Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

I'd like to welcome everybody to the uh 2026 Wow, can't believe it. January 5th, 2026 regular agenda meeting for the Craven County Board of Commissioners. I welcome everybody. If you have a cell phone with you, please make sure it's on silent. And we will start by taking a roll call. Madame Clerk. Yes, sir. Commissioner Howard here. Commissioner Hunt. here. Commissioner Mason here. Commissioner Mitchell, Commissioner Smith, Vice Chairman Jones here, Chairman Booker

here. I just want to uh make a note for everybody. Um, Commissioner B. Smith had surgery uh in December. And so she will not be here tonight. She hopes to be back for the next meeting. she's doing well and uh she just wanted everybody to know she's not just uh uh sitting home watching TV or something. She she she couldn't be here tonight. So uh we uh keep her in your prayers as she recovers from surgery. So with that um we're going to stand and our attorney Mr. Grady is going to do the prayer and then we will follow that with the pledge of allegiance.

This is the day the year you Lord have made. Let us rejoice and be glad in them. For by your grace, you provide for us possibility and hope for our future. As we continue in our service to you in 2026, may we pause often to acknowledge that each moment is a gift that you desire us to enjoy. Each challenge is an opportunity that you strengthen us to overcome. Each disappointment is a siren to return to faith in your mercy. Each encounter is a grace gift given that we would share the unconditional love you offer us all. As we step into your design for this new year, we pray to be faithful stewards of your bounty, just arbiters of your commandments, compassionate witnesses to your kindness, and worthy disciples to your gospel of love. We offer our hopes and fears for this new year and our whole selves to your keeping. Praying in the strength of your name. Amen.

Amen. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Uh, commissioners, you have your agenda in front of you. Are there any changes or additions, deletions you want to make?

I make a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Second. We have a motion and a second. Madam clerk, would you call the role, please? Commissioner Howard? Yes. Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Mason, yes. Vice Chairman Jones, yes. Chairman Booker, yes. Our first item on the agenda tonight is a public hearing and the public hearing is for the Craraven County Recreational Vehicle Park Ordinance. Chad Strong and Donnie Lavel are here to talk to us about it. Good evening, sir.

Good evening, board. Purpose of tonight's public hearing is to receive public comments regarding the county's proposed recreational vehicle park ordinance. Copy of the proposed ordinance was made available for public viewing on the county's website and at the planning department beginning December 22nd. The public hearing notice was also published in the Sun Journal on December 22nd and the 29th. So, at this time, the planning department requests the board to hold the public hearing on this proposed recreational vehicle park ordinance. Thank you. Do I have a motion to open the public hearing? Motion. I'll second. Okay, we got a motion and a second. All in favor? I I

opposed. The eyes have it and the public hearing is now open. Would anyone like to come forward and speak regarding the recreational vehicle park ordinance hearing? No one. Do I have a motion to close the public hearing? Some moved. Second and a second. All in favor? I. Public hearing is closed. Thank you. Item number two on our agenda is the cooperative extension 4 presentation. Ashley Brooks. Ashley, come talk to us.

Good evening, commissioners. First, we would like to thank you for letting us come before you this evening and tell you about I'm going to go ahead and invite these girls up. Elizabeth and Lexi, come on forward. Um, we are extremely proud in Craraven County for our poultry program. Come on over here, please. Um because just a quick couple of highlights. Uh in 2023 we were the national champion in poultry judging. The first time North Carolina had ever had that honor. Um in 24 we made the top five national aven 25. Um we had second place uh junior and senior poultry judging teams and first place state uh avi bowl. And this year we have um also had the first place state egg chef challenge presentation. So, um, or I'm sorry, uh, in the for the state. And then I'm going to explain all of our results for this year. So, these two young ladies, Lexi Gilkkey, and we'll have you step up a little bit. This is Lexi. She was on the uh, poultry judging team. So, these youth are learning to judge um, poultry, whether it's eggs or birds according to USDA standards. So, these standards allow them to actually go into the industry uh and they can judge straight up um going from these contests uh to the actual uh poultry industry. So, uh Lexi was on our Craven County team, the team that actually went to Union, it was Union County that won had a space open and said, "We want Lexi." So, she came in and said, "Sure." She ended up fourth place overall in nationals, second place overall team, seventh place overall individual, and third place overall out of third 24 teams at the national competition. So having the opportunity to attend the national poultry and egg conference was amazing. If you ever have the opportunity to go, I strongly recommend

you do. I got to learn so much about the poultry and egg industry and meet people from all across the nation.

In uh the next category, we have Elizabeth Paluso who was our reserve national champion for the egg chef challenge presentation. This is a culinarybased competition where they have to focus on food safety. They have to cook. Um during the presentation they have certain prep time ahead of time. Um they have to highlight the nutritious and versatility uh the nutrition and versatility the eggs have and it's building a lot of practical and communication skills. So it's not only judging their cooking but they are judged on their presentation and communication skills as well. So she won county district state and nationals or second place and nationals. Getting to go to the national competitions was a really high honor for me. It took months and years depending on the competition of hard work, dedication, and practice to be able to get where I um was to be able to go compete. And I'm super grateful for all the people who helped me along the way. And for both Lexi and Elizabeth, this is not their first time at nationals. They're repeat attenders at national competitions for North Carolina. So, we're very proud of them. Last but not least, this opportunity has won them the uh this this opportunity allows them to be the first to be invited by the National Poultry Federation to attend an international production and processing expo in Georgia in a couple of weeks. So, they are the ones that have been invited by name uh for this particular honor. It is the leading worldwide industry poultry expo. Uh and so, we are super proud of them. and they're going to be conducting video interviews. Uh they're going to be invited to dine with the National Poultry and Egg Association. And so we're very excited to see all that they get to do out of this.

Fantastic. Thank you so much.

We have a couple of certificates we would like to present. If you ladies, come over here in the middle. first for Lexi. Lexi your certificate and we really appreciate what you're doing. Uh the poultry industry is a big industry in our state and I particularly like to eat eggs

and it's really great that we now are finding out that eggs are really a good nutritious healthy uh uh food where for years we were kind of given the the false narrative that eggs aren't good for you, too much cholesterol, all that garbage. Uh they're good. And so, uh, thank you for what you're doing and what you've done. And by the way, she is a senior at Newurn High School or West. I'm home school. Oh, you're home. So, your mom is teaching you. Yes. All right. That's that's good. Okay. Congratulations. Thank you,

Elizabeth. Same to you. Thank you so much for what you're doing. It's really important uh that we keep this alive and uh and it's exciting to have kids from our county who are actively involved in this process. So, thank you very much. and she is a senior at home. Everybody kind of close in and he's going to get a picture.

Thank you. And thank you again. Okay. You're welcome to stay for our meeting or you're welcome to leave, whatever you choose. Okay. But by the way, uh I think it's uh exciting that two homeschool girls are uh are how should I say uh achieving the way you two have. So keep it up. Okay. Thank you. I'm kind of interested in one of these egg dishes. Next time come with a treat. Yeah. Try.

Great work. Congrats, ladies. Good job. That's exciting, huh? Congrats. 4 is still alive. Thank you. Tell Ma Matthew I said hello. Okay. Yes, sir. Appreciate it.

Okay. Okay. Item number three, petition of citizens. This is agenda topics. Topics on our agenda tonight. Mr. Vice Chair, are there anybody signed up for that? Mr. Chairman, no one has signed that. Okay. No one signed up for that. So, we'll move to item number four. Item number four is the consent agenda. Consent agenda um has a number of items on it tonight. I'll just read through them very quickly. Um the minutes from December 15th, regular session, tax releases and refunds. Planning request to set a hearing public hearing for a community development block grant application. Uh second planning uh request to set a second public hearing for community development block can't grant CARES Act. And then under planning, a request to set a public hearing for a 2021 community develop block grant program amendment. And last but not least, the sheriff has some donation of checks uh budget amendment. So with that, is there a motion to approve the consent agenda?

Motion to approve. Second. Got a motion and a second. Roll call, please. Commissioner Howard, yes. Commissioner Hunt, yes. Commissioner Mason, yes. Vice Chairman Jones, yes. Chairman Booker. Yes. Okay. Item item number four under planning. Um I'm sorry. Item number five. Uh commissioners. Um since we have two commissioners absent tonight, uh I'm going to propose that we postpone that particular item for two weeks and cover it at our next meeting. Is everybody in agreement with that? Everybody's okay with that? I'm okay with that.

Okay, we will motion to table in order, Mr. I motion to table it and second. All in favor? I thank you.

So, we'll do that. U recreational vehicle park ordinance adoption at our next meeting. Okay. Uh, next item underwater item number six, Davis well pump replacement budget amendment Elliot Thomas. Elliot, welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening all. U during a recent inspection of a good part good many of our assets. The Davis whale had noticed to have some vibration in the bearings under the motor and it was recommended we pull it out and break it down, see what was going on. And based on these findings, the recommendation is to replace the pump the which was originally installed in 1992 along with its pump column and its pump shaft and while the whale is out to clean the whale um prior to the installation of the new pump. And this replacement uh will also benefit our AIA study for the longevity of this site and kind of give us an idea of what we can look at in our CIP down the road at our other sites. Okay. So, it looks like we're looking at a Hang on one second.

Oh, sorry. A4 $80,415. I'm sorry. Yeah. Got it. $80,415. Yes, sir. Do I have a motion to approve that? So moved. Motion. Second. Second. Okay. A motion and a second. 80,000. I want uh questions. Anybody have a question about the uh I do. Okay. Go ahead. Where is this pump located at? This one is located on Dober Road um in the Jasper area. Okay. And how many people does it serve? It serves it is part of the whale field that serves the entirety of the northwest Craven part of the county.

And how long will it be out of order if you do that work? We took it down in early October and they said most of the parts are a lead time two to three weeks to get them in and then once they get everything in two to three days once they're on site to get it back in the ground and operational. Will there be disruption to any service? No, ma'am. Okay. Yes, sir. Is CRU the only uh contractor capable of doing this work? They're not the only contractor capable, but we are under contract with CRU for um our yearly inspections of our pumps and our motors. Okay. So, they know the system and Yes, sir. Okay. How far down in the ground is that pump?

This pump was set at 220 ft deep. Okay. That's a long way down. That's a long way down. Okay. Any other questions for him? No other questions. Uh, take the motion to approve and uh, second. We got already, so roll call, please. Commissioner Howard, yes. Commissioner Hunt, yes. Commissioner Mason, yes. Vice Chairman Jones, yes. Chairman Ber, yes. Item number seven. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, thank you, Elliot. Appreciate it.

Item number seven is appointments, and we've got a couple that are pending. They are the Craraven Aging Planning Board, the Craraven County Clean Sweep Committee, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and the Volunteer Agricultural District. Those will be coming up at a future meeting under current. We have only one Havlock Craraven County Library Board and we have one of our members on that board and she is going to seek reappoint. Correct. I'll nominate her. you nominate her. Okay. Are there any other nominations for that position?

Hearing none, she will be appointed by acclamation. Coming up uh the future is a emergency medical service advisory council from uh Fort Barwell EMS paramedic. So that'll be coming at a at a future meeting. Item number eight is the county attorney's report. Mr. attorney.

Mr. Chairman, commissioners, happy new year. I have uh one item for your consideration tonight, and it involves the sale of county-owned surplus real estate that the county acquired through the tax foreclosure process. Unlike most of the other surplus properties, we own this uh outright. We do not own it jointly with the city of Newurn or any other municipality. Um the background on this property, it's located on B Road with a parcel ID number of 3021022. The initial offer was in the amount of $3,200. And when we advertised for upset bids, we actually uh had a little bit of a bidding war uh with some folks interested in it. After the dust settled, $15,000 became the last and highest bid and therefore the final bid. Um, we acquired the property through the tax foreclosure process with past due taxes and the cost of foreclosure totaling $3,161.88. The tax value of the property is $10,800. It's my recommendation to the board that you uh approve this for um final conveyance and we get it back on the tax rolls.

Sounds like a winner. Yes, sir. Have a motion. Send second. Motion and a second to approve. Call the role, please, Madam Clerk. Commissioner Howard, yes. Commissioner Hunt, yes. Commissioner Mason, yes. Vice Chairman Jones, yes. Chairman Baker, yes. That concludes my report. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Okay. The next item, item number nine is petition of citizens. And I believe we have several citizens who want to speak tonight. Mr. Vice Chair, Mr. Chairman, we have uh three citizens. The first is Mr. James Pieroy.

Welcome. How you doing? Thank you for hearing me tonight. You got uh excuse me, you got three minutes to speak and please give your full name and address. James Odell Puroy, 252 Kenir Avenue, Newber, North Carolina.

Okay. I was want to speak in concern of 250 Kener Avenue, Sandy Ridge Trailer Park. Um, we've got a bad issue going on out there with squatters, uh, trash. The countyy's been out there twice and clean this place up and within a week or two, it's right back trash again. They're uh tapping into our water lines. They have messed our internet and phone and cable lines up doing a lot of stripping of wiring and stuff in the area. I think there's only 11 people in this whole park that's even paying for water and most of them are squatters. There's no management in this place at all. and they're really destroying our neighborhood and we won't I understand it's getting ready to try to be sold and transferred to someone else but until then and if the sale doesn't go through what's going to happen next I mean they're destroying our neighborhood it's it's really bad and I think Mr. Mason has rode out there and seen it. When you pull in my driveway at the house, you've got trash piled up this high bags and the county has cleaned it twice. They've even removed old trailers. The people who own it don't care. I mean, they're in debt over a4 million dollars to the county and nothing seems to be getting done. I'm trying to find out what's going to be done, especially if this place doesn't sell. I mean, it's so far in debt now in taxes and leans and nobody's going to pay for the place. So, what are we going to do then? Keep putting up with these squatters. I mean, they're they're really destroying our neighborhood and it's it's really bad. I mean, I have a few more residents with me that live on the road and it's just

and Mr. news. We probably know that sheriff's department's continuously out there with overdoses when the rescue squad could be helping people who need help and some of your commissioners and your people in your maintenance or what what would you call it? Uh inspections will not even go out there without a deputy. It's that bad. Find out what can be done to fix this. I mean, how long is this man? And another thing is the county and the state still pays this man for people to stay in the place. Um just at a loss. I don't know what else to do. I want some help. Clean it up.

I would number one. Who else here is here representing this situation? Stand up so I can see who you are. And there's other there's seven residents that live on this side of the park. I own 500 foot beside it. So I'm like a buffer for some of them. I can clean my yard, but you still see the trash.

Okay. Um the first thing I want to say is um we are very very sympathetic and very frustrated. I can tell you in the seven years I've been on this board, I have been in that park half a dozen times from when we began about five years ago and then we we removed uh Mr. County manager, how many did we take out of there or roughly 20 trailers?

Yeah, it was over 20. Okay. Taken out. So we pulled over 20 at county expense over 20 trailers out of there that were vacant that were people were living in that shouldn't have been squatter and I'm sure there are more now. Yes. In fact, we just were in there what month ago? Right. Month about month and and um it was still the same way. I'm especially sympathetic because I happen to own property on Antioch Road which as the crow flies is less than a half a mile right I know

from there. So, uh, I'm really concerned for the whole area, not especially for your area, your street and the people here, but the the whole area is uh contaminated by that that park that is just it is despicable. I did go once by myself. I won't I wouldn't go back in there now without without having uh one of our law enforcement uh gentlemen or ladies go with us. So, uh, I just want you to know that, uh, we aren't going to let this die, but we also are limited as to how we can how fast we can move and what we can do. And we do have a process in place, right?

Hopefully, it'll work. If it doesn't, we're going to do something else. We're not going to let it stay the way it is. Yeah. I just shut it down. There's only four families in there that really need moving. Yeah. Everything else is squatters and drug addicts. Of course, we can't do that without a court order. So, and that that takes time. It takes time, right? I hope it sells in this first to all to all of you. I just want you to know we don't normally comment after public comment. That's not our our but in this case because we're so aware and frustrated and I appreciate you. I wanted to make that point to you. So, thank you. Uh stick with us. We're not going to let it stop. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thanks, sir. Yes, sir.

Okay. Next speaker, Mr. Ray Griffin. Ray Griffin. Griffin's been here before.

Uh, God bless you, Ray Griffin. 1981, Street F Road. Of course, you know why I'm here. Uh, we need to lift up the name of Jesus. A lot of problem we're having is this drug over us because we don't mention the name of Jesus. Uh this world in which we living in today is one of the greatest proofs that this universe exists and it all points to a creator. There had to be a beginning and if there was a beginning then there had to be someone to begin everything. It's one thing to know what's right and another thing to do it. You can't plan your future by looking in the rearview mirror. If you worry, worry about why you won't do what you should do. The best way to stop worrying is to start praying in the name of Jesus. That's where you will find him encouraging you to stop wonder and start living. Look what's on your back wall back there. What does it say? Y'all put it up there. And God we trust. And yet you living in a world here. This is Christmas we just had. Everywhere you went, who lifted up the name? Jesus. Jesus was in the the TVs, the movies, the pre everybody where you could imagine. In every store, what did it say? Jesus has a reason for the season. And you people sit here and can't say the name of Jesus one time. You should be ashamed of yourself. You should be ashamed. You can't mention up the word of God. That's a lot of problem we're having right now with the overdose, overdose. I see these people. I go to families, they complain, well my son's drugs, this or that, but yet they don't go to church. The parents don't go to church. So what you need to do is start mentioning in the name of Jesus. You should not be ashamed of of knowing Jesus. You need to speak up. get fired up because Jesus lived and died for you. He lived and died for you. Jesus. Jesus. Remember that. That's the most important name you'll ever know. It's like I say, if you don't know Jesus, you'll bust hell wide open. You can make you can complain. You can do whatever you want to, but there's a little bit of a saying right here. I know I've got a few minutes. I don't know what next may come

across my pilgrim way. But I do know tomorrow's road nor civ today. But this I know my savior knows the path I cannot see. And I can trust his wounded hand to guide and care for me. I guarantee you, you'll be a much better board, a much better county if you put the name of Jesus as it was here some years ago. We fought it. If you remember, the same thing happened and it was overturned and we were allowed to say the name of Jesus. Why is it the whole world the everybody around mentions the name of Jesus and you talk about it being afraid because of the lawsuit. Are you going to sue the whole world because you say the name of Jesus? So why don't these people that that's getting you and saying hey we need to have a lawsuit because say the name of Jesus. Ain't that a a contradiction? Think about it. Then why don't these people go sue the whole world? Sue all the churches. Sue all the stores with the name of Jesus in it. You should be ashamed of yourself for not standing up for the word of God. You should be ashamed one time. You won't mention it one time in a month. And I say we better start looking to what's going on. We see what's going on in the world today. God's prophecy is fulfilling and we better get right. Say in the name of Jesus, it won't hurt a thing in the world. Stand up and be proud. This is America. This is America. Times up on the foundation. Thank you. Okay, next next citizen is Mr. David French.

Mr. French, you have three minutes.

I'm David French of 104 Johnson Street, Newurn Craven County, North Carolina. Over seven very long years ago, Hurricane Florence hit our beloved ENC. moving five times since. I am still living out of bags and boxes because governors Cooper and Stein did not do their jobs have contractually agreed. I would like to thank Commissioner Jones and County Planner Strong for meeting with me last October. They gave excellent uh advice about asking the city of Newurn to write a letter to Governor Stein and Encore Rebuild NC HUD. Mayor ODM sent them a letter on November 5, 2025 stating the city of Newurn's position that Encore Rebuild NC HUD obviously misunderstood the city of Newurn's historic preservation commission guidelines and mistakenly removed me from the program. The city of Newurn asked them to correct the issue and bring me back into the program retroactively. Today, Governor Stand Stein andor Encore rebuild NC HUD have not responded, although Mayor Odum told me that a letter was to be received by December 12, 2025, which it was not. Listen, I was and am singled out for retribution, retaliation, and it appears that I was discriminated against based on sex, race, and or political affiliation of my North Carolina elected officials and/or myself for disaster recovery assistance, which is now a felony on incorrect HUDs part if so. In February 2025, I was illegally and fraudulently removed from the program because I went to my elected officials, Tyson and Brenson, and to the media to continue to expose one of the biggest frauds in the history of North Carolina. My wellocumented testimony has remained the same. The NC auditor estimated over 34 of a billion in disaster recovery taxpayer funds were mismanaged by Roy Cooper. Last year, Governor Stein promised to get us home, but he has not done so. Why? The North Carolina legislature legislature also bears responsibility for not enacting the Cooper Accountability Act. I am here today to ask Craraven County and other ENC counties to stand in the gap not only for me and my deceased cousin

Maryanne who never returned home but also the estimate over 7,000 people who did not receive rebuild NC program assistance that was funded with both federal and state taxpayer funds like an elderly lady on Madam Moore Lane who is living in an RV and also a friend and her m minor granddaughter in Columbus County who are in a domestic violence shelter and all of them are still not back home because of Roy Cooper's failure since 2018 On November the 1st, 2024, senators Tillis, Bud, Representative Murphy, and others requested a federal inspector general investigation into the INC court rebuilding C HUD program, but no information is available about it. Why? Commissioner Booker, since you know Representative Mercy at Murphy, as you hosted him at your farm for a fundraiser, I'm asking you to please call him directly, not his staff tomorrow, and set up a meeting with him, you, me, and others at my home to resolve the issues to get me back home. I have made official email and telephone meeting requests to Murphy with no response. It is a federal, state, county, and city issue. Will you please do this for me? My prayers, daily prayers are for us here in ENC and those in WNC are suffering under tyrannical North Carolina state government. I will stand I stand firm and will not yield.

Thank you. Will you call? I'll speak to you later. He is your friend, correct? He's a He's my representative. He's like he's your representative. Well, I think you have a little bit closer relationship. Okay. Before we bring the county manager up, I'd like Miss Leslie Young to come up. She is our tax collector and she like to would I like her to give an update on where we're at with our tax collections.

Chairman and commissioners, thank you for having me this evening. Today is January 5th, 2026. And each year on January 5th, that day is considered to be the single busiest day in the tax department for two reasons. One is the last day to pay your property taxes without interest. Craraven County has just over 20,000 personal property owners, and today marks the first day uh that they are required by law to list their personal property each year in the month of January. Today I want to uh give you an update, a recap, and paint a picture of just how much uh Craven County is growing. Um we constantly today had easily a handful of folks in our in our um personal property division at at all times. Okay. The we were open. It's always the busiest time is when we come back from Christmas holiday. So, we were open 8 to 5 Monday the 29th, the 30th, and the 31st. Uh closed Thursday and Friday, and then we're open today. So, in four days uh to capture this much. I will be back uh the first Monday in February to report the delinquent amount because that is by statute. I want to paint a picture of we have a collection staff of four and to meet the needs of this collection. I had three folks crossrained uh two from my real estate division and one for my personal property because we have four windows and then we have the phone lines ringing and then we also have a lot of computer electronic work in accepting credit card payments and such as that. So we constantly had the four windows open and we had seven uh constant that does not include me. We have uh established two new improvements that I think have now

set the standard that our taxpayers um are going to expect. The first one, it started the morning of December 29th and it just rang true all throughout the day each day for the county to acquire the parking area to provide free parking to the taxpayers. I I'm to come to you and tell you on behalf of so many taxpayers, thank you. Thank you very much. uh me personally as tax administrator it was a huge resource to allow things to move so smoothly and sufficiently. So I want to thank you for that and I will be requesting that each year going forward. The second thing that that made such a game changer um if you if you came by anytime and especially today uh we had lines and especially today they the line would go either to the parking lot on this side or wrap around go to the parking lot on the other side and I myself and my chief appraiser Justin D uh we did what I call working the line and I just told the taxpayers I said if you're here to uh drop a payment and don't need a receipt right away, then I'm you can think of me as as a live Dropbox. And um I easily collected in those four days more than 300 payments. And they were very very appreciative of my coming out uh so that they wouldn't have to stand in the line so long. So those two are going to be considered standard going forward. U we we just got way too much great reception from our taxpayers uh in providing that. Just to give you an idea of just how busy today was. We have four working windows at the front counter in our tax collection department. There were always

four collectors working today from 8 to 5. Just at the counter, checks, cash, uh we don't accept credit card payments. Those four collectors today alone collected $2.832 million. Okay, just today and this isn't all of it but just today if we talk about what we collected through credit card uh escrow 8.123 million today. So I think that should press upon the need of how much we how I reiterate we definitely need to uh the free parking is a must and and I've got to go out there and work the line. Okay. But they were very appreciative of that. Lastly, uh I have three folks I've got to mention by name um to thank because there's no way my staff or I could have conducted this today to collect eight plus million dollars. Uh by far and large, every time I want to thank the county manager, Jack B, for always being so supportive, uh and Jean and Shane right there with him, uh to help me. Um I can't thank them enough. I want to thank Sheriff Chip Hughes. Uh once again, each year uh we've been doing this and he has provided a deputy at all times. That has been tremendously instrumental for me to have that deputy there in the front lobby that enables me to go out to the to the street. Okay. A lot of coordination there. You can only imagine the number of people coming in. And then uh lastly, I want to thank Chairman Booker because each day he came over just to check on me. we were quite busy um and very helpful from him too. Commissioners, if you don't have any questions, uh that's all I have for you, but uh I will be back the first Monday. And

yeah, well, since the chairman looked at me and said, "Do I have a question?" I I'll shoot one just on the uh a little bit slightly off topic on the real estate um assessment up and down of property. It seems kind of leveled out. Is that what you're seeing on real estate prices? I know the real estate market. Yeah,

what I'm seeing in the real estate market is values are are holding very steady. Uh I've certainly not seen a decrease. I am seeing a little bit longer of days on market. Uh we still have one more month. I'll be providing my county uh my monthly report to Jack uh hopefully by end of this week. The values are not decreasing. Uh they're not doubling like we've seen, you know, two and three years ago. Uh our market in Craven County is steady. I'm glad to be a citizen of Craven County because even if we do hit a dip or or even much worse, our county real estate market has held so steady that if we dip, it's not going to be drastic. Okay. Um, I've I've said before there there are two things that that the real estate market, whether it's Craven County or the state or our country, we have got to get this market very builder friendly. We have got to get that new construction supply uh really rolling uh because until then resales can name their price and that's what happened to us three and four, five years ago. Okay, so that's the first thing. And then secondly, a little bit beyond our control, but we've got to get first-time buyers the ability to the affordability uh to buy a home because that is the foundation that then propels all the next price ranges

which is a national problem. Yes. But I will I last statement. I will say thank you for being customer service driven. I know that when people are paying taxes, you can get all kinds of um interactions and I think it's important or in your position especially that you know that you do what you've done. I've heard positive comments from my constituents which you know when people are paying taxes is not the norm. So thank you for that. Right. Thank you chairman. Anybody else? Thank you.

Okay. Thank you too. I happened to um be standing by her when one lady came up and said, "I moved here from California." And not only did she comment about our taxes being very reasonable, but she said the process of paying these taxes is so simple and smooth compared to what we experienced in California. So, one more time, we we got to be thankful for this great place we live. So, thank you, Leslie. Thank you for what you did. And she was on her feet out there all day today. I told her next year she needs to wear her sneakers. Okay, Mr. V. Mr. Chairman, commissioners, happy new year. Uh, thanks for the opportunity tonight to address you. Just a couple updates. Of course, with the holidays, a little bit of a slow time for the county, except for Leslie, um, who did a great job, her and her team really outstanding work. I kind of compare today as sort of like the Super Bowl day for her in the tax world, right? So, it's the big day. Anyway, uh, just some updates. Uh, attended the new Havlock bypass opening uh, just before Christmas. I think many of the commissioners were there. Uh, great event. Roads open now from what I understand. and uh certainly exciting to see that project finally come to an end even though there'll be some additional work uh taking place between now and summer. Was able to take uh two commissioner tours uh during the time for the holidays. One with commissioner Howard had a great time touring uh district 6 looking at projects and different things uh from one end of Havlock all the way up to Carolina Pines even up closer to Newurn uh at times. So that was good. And with Commissioner Mason finishing the orientation, enjoyed our day. Uh actually at the bypass, then maybe seeing almost every county facility. So there we go.

With the new year, uh exciting times happen. Uh Wednesday, we kick off budget. Here it is all the way back around. So we look forward to doing that, right? And when we say kickoff budget, be budget team will get together, start laying out the calendar, all the things we're going to do. We'll meet with the department heads toward the end of the month, meet with our external partners in February, get the numbers in late February, put the budget together March and April, and there we go in May, right, with you guys. So, we look forward to that. Comes awfully quick. Um, and it's uh after traveling, my I guess my parting comment after traveling around a lot of the East Coast uh over New Year's, it is awfully nice to be home in Craven County. Uh we are blessed with the community and county we have here. So with all that if you have questions or thoughts for me um can answer question.

Okay. Looks like we don't have any questions. Thank you. Thank you sir. Okay. Last item on our agenda item 11 is commissioner reports. Who would like to go first? I'll go first. Um as as the county manager mentioned, I got a orientation um of the county and it was comprehensive. We do a lot of things in this county. It's more than probably your average citizen knows, particularly on the health side. It was impressive. I was impressed with the work ethic of all of our county employees and their professionalism. And I'd like to thank again for the tour. Okay. Thank you,

I'll just say I want to thank our county staff for good customer service. Uh just within the last few weeks, I don't know how many times I've called Chad Strong from uh constituent complaining about road condition to speeding, etc. Very quick response, very professional. Uh construction, sign replacement, etc., etc. Um I'll even sometimes I'll call him on a Sunday and my wife will be like, "Let the man have one day off, please." Uh Leslie, same thing. Amber, it's good when you work with the staff. You don't always think of government as customer service driven, but I feel like we're in a county where that does happen and I appreciate that with from you guys. So, thank you for that and happy new year.

Not to piggy back off of what the county manager said um but I did have the same thoughts over the last seven weeks. I've been um in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area quite a bit. And coming back here this year in 2026, I just want everyone to know that I am rededicated, recommitted to keeping Craven County, Craraven County, unique and special. We've got something here in the state that nobody else has. We have a lot of things here that's unique and special. And I'm just going to double down on keeping Craven County as special as it is. Thank you. That's because you've been in Chapel Hill, right? Yeah. Okay. Sure.

Two things. Uh, Chairman Booker. Uh, first I want to thank Sheriff Hughes. Uh, we he's been able to restart our trash pickup again with inmates and, uh, I've seen them on rural roads throughout the county. That was the mission of this board of commissioners some years ago to try to uh get those roads that um that DOT did not cover. And so, thank you for doing that and uh, staying on top of that. Also, I would ask that it be spread upon the minutes of our meeting. Um, the town of Dober lost one of their long trunk time board members, uh, Bobby Pard. He passed away, um, right before Christmas and, uh, so my condolences to, uh, his family. Uh, he fought hard for the town of Dober for many years. Uh, he was, um, their recreation uh, commissioner there and a good friend. And so, and that's all I have, Mr.

Okay. And I would just mention I attended a uh visitation for uh one member from your area, Mr. Dale. Young man, 55 years old, died of a heart attack. And he also was a great um citizen to the and very active in the fire department there. So, uh condolences to his family. Anybody have anything else? Sheriff, do you have anything you wanted to say? No, sir. relatively quiet which was very nice. Thank y'all. Appreciate everything. Look forward to another another.

Thank you. Okay. Is there anything else? I hear nothing else. I'll entertain a motion for a journal. Motion to adjourn. Second. Got a motion in a second. All in favor? I. We are ajourned.

Oh, there he is. Shout out.