm not sure when we'll hear back on the grant, but at our recreation committee that uh Garrison was talking about where we're possibly going to have these people that are going to uh be interviewed and people that are going to eventually put in a bid maybe look at seeing what they think could be done down there. Also, I mean, the more input you have from different people, you get different ideas. So, I'm excited about that. That'll give us at least two more fields for the uh students for the county to use until we can get the ones at Sparta School done.

Um, [clears throat] there's a small area down there of wetlands. I don't know. It's a little bit bigger than this room. Maybe 20 feet longer or something. Timmy and I this weekend had the opportunity to talk to our representatives, Ray Picket, Ralph Heis, and they said if we get to a point where we would like to talk with the APA, they'd be happy to help whatever they could. I mean, it would be uh it would really enhance that park if we could do away with that little bit of area and uh use it for the for the people. [clears throat] Memorial Day is Monday the 25th at 11:00 at the Veterans Park and there'll be more information I think in the paper about uh some of the activities that'll be going on. That's all I've got.

Okay. Thank you, Bob. Greg, I think we got another thing or event going on at the fairgrounds this month. I need another couple next weekend. This Saturday. Truck truck pull. Truck pull this Saturday. Y then what is it? Fiberfest. Was it fiberfest? I think the first week in June, I think it is. I just I don't I don't know if it's been advertised enough. I wish you get the paper and people know about it. Is it Damn. [clears throat]

Yeah. I just wanted to u add to about the events and stuff. I think uh encourage all the county people and anybody else that may be listening to take advantage of any of our events that we have in the county when when it's, you know, we're very seasonal to some degree. [laughter] Um don't do a lot of things in the winter time. So get out there and enjoy those events as much as you can. participate. It helps in a lot of different ways. Um but uh also wanted to mention as um Mr. Shepley was talking about the we're getting to the end of the budget meetings and I just wanted to I've [clears throat] done this been a part of this for about three now four years and I just wanted to thank the people even though I realize that county our county folks are paid I understand that but at the same time it's a commitment I just want to thank April what time hurt in the office and Bill you know it's a commitment to just dig in and It's like I go to sleep at night when I go up here to these budget meetings and I wake up with numbers in my mind and go to sleep with numbers in my mind. But point is all this stuff is trying to dig through it and to make this you know to so this county can operate consistently but responsibly and you know and it's like every every single year you know there's you cannot make everybody happy. You can't give everybody what monies they want. [clears throat] if you did, our our funds would be depleted. So, it's it's a lot of work, but also not to forget Rita. She's been a big part of it and Bill um Osborne and and it's uh it's a lot of hours and I know you all put even more hours in than we do, but I just want to thank all you guys and appreciate all

your work and and and your thoughts and your opinions. You know, it it's really I think it's important that you have five or six people in the room and trying to talk about the pros and the cons about how you give money, why you don't give money. Um, it's a it's a it's a great process and I really appreciate everybody partic that participates in that. Thank you. And we got one more hard day tomorrow, I think, and hopefully we'll be downhill from there. But um and that's pretty much it. That's that's all I have on my mind. Okay. Thank you. [laughter]

I just uh detention detention week this week and I run across this little thing here and I want to read it to the detention officers that work at Alageney County up here. We recognize the men and women who serve inside our detention facility. Your work is demanding, often unseen, and critical to the safety of our community. Thank you for your professionalism, your commitment, and the pride you take in doing the job the right way every day. And that's true. They uh them guys does a heck of a job and and we appreciate what all they do do. And of course, the pie festival, we've talked about that. I worked out there Saturday and it was a big success. It is two lanes of traffic kept coming for hours out there that day. And the firefighters, all the volunteers across the United States. I just read an article the other day that the higher percentage of all fire departments is volunteers. And that's something to be said when you think about what a volunteer dedicates what they do and and the type of person it takes to to do that job. It's it's somebody that wants to give back to the community. And they take away time from their families and a lot of things to be able to to provide that service and and it's a great great service to this country all the way across America. and the ball fields. That's moving right along. Thanks to the parks and Rex committee over here, Bobby and Garrison, they they've kept their foot on the gas. It's moving right along. We appreciate that. And I too would like to thank the the group that's that's fine budget committee that's doing all that. I know last week we or week four last week started at 8:30 and got out of there at 3:45. I don't know about the rest of I was brain dead when I got on, [laughter] but it's it's tough. It's long hours. Uh truck pull this weekend, Saturday, at the at the fairgrounds. Hope everybody

go out and enjoy that. I think the weather's supposed to be pretty nice for that. That's all I have. Okay. Go right ahead. I'm sorry. One thing I missed and especially for the paper, our veteran service officer will return to work on the 12th of this month. That's next month, following Monday. West. Yeah. So, he'll be back in the office on the 12th. Thank you.

Okay. Yep. All right. We got a request for close session under general statute 143-318.11. General personnel need a motion to go in closer. I make a motion. Just a minute. What's that? Who we need to be included? Who we need? We need Tiffany. Tiffany. Okay. I'm sorry. To include Tiffany Barer. Okay. I make a motion we go into close session. Second. Motion in a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Five.