Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

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Good evening and welcome to the May 26, 2026 regular meeting of the Gasson County Board of Commissioners. My name is Chad Brown, a service chairman of the board as well as commissioner from the Riverbend Township. I would like to welcome our viewers and thank Spectrum Cable and AT&T for making it possible for our citizens. For our television and live streaming odds, I would like to present our Gasson County Commissioner, beginning on my far right.

Alan Fraley, Cherville Township. Good evening, Scott Sheehan, Gastonia Township. Jim Bailey, South Point Township.

Bob Hovis, Crowder's Mountain Township.

I'd also like to announce that Commissioner Cloninger and Keager are not able to join us due to recovering from some recent surgeries. At this time, I'll ask you to take off your hats. Please rise. And Commissioner Hovis will give the invocation. Then we'll have a very special Pledge of Allegiance given by Ms. Olivia Saunders.

If you will, we'll have a moment of silence after we start prayer, but we're recognizing... Three individuals that have meant a lot to folks in this county over the last two weeks that we've lost. Coach McMillan from Stuart Kramer, the former representative of the house, Will Newman, passed this past weekend, along with former school board chair, Kemp Michael. Those three individuals have left our presence and have gone to their heavenly reward, and we'd like to remember them in a moment of silence once we go into prayer. Thank you. Let us pray. Gracious Father, acknowledging the leadership of these three individuals and the impact that they've had on many residents of Gaston County and beyond. Father, help us to be ever mindful of the presence that we have to be in your image to do things in a way that you would be appreciative of. and to represent Gaston County with dignity, trust, and honor. We ask that you bless this board while it's doing its business meeting. We ask that you give us the courage and strength to make the good long-term decisions of Gaston County. We ask that in Christ's name. Amen.

I pledge allegiance 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.

The first item on the agenda tonight is a proclamations, commendations, awards, and certificates. I will now call on Commissioner Fraley to retire commendation for retired Deputy Tracy Liles.

All right, come on up here. Yes, sir.

My buddy Julie, you're welcome to come up and stand with him. If you'd like anybody, Sheriff, any other people who'd like to stand with Tracy, that'd be great. All right, before I get started with this, I want to tell a little personal story on Tracy. All y'all probably don't know this. We go way back. We've been buddies a long time, one of my best friends. But he had one of the biggest disco shows this side of the Mississippi back in the 70s. If any of y'all don't know what disco, you have to be a little bit older to remember what the disco shows. But he had the disco ball and all, the bubble machines, speakers he rolled out, that thing about the size of your car. Oh, yeah, and then he had that double turntable. He looked like Casey in the Sunshine Band back there in his younger days. He'd be dancing back there and the place would go wild. But, yeah, I had a lot of fun. I think I got to see him make his one and only hole-in-one. If I'm not mistaken, you might have seen a couple of mine. All right, here we go. Before reading this, well, I'm going to read it right now. Sorry, I kind of should have left that out. I want to recognize Tracy Lyles for his outstanding service to both our nation and Gaston County. Deputy Lyles served proudly in the United States Air Force from October of 1980 through June of 1991. with assignments in Charleston Air Force Base, which I visited him down there after he got Airman of the Year, by the way, down there, South Carolina. He did overseas tours in Italy from 83 to 85, including six months at RAF Upwood in England and service in Greece from 86 to 87, before concluding his military career in, is it Keesler? Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. where he was honorably discharged following more than a decade of dedicated military service. Following his time in the Air Force, Deputy Lyles worked with Leroy Russell from 94 to 98 before joining his family's business, College Building Supplies, where he worked alongside his father, Dom from 1998 until 2017. During that time, he also served on the Economic Development Board, which I pointed him to. He did a great job helping support economic growth efforts that contributed to projects such as bringing Dole Foods and other companies to Gaston County. After the passing of his father, Deputy Lyles returned to public service with the Gaston County Sheriff's Office under Cloninger and now Hawkins, continuing his commitment to serving the citizens of Gaston County. Whereas Deputy Tracy Lyles retired from Gaston County Sheriff's Office on May the 1st, 2026, with 13 years of credible service at Gaston County Sheriff's Office. And whereas Deputy Lyles has requested he be awarded the service sidearm and badge worn during his service with Gaston County Sheriff's Office pursuant to the North Carolina General Statute 17F-20A and the Board Resolution Number 259, dated October 27, 1983. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Gaston County Board of Commissioners that the badge worn by Deputy Lyles and his service sidearm, Glock Model 45, be declared surplus equipment. The badge worn by Deputy Lyles will be given to him in honor of his service with Gaston County Sheriff's Office. The service sidearm Glock number 45, model 45, be permanently retired by the Gaston County Sheriff's Office and offered to retire Deputy Lyles the price of $1. Gaston County Sheriff's Office is directed to award Deputy Lyles with the service sidearm and badge as specified and worn by him during his service to Gaston County in accordance with the North Carolina General Statutes and policy of the boards. be it further resolved that the Gaston County Board of Commissioners expresses their sincere gratitude and dedicated service of Deputy Lyles and wishes him the best in his retirement to be adopted the 26th day of May, 2026. And Madam Clerk, I think I've got a dollar here.

I'm gonna pay for his sidearm.

There you go, Deputy Lyles, if you'd like to say a few words. There you go, buddy.

Try to get through it. I want to thank first our Lord Jesus Christ and Savior. And... The sheriffs have allowed me to come back and work. And I know most of you worked at the building supply, enjoyed it, had a great time. But my father told me when he passed before it, he said, I know you like law enforcement, go back in it. And that's what I did. I hope I served y'all well. Appreciate the sheriff, Chief Radford. of you love y'all thank you very much we'll leave that in there

So Deputy Lyles, Tracy, I want to thank you for your service, not only to our county for so many years, but to our country. And I also want to thank you for your friendship over the years. I think I probably met you about 30 years ago. We were out qualifying. So even though he left law enforcement to go full-time with the business, he remained on as a reserve deputy, showing his commitment to our county. He's been a great asset to the Gasset County Sheriff's Office. He always has a home here. So we thank him, thank him for his family, for loaning him to us because, you know, that's a big part of it. So now I think he's got grandfather duties to take care of, so he's going to be busy. But if he wants to, he always has a home with us.

And I missed one person, very important person.

My wife.

I was trying to bail you out. I know. Julie. Tracy. But we now have a one-week-old. Two-week-old. Two-week-old granddaughter.

Tracy, one thing was true. You always told us you was better looking now, and I believe it now. Thank you for your service. Thank you. The next proclamation, commendation, and award certificate goes to Commissioner Hovis. This is going to be communications proclaim. Recognize June 19th is Juneteenth Day in Gaston County. Commissioner Hovis.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe Dr. Guthrie's here to accept this. Tasha White had a conflict and couldn't be here, and she has stepped in. Anyone else that would like to join Ms. Guthrie is more than welcome to do so.

It's so good to see you, dear. Yes, ma'am. There you go.

Thank you. That's fine. Whereas President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January the 1st, 1963, declaring the enslaved people in the Confederate territory free, paving the way for the passage of the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States. And whereas word about the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was delayed for some two and a half years until June the 19th, of 1865 in reaching authorities and African Americans in the southern portion of the United States, and whereas the celebration of the end of slavery, which became known as Juneteenth, is the oldest known public celebration of the end of slavery in the United States and has been celebrated by the African American community for over the last 150 years, whereas Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and celebrates the achievements gained through dedication, education, perseverance, and greater opportunities while reminding each of us of the precious promises of freedom, equality, and the opportunity which are at the core of the American dream. And whereas the first Juneteenth celebrations were a time of reassurance, prayer, and gathering of family members and neighbors. And today continue as a time of remembrance and celebration within communities across the country, promoting knowledge and appreciation of American history and culture and respect for all people. And whereas the United States of America commemorates this 250th anniversary in the year 2026, And this milestone invites Americans to reflect on the full and unvarnished story of our nation's journey through freedom, justice, and the equality for all people. A story in which Juneteenth stands as a profound and essential chapter. And whereas Gaston County is proud to support the eighth annual Gaston Ebony Fest, Juneteenth Festival, organized by HELP Carolina Incorporated in partnership with the African American Museum of History and Culture in Gastonia, led by Dr. Dorothy Guthrie, and the activities included in the Juneteenth Kickoff Festival on Saturday, June the 13th, 2026, the Teen Summit on Sunday, June the 14th, the and the ancestry research presentation on June the 15th hosted by the Gaston County Public Library. The team farm to table experience on Tuesday, June the 16th sponsored by the keep Gastonia beautiful and the Juneteenth festival parade and fireworks finale on June 19th at the rotary pavilion under the theme rooted in resilience. Now therefore it be resolved that the Gaston County Board of Commissioners proclaims June the 19th, 2026 as Juneteenth in Gaston County and urges all citizens to honor local trailblazers who represent enduring symbols of resilience and hope for future generations, such as Prince Holland of Gastonia, owner of the first business not connected to the railroad, a blacksmith shop near South Street and South York Street, and Dr. Doc Guthrie, founding curator and director of the African American Museum of History and Culture in Gastonia, which celebrates its seventh year as a living legacy dedicated in preserving the stories and cultural roots of our community. This will be adopted the 26th day of May, 2026. Ms. Guthrie, thank you so much. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Vice Chair Hovis, to Chairman Brown and members of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners. It is indeed an honor for me to stand before you this evening to accept this special proclamation. As founder and Executive Director of the African American Museum of History and Culture located in the historic Laurier Mill. I am very, very pleased to hold this in my hand. I want to congratulate Ms. Tasha White and the Ebony Fest and Juneteenth Festival Committee for their dedication as well as for their commitment. To me, this is more than a formal document. To me, this is a powerful recognition of shared history, resilience, and a journey that we have been on, and it's a never-ending journey. However, we know how to stop along the way to celebrate historical significance and events such as yesterday, Memorial Day, in July, America 250, we know how to celebrate those special events. And we know the importance of pulling together citizens in Gaston County that can make a difference and will make a difference, being that we are of one mind. So I am honored this evening to accept this proclamation. It means that we are sharing our history. It means that the Board of Commissioners accepted the proposal and made it an official document. So thank you very much and I appreciate it and certainly we hope to see your faces in the places.

The next item on the agenda is public hearing. The commission will now take citizens' comments for two public hearings. Comments will be taken on the following issues. Zoning map change REZ-243, zoning map change REZ-244. Before we begin the hearing, please let me outline the rules, procedures of the hearing. Citizens wishing to make comment will be recognized by the chair and then requested to step to the microphone for their comments. Citizens will state their name and address for the record. Comments are limited tonight to three minutes. All questions shall be directed to the chair for response. The chair shall rule on all points of order. Do I hear a motion to go into public hearing? Motion made by Commissioner Hovis, seconded by Commissioner Sheehan. All in favor? We are now in public hearing. The county commission will now take citizens' comments on public hearing, zoning map change, REZ-243, Zachary Carper applicant. Ms. Peyton Wiggins, Land Development Manager, Building and Development Services, will provide a brief overview. Once she has completed her comments, citizens' comments will be taken. Ms. Wiggins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. REZ-26-03-06-00243 is a general rezoning request from Zachary Carpenter for two parcels, PID 169984 and 312523. The owner-applicant is requesting to generally rezone the parcels from the R1 single-family limited zoning district with U.S. urban standards overlay to the R2 single-family moderate zoning district with U.S. urban standards overlay. The property is within the center of the county, north of Dallas town limits, just east of Highway 321. The ortho photo shows that the parcels are currently vacant and wooded. The northern property is 2.4 acres and the southern property is 3.66 acres for a total of 6.06 acres for the request. This portion of the county is primarily all residential with a variety of housing types throughout the surrounding area. According to the environmental map, there's no flood on the properties, and there is a gradual 22-foot decrease in slope from the northern portion of the north property to the southern portion of the southern property. However, along the eastern side of both properties, it remains a bit more flat. The zoning map shows the subject property is R1, with R1 throughout most of the surrounding area. There are a few parcels with I2 and C1 zoning in the larger vicinity. This map shows the property owners who received notices for tonight's public hearing. Notices were mailed to the property shown in gray on May 11th and a sign was placed on site the same day. Staff received one email regarding this case from an adjacent property owner expressing opposition to the request. This table shows the information for those who received the mail notices. If developed, the parcels would be served by a private well and septic system, and the parcels are located on Miclock Place, which is a private drive off of Willis Road, which is an NCDOT road. The Gaston County TRC reviewed this request on April 17th, and there are no comments at this time. The GCLMPO provided the following comments, and the full letter is attached to your staff packet for more detail. However, according to the NCDOT's STIP, there are no funded transportation improvement projects in the immediate vicinity of the site, and there are also no funded transportation improvement projects on the CTP. This property falls within the Area 2 North 321 Gaston Small Area Plan within the adopted comprehensive land use plan. The future land use designation is rural, and these areas are areas characterized by green rolling hills and plenty of open spaces. This designation exemplifies Gaston County and the existing natural resources that exist throughout the jurisdiction. Residential homes are located on larger lots and are set back from the roads they front upon. Staff finds this application as presented consistent with the goals and future land use designation found within the comprehensive land use plan as it will keep the parcel residential in nature. The Planning and Zoning Board heard this request at its May 5th meeting and recommended approval by unanimous 9-0 vote. Mr. Chairman, this includes my presentation, and I'm happy to answer any questions you or the board may have.

Thank you, ma'am. Are there any comments from the applicant at this time? Please step over to the podium, sir. State your name and address for the record, and you may begin.

Thank you, sir. I just want to say my name is Zachary Carpenter. I currently reside at 754 Willis Road, which is about Quarter of a mile or less from the property that I've purchased I did purchase the two parcels of property because I would like for my children to get to Grow up and be raised in a manner similar to the one that I have been The reason for the rezoning request is simply due to financial And where a modular home is slightly less With current with having three children that I'm working on raising currently, and I just want them to get to grow up and be able to go outside and play in the woods as I have. The only plans that we have for the home is a private well and septic, and to keep it as a single residence on both parcels of property. Other than that, I just want to be able to coexist peacefully.

You just have a seat right there, and then we'll get right back to you.

Yes, sir. Thank you.

Any citizens wishing to comment on this this time?

Yes, I'm Mike Overkamp. I live at 654 Willis Road. My property abuts the property that is being considered for rezoning. I have a petition that I have gotten signed by over 50% of the neighbors' property that abuts the property, and we would ask that the commission deny the zoning request for we fear that this rezoning to Zone 2 would open the property up to further developing mobile homes or modular homes on that property which would be a detriment to the character of the neighborhood increasing traffic impact the water storm water runoff and property values may i present motion to accept motion

Made by Commissioner Hovis, seconded by Commissioner Sheehan. All in favor? It is unanimous, Madam Clerk. That's all I have, thank you. Any questions from the Board of Commissioners? Commissioner Sheehan.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ms. Wiggins, would you mind? Just a point of clarification. You said that there was a 22-foot grade change from one side to the other. Can you give me some more detail as to how that looks?

Yes, absolutely. So based off the topography lines, the northernmost property line in this map is facing north, sits 22 feet higher than the southern portion. And I don't think I have the total footage of what that total width is over the course of time, but just as a whole, it is a 22 foot grade change.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Commissioner Hovis.

The conversation was this is access via a private drive. What's the width of that private drive, if I may ask?

That width would be our standard 20-foot easement. The plat was platted in 2019, and it has our standard 20-foot access easement typical on it.

So it is a deeded easement?

And platted.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions from the board at this time?

Peyton, my question, I guess, is with these particular lots, we wouldn't be able to put but one, maybe two, if any, on that particular size, correct?

Right now, as the lots currently stand, we would allow one home per lot. If perhaps one day they would potentially subdivide, but we would have to look further into that to even see if that was possible.

He would have to come back anyway, correct?

Not for a general rezoning. He could do a subdivision administratively, but he would be subjected to any kind of subdivision ordinance, regardless of zoning district, R1 or R2.

Any additional comments that need to be made by the board? Hearing none, I will declare the public hearing closed. Just to recap, the Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval by a 9-0 vote, finding that it is reasonable in the public interest and consistent with the goals of the comp plan as it will keep the parcel residential in nature and envisioned by the rural and general infrastructure. Do I hear a motion to approve? Do I hear a motion to approve? Do I hear a motion to approve? You'll have to have a motion and a second, even though it may not be approved, just because it comes under, that's the new board rules, correct, Brian? So even if it's disapproved, it does have to have a motion. Motion made by Commissioner Sheehan, seconded by Commissioner Hovis. Any discussion? All in favor? All opposed? It is unanimous, Madam Clerk. The next item is the Gaston County will take comments on public hearing zoning map change REZ-244. Sarah Wooten is the applicant. Ms. Peyton Wiggins, Land Development Manager, Building and Development Service, will provide a brief overview. Once she has completed her comments, citizens' comments will be taken. Ms. Wiggins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. REZ-26-03-26-00244 is a general rezoning request from Sarah Wooten for PID 168347. The owner applicant is requesting to generally rezone the 11.63 acre parcel from the R1 single family limited zoning district with U.S. urban standards overlay to the R2 single family moderate zoning district with U.S. urban standards overlay. The property is north of the town of Dallas, just west of Highway 321. And the orthophoto shows the site is currently vacant with a large pond in the center. This portion of the county is primarily residential with a variety of housing types throughout the area. The environmental map shows that there is no floodway on the property and that there are major topographical challenges. The zoning map shows the subject property is R1 with R1 throughout the entire area. There is a small area of C3 farther out to the southwest of the subject site. This map shows the property owners who received mail notices for tonight's public hearing. Notices were mailed on May 11th and a sign was placed on site the same day, all in accordance with general statutes. Staff has received multiple calls regarding this request. Some callers expressed opposition, others indicated no concern, and one caller did not state a position either way. One call resulted in staff opening a code case related to possible dumping on the property, which is currently being inspected and processed. This chart shows the owner information for those who were notified. And if the site is to be developed, it would be served by a private well and septic system. The site is accessed by Red Yam Farm Road, which is a private drive, and is off of Cloninger Road, which is an NCDOT-owned... The Gaston County TRC reviewed this request on April 17th, and there were no comments at this time. The GCL NPO provided the following comments. According to the NCDOT STIP, there are no funded transportation improvement projects in the immediate vicinity of the site, and there are also no funded projects on the adopted CT. This property falls within Area 2, North 321 Gaston Small Area Plan of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The future land use designation is rural center, and those are rural community areas that serve a specific purpose for the immediate area. They can be civic-oriented, anchored by a church, a community center, historic structures, et cetera, or these areas can also serve a commercial purpose anchored by a small store, gas station, community daycares, related small businesses, etc. Houses and businesses are closer together and are built closer to the roadway. Staff finds this application as presented consistent with the goals and future land use designation found within the comprehensive land use plan. The Planning and Zoning Board heard this request at its May 5th meeting and recommended approval by a 9-0 vote. Mr. Chairman, this concludes my presentation. Happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, ma'am. Any comments from the applicant at this time? Seeing none, any citizens wishing to comment? Are you an applicant or a citizen, ma'am? Okay, any citizens wishing to comment at this time? You can step to the microphone. Please state your name and address for the record, please.

Hi, I'm Kayla Vernon. I am the owner of parcel 168355. I bought this parcel three years ago. My property easement goes through the property in question that we're speaking of today. I would ask that the board block the rezoning as there is a dump, illegal dump. It's a goalie filled with garbage and trash that's visible from my property easement that I feel is negatively impacting my property values. I've opened up a zoning investigation, and my request is that the board deny it until that investigation is completed and the property owners clean up the trash. With me today, I brought pictures of that, and I can hand those to you.

All right.

That's all. Thank you. Thank you.

Any other comments from any other citizens? Yes, sir. Can you state your name and address, please, sir? And we'll get right back to that with Ms. Wiggins.

My name is Roy M. Cloninger. on the property adjoining that. I'd like to know who's dumping the trash where. And if this is approved, how are they going to get into that? My driveway is a private road. I have not deeded access to anyone over it. The only person I've deeded, I have deeded access to is, Stephen D. Webster, who leaded him right away through my cousin's son.

Stephen D. Is that all you have?

I want to congratulate the county police. You know, several years ago, they come up in my farm on Private Drive, around the barn, and give my son a citation for disturbing the farm in the city limits. He had a citation for court. I had to hire a lawyer to get his funds from the record. He was a A Boy Scout with Frank Vigil, another guy that's purged from the record.

Yes, sir. Thank you. Any other citizens wishing to comment on this matter at this time? Any questions from the Board of Commissioners?

I'll ask the obvious question.

Is there an ongoing investigation right now to open?

Yes, sir, there is.

I'm going to make a motion to table this. Seconded by Commissioner Fraley. All in favor? It is now tabled to the next public hearing. Ms. Wiggins. Thank you. Next item, approval of the business agenda. Are there any revisions to the business agenda that items that need to be pulled tonight? Seeing none, do I hear a motion to approve the business agenda as presented? Motion made by Commissioner Hovis, seconded by Commissioner Sheehan. Any discussion? All in favor? It is unanimous, Madam Clerk. The next item on the agenda is citizens' recognition. A portion of the board's agenda is set aside for the purpose of allowing citizens the opportunity to offer comments and suggestions. The comment period is not intended to require the commission or staff to answer any questions or provide a response. Questions requiring a response shall be answered as soon as possible through the county manager's office. Tonight, we'll be limited to three minutes. As I call your name, please step to the podium. Also, we will be back under decorum issues and there'll be no outside noises, please, while the people are coming to talk tonight. And also, once the red light, if you'll please be cognizant to stop at that time. The first person to speak is Ms. Brittany Elkins.

Brittany Elkin, High Ridge Court, Gastonia. I've been told that there are commissioners who believe that education is just the topic of the day. This will die down over the summer. All you have to do is outlast them. But let me explain something. I've gone through a cumulative 27 months of pregnancy, 65 hours of labor, delivered three eight-pound babies, and parented those children through enough tantrums to be trained for the long game. Every mother in this room and in this county has endured some of the most difficult experiences a human can endure for the sake of her children. So please understand when I say this. We are not going away. We are organizing. And if you are betting that parents will eventually get tired and move on while you continue treating education like an afterthought, you will lose that bet. To avoid any confusion, let me be crystal clear about what we are asking for. We are not asking you to raise property taxes. We are asking you to prioritize our schools. How do I know that you are not prioritizing education? Because the numbers don't lie. The following percentages represent the share of local property tax revenue allocated to education operating expenses last year. Alamance, 43%. Cabarrus, 40%. Iredale, 32%. Johnston, 49%. Randolph, 34%. And Gaston County, 26%. And we can look at this from every angle, percent of the general fund budget, total allocation to schools, including capital and debt service, but I have yet to find an angle that makes Gaston County look like it is even attempting to prioritize education. Trust me, I looked. Commissioner Bailey presented this information, Gaston County Schools presented this information, and somehow that was called offensive. What's offensive is expecting parents to ignore reality while you prioritize everything but our children in the name of tradition. And I keep hearing the phrase 80 to 85% of the budget is mandated. Okay, then explain it. Because I have repeatedly asked for that explanation. And so far, the response has been crickets. If other counties are capable of making education a higher priority, explain to the public why Gaston County cannot do the same. Explain what is supposedly so different here. If this county continues down this path, the damage will not stop at the classroom door. Families will leave, property values will decline, crime rates will rise, businesses will think twice about investing here, and all of this will be tied to your legacies.

Thank you.

My name is Lindsay Weathers. I live at 3403 Donington Way in Gastonia. I spoke last week at the Gaston County School Board meeting as one of the lead middle school counselors within this county. I've actually been a school counselor for at least one of this board's members family during my career. I'm not here today to speak on my role and responsibilities exclusively. It's been clear that you all are more concerned about the nitty gritty of tangible facts and figures, dollars and cents. If anything, I'm known for having my receipts in regards to how my time is spent professionally within my school building. And this evening, I'm referencing receipts regarding my own money, resources, and time and how they are being spent within my role. So here are some figures from the past three years. This school year has just concluded, that has just concluded, saw our program expand and align itself with the ASCA national model update fully. This came with a lot of time and energy from myself and my co-counselor, but it also came at the expense of $8. 0.9% of my net income. That same percentage was spent the prior year. And three school years ago, 21% of my net income was spent to serve my students within my role and better myself professionally. Just for reference, These same figures applied to the published gross salary of the Gaston County manager would result in an impact to income of 0.9% and 1.6% respectively. This isn't to say that our program hasn't also utilized other resources. I go to Classroom Central down 74 during rush hour once a month. This school year I've secured $3,830 worth of donations. Last year, $2,248 worth of donations. Our campus also has a fantastic PTO. Not all campuses have that. I give up an hour of my family time every month to join Ambassador Calls to save our school district $400 annually. I pay out of pocket for my professional memberships, both on a state and national level. And I either volunteer my time to present or contribute to pay out of pocket to attend their corresponding conferences. I volunteer my time every school year to take on graduate level school counseling interns to help expose them to this wonderful profession. This comes with no additional compensation. However, what frustrates me is they go to other counties that pay better after I've invested my time and energy into them. Contrary to what one of these board members has said in my presence to another educator, you all do not pay our paychecks or sign our paychecks. When you as board members are asking for Gaston County Schools to have more skin in the game, what you're failing to realize is that this strong-armed approach for clutching at the purse strings of public funds is actually coming at the detriment of the very educators I would like to think you all would like to retain within this district, as well as literally withholding essentials for all of our children.

Thank you. Next speaker is Diane Bush.

My name is Diane Bush and I live at 1408 Pueblo Court in Denver, North Carolina. Thank you for letting me speak tonight. Recently, a grandmother came to my school in tears. The only person she wanted to speak with was me because both she and her grandson trusted me. That trust was born from four years of serving students at her grandson's school as their school counselor. Her grandson had expressed suicidal thoughts. I sat with her. I listened. I comforted her. Then I immediately assessed the student, connected the family with resources, and helped him get the support he needed. I'm grateful to say he is now doing better and receiving outside counseling services, but I often wonder what would have happened if I had not been there. That question is what keeps me up at night. As a school counselor in Gaston County, I've recently been notified that I will now serve two campuses of a combined over 1,000 students versus my previous assignment at a campus of averaging around 400. While I'm not afraid of a challenge, my training tells me that serving over 1,000 students across two campuses more than four times the recommended school counselor to student ratio is likely dangerous. I fear this arrangement steals the time and emotional capacity needed to build the kinds of critical relationships that make a child feel safe enough to ask for help. I was told that everyone will receive crisis management training, but there is far more to suicide assessment and crisis intervention than completing a checklist. Trained mental health professionals like myself know how to ask the right follow-up questions. how to hear what students are hinting at but not saying, and how to read body language to assess congruence, as well as assessing risk and determining the proper next steps. We also possess strong knowledge of clinical supports and programs that not only ensure safety, but ensure that students continue their education. Crisis managing training simply cannot substitute for the depth and breadth of a school counselor's training. School counselors are also engaged with much more than crisis response. For example, like many schools in Gadsden County, my school struggles with chronic absenteeism. I developed a peer mentorship program designed specifically to help reduce attendance problems among Tier 2 and Tier 3 students and plan to deploy it in this coming year. In this program, older students mentor younger students who have struggled with attendance in the past. Mentors agree to maintain good attendance and behavior themselves. And together they work on projects that students can only continue if they consistently come to school. Programs like this have shown marked success in improving attendance and building connections for students who feel disconnected from school. I was incredibly excited to launch this initiative. However, since being reassigned and having my time split between two schools, I won't be able to facilitate such a program on either campus.

Ma'am, you can just please wrap it up, please.

Yes, I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money over the years on curriculum materials, classroom supplies, play therapy toys, sensory and kinetic items, rugs, board games, and countless other resources for students and teachers alike. In the last four years, I spent more than $800 on curriculum materials. I also pay for all my own professional development. so i'm just going to skip the rest and say i'm begging you to help gaston county restore counselors and support staff in our schools by providing more funding so our children have someone safe to turn to before a crisis becomes a tragedy thank you for your time

Good evening. A county's budget is more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It's a reflection of values. It tells the public, Samantha Easter's 205 Red Oak Court in Gastonia. It tells the public what leadership believes is worth investing in and what it is willing to leave behind. And what many of us have discovered is not just frustration over funding levels, but growing concern about transparency, accountability, and leadership itself. Because transparency is not simply posting pages of PDFs online and expecting the average taxpayer to decode them. True transparency means people can clearly understand where revenue is coming from, where it's going, why certain priorities are chosen, and why some investments can continue growing while others fall behind. accountability means more than balancing a budget right now many residents feel that we are hearing conflicting messages we're told there's not enough money for schools but taxpayers also see population growth expanding county departments economic incentives and increasing county expenditures in other areas we're not asking for for we're not asking for perfection we're asking for clarity Why has education funding failed to keep pace with neighboring counties? And how can Gasson County expect to compete economically in the future while investing only 18% of its budget into the very system responsible for educating its future workforce? One of the most influential leadership concepts in recent years is the idea of starting with why, not what are we funding or how do we maintain the budget, but why are we making these decisions in the first place? Why do communities invest in schools? Why do families choose one county over another? Why do businesses invest in growing communities? Because education is about more than buildings and spreadsheets. It's about the kind of future a county chooses to create. Communities do not experience long-term growth by accident. They grow because leadership is willing to think beyond the next budget cycle and invest in the systems that shape the future of the county itself. The counties surrounding us recognized this years ago. They plan for growth. They invested intentionally, and now they're seeing the result of those decisions. This should not be a partisan issue. Transparency should not be political. Accountability should not be political. Wanting strong schools and responsible stewardship of taxpayer monies should not be political. And leadership should not mean maintaining the status quo simply because it's easier. Real leadership requires courage, the courage to reevaluate those priorities, the courage to admit when systems are no longer working effectively, and the courage to include the public in those conversations rather than shutting them out. We're not asking for perfection. We're asking for honesty and accountability. they're asking the people to lead they're asking the people elected to lead this county to actually lead continue asking questions continue showing up that is what we will do we will continue demanding transparency and accountabilities to our leaders be good stewards of taxpayer money be transparent be accountable fund our education

Hello, my name's Cameron Cowell, 3241 Wicklow Lane. Tonight, I keep thinking about the Lorax by Dr. Seuss. In the story, the Wantsler discovers a forest of truffula trees and builds a successful business by cutting them down. At first, everything seems fine. The business grows, more trees are cut, and the Lorax keeps warning him. The damage happens slowly, slowly enough to seem okay, until one day There are no trees left. What stays with me is how it happened. The warnings were there, but they were easier to ignore than to act on. Nothing disappeared overnight. One choice became another. I think about that when I think about Gaston County Schools. We are the ninth largest school district in North Carolina, yet only 18% of the county budget goes to education. Since 2021, local funding has been flat. After inflation, our schools are doing more with less. We have already seen reductions in force with more concerns ahead. It's easy to talk about percentages and budget figures. It's harder to picture the teacher who's helping a struggling reader after school or the teacher assistant who knows a kid's having a rough morning before anyone else. or a counselor who's helping a student through grief, anxiety, or problems at home. Those are only some of the people behind the numbers. When schools lose people, children don't lose positions. They lose trusted adults. They lose relationships. They lose people who know their stories, celebrate their successes, and help them through difficult moments. And children feel that loss. Not all at once. They feel it the way the forest disappeared in the Lorax. One tree at a time. At the end of the Lorax, the Onceler finally understands the meaning of one word left behind by the Lorax. Unless. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. The Onceler didn't understand the message until the end of that story. We are not at the end of ours. Our schools are still here. The people serving our children are still here. Our students are still here. We still have a choice. The question is how many more trees are we willing to lose before we decide enough is enough, before another child loses a trusted adult, before another child loses a relationship that they depend on, before another child loses one more person who knows their story. Thank you. Sarah Harris.

Good evening, commissioners. My name is Sarah Harris and I live at 3524 Country Club Drive. The past 10 years, I've been a teacher at Hawks Nest STEAM Academy. During the 25-26 school year, I stepped out of my comfort zone and into the role of STEAM teacher. And I've loved every second of it. I grew up in Gaston County, and 10 years ago I chose to move back home because I wanted my children to experience the same sense of community, opportunity, and pride in our public schools that I experienced growing up. But today, I can honestly say it's not the same. Right now, I am one of the teachers affected by the reduction in force. But thankfully... I'm able to stay at Hawksnest STEAM Academy, but we cut a STEAM teacher from a STEAM Academy. And if this is happening at one of the top performing schools in the county, a school with incredible teachers, strong family support, and a wait list of 150 plus students, I can't imagine what schools with fewer resources are facing. At Hawks Nest, we have multiple positions open. And those teachers are leaving for charter and private schools or their neighboring counties. for better pay and better support. Even more concerning, we have staff actively searching and interviewing elsewhere. This is not just a staffing problem, though. This is a warning sign. As a STEAM teacher, I teach my students to solve problems using the engineering design process, and honestly, I think our county needs to use that same process right now. Step one, we have to ask ourself, what is the problem? The problem is that our public schools are underfunded, our educators are overwhelmed, and our students are paying the price. And somewhere along the way, we stopped working together and started blaming each other. But the truth is, if our public education system is struggling, then all of us have a responsibility to fix it. Because when public education weakens, communities weaken. Two, imagine. Imagine what Gaston County could become if we fully invested in our schools. We do not lack talented educators, hardworking students, or hardworking people who care. We lack investment. Three, plan. We need a real commitment to public education funding, not temporary fixes or Band-Aids. We need competitive pay, and we need resources that support both students and teachers. Four, create, and this is where you guys come in. You have the ability to help create a future where public schools are places people want to teach, learn, and stay. An investment in schools is not an expense. It's an investment in economic growth, public safety, and the future of this county. Five, test. Look at the schools that are succeeding despite the challenges. Look at the teacher turnover numbers and the vacancies in neighboring counties, drawing educators away. The data is already testing the system for us, and right now, our system is failing. Six, improve. We cannot keep waiting until this situation becomes irreversible. Every year we delay meaningful action, we lose more experienced teachers, more programs, and more trust from families. I'm almost done.

Improvement requires action.

Finally, step seven, we have to reflect. In STEAM, reflection is one of the most important parts of the process. They explain what worked, what failed, and how they can improve. That is what our community needs to do right now. We need to honestly reflect on where we are, acknowledge that the system is not working the way it should, and be willing to share that responsibility together. years from now what do you want to say about this moment did you ignore the warning signs or did we come together as a community and decide that our children were worth investing in i came back to gaston county because i believe in this community and the school system and i still do but belief alone will not fix this action will please stop viewing education funding as someone else's problem to solve it belongs to you it belongs to me it belongs to all of us thank you And I have a copy of my speech for all of you.

Motion made by Commissioner Sheehan, seconded by Commissioner Bailey. All in favor? Taylor Saunders. Thank you.

I'm Taylor Sanders, I live at 523 Lakeview. And I wasn't gonna speak today, but I'm going to because I'm gonna come every single meeting and we're not gonna give up and we're going to come every single time and just explain to you how much this means to us. We're not here to go back and forth. We're here for answers, we're here for change, and we're here for our students and for our kids. That's who we're here for. And my next question is, when do we have a conversation about the monument out front? Thank you so much.

Next person is Deonna Graham.

201 West Franklin. Good evening. My name is Deanna Graham, Vice President of the NAACP Gastonia Branch 5394B. Now I'm sure this body would love for the school budget crisis and the Confederate monument controversy to quietly disappear. But unlike some of the priorities in this county, our children cannot simply be swept under the rug. It is time for Gaston County to decide what actually matters. Are we investing in students, or are we investing in maintaining a top-heavy system filled with titles, salaries, and politics while classrooms continue to suffer? Neighboring counties are moving forward while Gaston County keeps acting like properly funding education is some outrageous request instead of a basic responsibility. And let's address the elephant in the room. The good old boy culture, bullying tactics, people keep mentioning. Now, these aren't just community whispers anymore. Members of the school board themselves have raised those same concerns. And like I tell my son, everybody ain't lying on you. What we're seeing now is the same old playbook. shrink school square footage, force unreasonable timelines, and push consolidation, like public education is a blue light special at Walmart. See, our children are not rollback items. Their future should not be negotiated like a damaged inventory sitting on a clearance rack. This county somehow always finds the energy to protect monuments in the past, but suddenly becomes exhausted when it comes time to invest in the future. That should concern every taxpayer in Gaston County. Our schools deserve more than excuses, intimidation, and political theater. They deserve leadership with vision, courage, and enough common sense to understand that educated communities build strong counties, not Confederate monuments, not backroom politics, and certainly not bullying.

Good evening, commissioners. Tonight, I want to start by taking you back to school. Every one of you has a why, a reason you chose public service, a belief that brought you into these seats to represent this county and make decisions that shape its future. My why is this. When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope I would have not one single bit of talent left, and I could say I used everything you gave me. That quote is from Irma Bombeck. Bombeck, that is why I stand here today, because I believe the responsibility I have to my students, to my profession, and my community is not something to hold back or stay quiet about when something is not aligned to reality. This is my hometown, and right now when we look at that reality, the numbers are clear. Roughly 85% of the children in Gaston County attend public schools. That means our public schools are not one of many systems. They are the primary system serving the vast majority of the county's families every single day. Yet education funding from the general fund sits closer to 16%. And that gap matters because 16% does not reflect 85%. A 25% allocation is not an arbitrary request. It is a proportional responsibility. If 85% of our students are in public schools, that investment in that system is what serves them should reflect that scale. Education should not have to be second to public safety. And I want to be very intentional about that comparison. We are quick to ask education to consolidate, to reduce, and to prove efficiency at every turn. But I think it's only fair on that same level of scrutiny is applied across all county operations. Before we talk about closing schools or consolidating classrooms, we should also be willing to ask difficult questions about every part of the county government, including overlapping structures, square footage, and administrative systems that are rarely placed under the same pressure. If we are going to demand efficiency from one sector, then every sector, law enforcement, administrative services, and county operations should be held to the same standard. And let me be clear. I have always backed the blue. H-135 is one of the best men I've ever known and loved, and it's one of the reasons I'm standing here. So I'm not against blue at all. But I'm tired. I am tired of seeing education treated as the place where we balance the budget last instead of planning it first. I'm tired of watching educators cross the county, travel across district lines just to find meaningful supplement pay while staying committed to serving this community. Smaller counties with less revenue raised are doing more, Lincoln and Iredale. Higher taxes are not the answer. Prioritizing allotment is what we need. None of us entered this profession for wealth, but I also did not enter it to stay silent while this system I serve consistently positioned at the back of funding priorities. So I will end where I began. If 85% of our students are in public schools, then education is not supporting function of the county or the government. It is the system. And yet, when we look at decades of budgeting decisions, we have never seen alignment anywhere near that proportion, not 25%, not close. This is not criticism, it is a fact pattern, and it is exactly the problem, because what that tells us is not that education is unimportant, but there has been consistently funded below the scale of what it actually is. At some point, we have to decide whether we're gonna keep managing that gap or finally close it. Moving education closer to 25% of the general fund is not radical. What is radical is accepting anything less when 85% of your children, the people that voted for you, are in public schools. And it is time, because when public education fails, so do our communities, our schools, and our future generations. Thank you.

Good evening and us Helms Belmont I was disappointed not see any follow up on school funding on the agenda because lately all of left us with some cliffhangers. A month ago you voted unanimously to put a referendum on the ballot that would set aside sales tax for teacher salaries. I've been checking. I believe Commissioner Hovis said that it would have to be done by June 6th, which is less than two weeks away. I've been checking, and I haven't seen any sign that such a bill has been introduced. So have you spoken with our local delegation? Did they say no? Did they say yes? What's the timetable? Should we be lobbying them? I emailed Commissioner Hovis asking for an update, and he didn't respond, so I'm hoping that you all will update all of us. Two weeks ago, several of you told us that you'd listened to the people who spoke here. And you had looked at the numbers, and you agreed. We are underfunding our public schools, and that is hurting our community. And yet, that wasn't how you voted. But you voted unanimously to create a working group of commissioners and school board members, and said you'd consider additional funding if you could get the answers you wanted. So, have you created this group? Is it meeting? Have you determined the work that needs to be done? What's the timetable? I personally would like to see each body make a status report every time they meet to ensure that this important work is getting done. And I hope you'll share findings with the public. As I told the school board, I didn't like your budget vote, but I respected the fact that your efforts, you were trying to understand what's going on with the school district's finances and with that awful payroll system that's still causing problems and costing us money. Don't just get answers behind closed doors. Report out to the public. Finally, Commissioner Bailey made the excellent suggestion that you review the rest of the county budget to see where there's room for significant cuts to shift money to schools. That is going to be tough work. You can't wait to start until it's budget season again. Sometimes I think some of our elected officials did not listen when your teachers said show your work. Both the school board and you all tend to roll out a budget and say, here it is, all in favor say aye. If you're going to break the status quo and make good, tough decisions, that won't work. Some people suspect that all of these proposals were just like tossing a tennis ball for a dog. Distract us and we'll lose interest. I don't think that's going to happen. I'm pretty sure if you're bluffing us, we will remember in November. And I'm optimistic enough to hope that you are sincere. Let's work together to build a well-funded, efficient, high-functioning school system and county government. Thank you.

My name is Virginia Hoyle. I live at 205 Crossing Avenue. Like so many others here, I'm here to ask you to find money for our schools right now. I have all of these why questions rolling around in my head, and so I'm gonna ask you the questions tonight. I know you can't answer, but I hope you will consider them later, seriously. I want to know why you're only allocating 18% of our budget to schools when no other similar county around us is funding below 27%. Why are you choosing to shortchange our kids? Why aren't they the priority in this county? Why are you telling us you can't do more now but you'll try to do better later? Why should we even believe you when you told us last time you knew how bad this budget would be for our schools? And you told us how important it was for you to do better because you all have teachers in your family. And then, with the exception of Commissioner Bailey, you all voted to keep funding flat anyway. Why are you constantly requesting the same information from the school board but doing nothing meaningful with it? Why are you blaming everyone else instead of working with them to solve problems? Because keeping everything the same with a promise to try to do something later is not problem solving, but it is a choice. Why aren't you publicly begging the state legislator to help the way we have been publicly begging you? Why aren't you publicly demanding they stop funding those opportunity scholarships that lower the cost for wealthy families to send their kids to the same private schools they were already attending, while our kids in public school lose beloved teachers to nearby states, face running out of paper, and prepare to share the limited librarians, nurses, and counselors that will still be employed next school year? Why don't you want a brighter future for Gaston County, badly enough to fight for it as hard as we are? I have a few more questions for you about that Confederate monument outside too. But first, I want to say to those who've been demanding its removal for so long, I'm sorry I didn't know about it sooner. I'm sorry you've been fighting all this time without the support of your neighbors. But I do know now, and now that I know, I promise to tell anyone who will listen about this disgraceful and hateful display in front of a building that belongs to all of us. To the commissioners, why do you think that we, the citizens of Gaston County, want to be represented this way? Why do you want to glorify racism? Why do you want to promote a message that distorts the past and celebrates the worst that history has to offer? Why don't you put this statue in a museum with a long plaque to explain all the ways we went wrong in the past so that we have a chance of doing better in the future? Why don't you understand that with this issue, as with so many of our current problems, continuing to keep things the same is not a solution, but it is a choice. Thank you for your time.

This is Reynolds Nunn. We live on Fairfield Drive in Gastonia.

Hi, my name is Reynolds Nunn and I am a rising fourth grader at McCanville Elementary School. I wanted to speak today to share about how the problems with funding for public schools is affecting students like me. A couple of months ago, I found out that we are losing our school counselor and our librarian. This made me very sad because these two staff members are an important part of our school. Ms. Griffin, our school counselor, has helped us come out of our shells and learn to stand up for ourselves through her weekly lessons. This year has been challenging and when I've had And when I've had a hard time in class, she would pull me to spend one-on-one time with her. We would talk about life, my feelings, and how to cope when things feel tough. This time has helped carry me through this school year. Our librarian, Ms. Hoard, has introduced us to books through our time in media center. This has encouraged us to read regularly and has taught us how to use our imaginations to learn. I served as a media helper this year. I was also chosen to be a member of the Battle of the Books team for next year, but without a full-time librarian, this opportunity may not happen. The problem with resources for our school is not just affecting our specials classes. Ms. Conroy, a teacher's assistant who's been at McCannville for 11 years, is preparing to go to another school. She graduated with her teaching degree this year and is being forced to leave because our school can't offer her a classroom teaching position. She has taught my two brothers and me in kindergarten and is a face everyone knows. Knowing that Ms. Conroy, Ms. Griffin, and Ms. Hoard won't be at my school next year breaks my heart. Individuals like special teachers and teachers assistants are a meaningful part of elementary school. Without them, kids like me will suffer. I love all my teachers and staff and it would be so sad to watch them leave. but leaders like you can help please choose to support our county schools by providing the money that is needed to keep the people who directly impact students each day in their jobs this will make a difference that will last for generations to come thank you for your time

Scottie T. Reid, 1521 Old Highway 27. I had planned to speak tonight about the county's proclamation on the Second Amendment back in 2020 and as it relates to black firearm owners and the fact that black people keep getting shot by police in this county. But I'm going to say that for another time. I want to talk about another amendment, the 13th Amendment. Somewhere about 2011, 2012, I started a podcast called New Abolitionist Radio, which has been recognized across this country, and some would say even internationally, as a foremost authority on the fact. that the 13th Amendment did not abolish slavery. I'ma read it to you, okay, because we got a lot of educators in here tonight, and it's grammatically incorrect to say you've abolished something when you've carved out an exception clause and other conditions for it. The Declaration of Human Rights says that there are several forms of slavery, not just chattel slavery. There are several different forms. Again, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges this. This is what the 13th Amendment actually says. It says that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime where other parties shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction. So again, I ask educators, grammatically, can you abolish something while carving out an exception for it? Certain conditions where I can enslave someone, certain conditions where I can put them in a state of involuntary servitude. As a result of that work, along with award-winning African-American spoken word artist, another activist from Missouri. We did this podcast for over a decade. The archives are still available on blacktalkradionetwork.com. Just look up New Abolitionists with the S, New Abolitionist Radio. You can find the Facebook page has over 25,000 followers. We interview constitutional professors from across this country to speak on this amendment, which does not abolish slavery. Now, let's read Section 2 because it's connected to that history sitting outside. Section 2, give me just a second, if you will. Let me pull it back up. Section 2 says Congress should have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. That legislation they came up with was called the Black Code, which criminalized black life, which allowed them to be arrested, put in jail or prison, and leased back out to plantations, to mines, to other local businesses. So I just think it just infuriates me, not at anybody personally, but it infuriates me that we're still spreading this misinformation about a very important amendment in our Constitution. And North Carolina, as well as the federal government, has had a legislation introduced to change that language and remove that exception clause in several states. have changed their state constitutions to remove that language, including North Carolina, but the bill still sits outside of committee because our constitution says that we allow for involuntary servitude as punishment for crime. It totally abolishes slavery, but you're just playing semantics.

Slavery and involuntary servitude.

Good evening. Joshua Caleb Winburn, 833 Westerly Court, Gastonia. It's an honor to speak here tonight. Gaston County school systems represent the literal and figurative future of the county, our future. This has been said many times, but if you go into a classroom, if you look at the clocks on the classroom wall, it literally says shaping our future. But because it is our future, it's worth saying again. Businesses know that schools are our future put it into a search engine talent pipelines come up to the top of the list where companies are looking to scout locations to set up shop these talent pools are often seen as a product of universities or community colleges but they actually start in kindergarten reading writing math problem solving teamwork and communication skills are all basic things that industries require of their employees making k-12 the starting point for our future workforce families know that our schools are our future they know this because they're well aware of this because schools are going to be a big part of their future and the future of their kids every family wants their children to have the best shot at a sound education and at a good school with great staff. Our community knows that schools represent this county's future. The community is ready for some tough conversations. Gaston County Commission has taken the local property tax rate from 87 cent in 2018 and back down to its current rate of 59 cent, a reduction of more than 25 cent per $100 and achievement. But with the budget maximized and cuts to any other area causing harm, the conversation about how to adequately fund our schools needs to happen now. An increase of one cent at the current tax rate for a $400,000 home increases the tax burden for that family $3. The same cent as revenue for the county will generate between two and a half and $3 million. Another option for funding our future, a great name by the way, is the quarter cent sales tax option. If approved by the state and then approved by the voters, it could generate nine or more million dollars. The simple math says without new revenue, and cuts to other areas, there can be no new funding for schools. With the future of 30,000 kids of this county on the line as nurses, counselors, arts programs, librarians, social workers, and administrators, and teachers all being cut in our local schools, this year is time to not to give up hope, but to go into our community and have an honest conversation about some difficult choices ahead.

The next item is approval of the consent agenda. Do I hear a motion to approve the consent agenda tonight? Motion made by Commissioner Fraley, seconded by Commissioner Bailey. Any discussion? All in favor? is unanimous, Madam Clerk. I want to point out that the board voted tonight to reschedule their June 9th work session to proceed the June 23rd regular meeting at 6 p.m. that night. The next item is the legislative request. Commissioner Hovis is asking for the legislative request resolution opposing modification to the Gaston County Property Tax Authority. Do I hear a motion? Motion made by Commissioner Hovis, seconded by Commissioner Sheehan. Any discussion? All in favor? Is unanimous, Madam Clerk. Appointments, Commissioner Fraley.

Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. I have one. It's a reappointment, Workforce Development Board. Ms. Donna Caskey.

Second. Is unanimous, Madam Clerk. Commissioner Sheehan.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I've got several here. First, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board reappointment requested for a Mr. Victor Rodriguez. Do them all. I've got a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board reappointment for Mr. Peter Rue. Workforce Development Board reappointment request for Mr. Brandon Price. Workforce Development Board reappointment for a Mr. Brandon Love.

Second.

Seconded by Commissioner Sheehan. All in favor? It is unanimous. Madam Clerk. Commissioner Bailey.

Yes, I have a few. For the Council of Aging, reappointment for Dr. Edward Smith. And then for Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, I have Mr. Monte Leon. And Martha Stowe, excuse me. And then the Regional Aging Advisory Committee, Dr. Edward Smith.

Seconded. Seconded by Commissioner Hovis, all in favor. And now, Ms. Madam Clerk, Mr. Hovis.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have three tonight. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Mr. Chris Guinn, seeking reappointment. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, I have two, Ms. Andrea Stevens and Mr. Monte Montalon, and reappointments. And also for Workforce Development, Justin Grindstaff.

Seconded by Commissioner Sheehan, all in favor. It is unanimous, Madam Clerk. I have one for the Transportation Advisory Board. Application received from Mr. Charles McGinnis.

Second.

Seconded by Commissioner Hobos. All in favor? It is unanimous, Madam Clerk. Full board appointment. I have a couple here. Fireman's Relief Trust Fund reappointment request from Mr. Harold Fulbright.

Second.

Seconded by Commissioner Hobos. All in favor? It is unanimous, Madam Clerk. I have one for Parks and Recreation for Commissioner Kathy Cloninger to be reappointed as ex-officio. Seconded by Commissioner Sheehan. All in favor? Is unanimous Madam Clerk. Reports, Commissioner Fraley. None, Mr. Chairman. Commissioner Sheehan.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just real briefly, on May the 16th, I was able to visit the Gaston County ECA facility at the Lucille Tatum Center. I think Mr. Keiger had also arrived earlier in the day, but I missed him there. One of the main outreaches of that organization is the construction of knitting of blankets for babies in the NICU unit, as well as our veterans. and members of our unhoused community. That's a fantastic organization. thoroughly enjoyed my time there. If any of you are doing any spring cleaning in your house and have any yarn that you want to get rid of. They love taking those donations, please reach out to them. If you want to help them financially. They also have a QR code and a Zephyr link that I think I will get to miss buff if you could get that posted, please. but if you have time to go by and visit those ladies, please do so. It would be a true blessing to anyone that goes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

You're not familiar with the Lucille Tatum. It is actually right next to the Osceola campus for the school board. Mr. Bailey.

Nothing at this time, sir.

Mr. Hovis. Yes, Mr. Chair. I have a couple items in reference to our request that we sent to the local delegation to repurpose the quarter sales tax that was given along with to other counties for transportation. Since we don't do transportation, that request was given, and we talked about that, if I'm not mistaken. That went out the end of April, is when that went to the assembly. We got the packet out, sent that to the legislator. I've called a couple of times, got not a lot of response myself. That's the reason I haven't been able to update anybody, because they didn't know anything. But this morning, I reached out, knowing we had this meeting tonight, And Mr. Torbett sent me a response to my question. I will read that response. Waiting a bit to decide based on ultimate financing, financial impact budget and bills may now have on county finances. We have talked about giving y'all a more complete financial status once finalized in case it might lead you to altering your request. past history on these types of ask have proven hard to get over the finish line and we sit here now I think the short session started April the 20th we sit here today if I'm not mistaken today is the 26th of May the next is a part of his text is the response from staff explaining we cannot modify tax for transit but could determine could if determined, could enter a new local bill for a new sales tax for education, which was the purpose of us asking to repurpose that tax. Deadline for local bills has passed in the House, and I am unaware of the Senate rules on local bills deadline. Sounding like it would have ended up somewhere in an existing germane bill if one is available. And that's, it could be a local bill that would need to authorize a new quarter sales tax for education in lieu of the tax under Article 43. 43 cannot be modified for a single county to levy a tax other than for public transportation. That's from legal staff of the North Carolina General Assembly. I received that today at 11.45. I have not responded to anybody. Ms. Helms, I apologize. I figured I'd have an audience here that I'd be welcome to share that with. The chairman, I believe, later tonight will go ahead and create our representatives on the board of educate to meet with the Board of Education representatives to sit down and go over a sustainable ask going forward for those locally funded positions. We want to understand what it is and where it is because up until recently, that was that was never detailed and not into what superintendent brought but it was a question conversation that came through Commissioner and myself and two Board of Education members because we asked specific questions and they gave us a very detailed answer. So that's what we're looking at. We want to understand that and based on that I will lobby for this board to do something else once we know what that is and going forward. That was my alternate message because we did not have four votes at our last meeting that would would have created a tax increase just to be honest. Just being transparent with the public. Mr. Chair, I'm third.

I wanted to address a few items. I know a lot of you have sent emails and stuff to try to get with the scheduling and try to get. So I sent some of you back emails today. Hopefully you got most of those. If not, there will probably still be a lot more to come on some of the transparency issues and some of the things you had asked. At no time do I want anybody in this audience to think that we don't hear you. reason i say that's because we come across to try to figure out what we have to do not only for the 36 other agencies but also to the schools and we want to make sure that we do the best we can and i want to try to dive into this so one of the things i'm going to do tonight i'm going to put this board together for uh commissioner hovis had asked me to sit on it i don't know if anybody else would care to sit on it um to meet commissioner sheehan so Madam Clerk, I will initiate Mr. Hovis and Mr. Sheehan to sit on that. And Jenna, if you can get some people from your board to get that together. And then they can get appropriate times through Morgan and Matt, I guess, to work on that. There's a lot of issues that are floating in different places. And I'm going to ask for some of the teachers to try to meet One-on-one just so we can try to get some dialogue because I think we need that. And the reason I say that is because we hear so much. And we hear good, bad, ugly, everything in between. And so we get kind of figuring out where the bumpers are in the road. And we want to make sure that we're transparent. Somebody asked tonight about what is going on. We want to figure those items out. We want to figure out how we can digest what is going on in the school system. But one thing I do want to let you guys know, we don't get to tell anybody where to put any amount of money. Last year, I think we put 2.1 to Chromebooks. And that was an ask that was given to us. We were asked to reduce some was it capital we reduced last year for those facts so a lot of times I think it's in the messaging and I'm not trying to put anybody off because I want to listen and I want to figure out obviously it's been a difficult week for me last week with everything that went on with what we were experiencing but that's not to put you off I don't want you to think that I want you to understand we're trying our best to understand what all these pillars are but I want you to know something This board didn't just sit back idly and just give that last $10 million. That was a direct comment that came to us to say, hey, we need help. And this board stepped up for the $10 million and said, it's worth it. So a lot of people don't understand, and they don't understand what happened with that. That's money that we had to make sure that we did to save whatever it was. Because at the time, I think Morgan had come to my office. It was so immediate that it didn't just come to a meeting here. He came to my office where I regularly work to try to understand what all this value was that was going on. So as we try to figure these things out and we try to figure out what we can do better, I want to figure out how we can meet with some of you guys to try to figure out some of those things and understand that. I want to have some, I asked the manager to prepare some stuff during his follow-up tonight to try to talk about some things, but he sees it because what happens is we have two people talking back and forth, and the message gets disseminated to us, and we have to try to decipher what all you guys are seeing and saying. So those are some of the things that I wanted to say to you guys that we hear you, and we're working harder to get where we can to do something. But like I said, government is slow-moving. And it's not something that's always going to be timely to get there, but we are working on that. So with that, Mr.

Manager? Absolutely. I would like to report that over the past week, county staff has been actively working with Morgan and the school staff to evaluate both the current financial situation as well as their long-term financial needs. Obviously, these are very complex and multifaceted with multi funding sources coming down that we need to work through figure out where they come, where they go, and how do we create a path forward. And so that's not going to be done overnight. Obviously, the boards will be jointly intertwined with that. Representatives from this for as well as a school board as we continue to have those conversations and I can tell you Directly and and Morgan and I have a wonderful relationship. We work very directly with each other that you know the movement in these dollars and I'll be really honest and he might not say it but Morgan's been dealt a really bad hand right like there's a financial system issues there's These ESSER dollars or COVID relief dollars that are coming and going. We had the same thing going on our side. And what they thought they needed one day and what they needed two days later, that number changed, right? And when the board reallocated $3.7 million from the capital fund into the operating fund, we thought that was good. And then it wasn't. And then it was $10 million. Then we were like, well, we're not even sure if $10 million is enough. And so this is just a pause and a moment in time to say, hey, let's step back and let's look at this more in totality and see what the reality is in moving forward. And that's what we're committed to doing as staff. And I know Morgan and his team are as well. And then this board and the school board, they will create policy based upon that and funding decisions based upon that. But one thing that I will also say is because, you know, as the county manager, I have to stand up for our departments too. And so I know there's been a lot of comments that, you know, just cut stuff from the county, and we have. Cut 13 positions from Mark Lamphere last year. He won't come up here and say that to you, but I'll tell you I did. Cut a whole unit out, eliminated departments, cut operating reductions by $13 million to our departments last year. That offset $17 million increase in school debt. So those decisions have been made, and they've impacted our departments as well. And we've looked for ways to save money, and we've looked for ways to be more efficient and effective, and we'll continue to do so. And we should. It's not just because the times are bad. That's what we should do is taxpayer dollars, and we want to be responsive to that. And we are, and we will be. But that analysis and that comes through time. You don't hear about that because under the councilman's reform of government, our departments aren't going to come up here and say anything about it. They just keep plugging along, and they have, and they've done their job, and they've served the citizens. And so I have to say that for them, and I want that to be acknowledged. But to close out, we will continue to work with the school system. We'll continue to work to understand the financial realities needed, and we'll work toward finding solutions that this board can make policy decisions on.

Mr. Goldberg. Nothing to report, Mr. Chair, but we do have need for a closed session. I request a motion to go to a closed session pursuant to GS 143-318.11A13610. So I hear a motion to go into closed session.

Motion made by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Sheehan. All in favor? We are now in closed session. Do I have a motion to come back out of closed session? Motion made by Commissioner Sheehan, seconded by Commissioner Bailey. All in favor? We are now out of closed session. No action was taken. during the closed session. This concludes our meeting for tonight. Our next combined work session and regular meeting on June 23rd, 6 p.m. here in the Harley B. Gasson Jr. Public Forum Courthouse. Thank you for watching. If you have any questions, please remit those comments to Donna S. Buffett, 704-866-3196. Good night, Bullets.

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