County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

have a lot of activity within your county. If it keeps increasing like that, it means people are coming here to spend money. Okay.

Okay. Uh so we're going to show on this slide. This is a breakdown of the top uh revenues. Um your advalorum tax, this is a comparison from 2024 to 2025. As you can see, it did increase uh roughly close to about 2 million. Um that just shows that people are paying their taxes and the collection keeps going up as well, which is a good indicator that people are paying what they're supposed to be. The local option sales tax, again, to kind of reiterate um what he said, it pretty much is people spending money. Um, as you can see last year as well, um, it was pretty, it was at 17 million, so it was a pretty decent, uh, percentage as well last year. Um, that means that year over year, it looks like y'all are having people come and spend money within the county. Okay, the next one is the restricted intergovernmental. Um, it decreased just slightly. Um, this is mainly dealing with, uh, as I said earlier, it deals a lot with your grant revenues, uh, things of that nature. Um, so really those can be pretty comparable year-over-year, uh, depending on how much funding you're getting, um, as well as other restricted avenues as well.

Okay. And so now we'll talk about the top five expenditures uh, for the general fund. Um, as you can see here on this chart, the the the largest pieces are your public safety, uh, your human services, general government, and education. Um, as well as debt service. And then other expenditures is just comprised of other miscellaneous expenditures as well. Our debt service is very low I think. So that mean we don't have too much any debt is too much but we don't have a whole lot of debt that we can't handle. No. But I feel like any debt to me is too much or you have to get get rid of your money. Yeah. So that's that's that is a for a county this large in population I think that's that's percentage pretty good. Yes sir. Yes sir.

Mr. Chair. Yes sir. I wanted to ask this question if maybe he can answer it for me. Is that when you generally do I I assume y'all do several other counties. Uh yes sir. Okay. So as a norm would you say this pie chart that you have here when you compare the public safety to the education? Mhm. Would you say this is the general consensus across the state in counties that public safety out um is a higher percentage than the education in the

I don't know if I could really speak on that to say because um every county is different based on how they allocate their expenditures and all. Um so I can't really say if that is across the board the same on that. Um right now I mean I could if you want me to I do have your email. I could definitely go look at some other clients and see if it I would really love to know that you know if you want I don't mind. Um

I know I got accused of not supporting the sheriff's office and stuff u financially that they were starving over there but I see that their percentage is way higher than anybody else's in the county. So looks like to me public safety they're doing pretty good to me. Maybe we can get this out to some more people that's running for office. But but I do agree with uh Commissioner Hun. I think that um we we got to emphasize more with ed education. I I've been talking about um as we grow we got to build from schools both the eastern and the western part of the county and um so and this pie chart is a good indication that we can spend more money in education.

Yes sir. And education is important. I I do agree with that. And and through education you can keep keep them out of jail cell. I mean I I agree with that as well. I think education treatable big to educate one then to jail one. Yes sir. Yeah I do agree with that.

Okay. Um so the next just like we did the with the revenues I'll show some charts just showing the comparisons of expenditures for the larger uh percentages. Um so for public safety expenditures here you can see that there was an increase of roughly 2.4 million or 14%. Um um a large portion of that was salaries and benefits to the sheriff's department and jail uh the jail's department. um that was roughly 1.6 uh million of that for the human services expenditures. Those were fairly comparable to prior year. Um you can see they only really decreased about 122,000. Uh so actually less than 1%. So um there wasn't too much movement within that. So that's pretty consistent,

right? The general government did have an increase of roughly 1.9 million or 18% mostly due to increases in salaries of benefits, professional services and capital outlay um and the admin AV finance public buildings and IT departments. Um, so really, uh, not too crazy on the expenditures. Um, like I said, salaries and benefits and capital outlay are pretty normal year-over-year to be larger parts of your expenditures for these uh, specific functions.

Okay. On the educ education expenditures, um, you can see the increase from the prior year was 998,000. So to kind of go along with what you were saying, you'll have increased some of your education expending. Um we did about a million last year increase but we got to increase it to more. Yeah.

Yeah. And so um the increase in public school was uh dealing with um the pupil or yes the pupil per capita went up um and the overall public school current expense line uh as well as your capital outlay increasing about 512,000 due to just capital requests from projects. the general fund debt service expenditure. Um like you said, um it's not a super large part of your expenditures. Uh but as you can see here, it made up about roughly 5 million, which was an increase of about 209,000 from the prior year. Um it's pretty comparable with the prior year. So there wasn't any crazy amounts of large debt or anything that you went out for and and started paying on. So the enterprise funds, um as you can see here, this is just a two-year comparison between your water sewer. Um as you can see the overall revenues increased about 871,000. Um depreciation expense was fairly uh comparable to prior year uh with a slight increase and your total net position also increased from the prior year. Um the unrestricted net position of this is essentially because they don't have fund balance in enterprise funds. That's essentially what your fund balance for the enterprise fund is. The three-year comparison here is the three-year comparison of the water and sewer fund. Um, as you can see, it takes your current assets and your current liabilities and does a quick ratio. Um, the quick ratio that it calculates is a ratio that the LGC uses. Um, it essentially u measures the liquidity of the fund. So, higher the better. Um, the actual ratio that the LGC is concerned at is if it's at a one. So, y'all saying that a 2.53 is good. Um, obviously if you was at a if you was under uh one or at a one on the quick ratio, that essentially means you can't pay for the expenditures based on what you have.

Okay, the next one's going to be your solid waste fund. Um, this one was pretty comparable to prior year. There wasn't really anything crazy that happened. Um, as you can see, operating income increased slightly. The depreciation expense went up by 6,000. and total net position increased about 500,000. So overall it was pretty comparable to last year. There wasn't anything uh crazy that stood out on that. This here is the performance indicators which is dealing with FIX um that show on the data input worksheet or data input report now is what they call it. Um so with this um you will have to submit a letter um from the board. Uh it's a required written excuse me required written response to the LGC within 60 days of the presentation. So within 60 days of tonight um that was for the late audit submission which occurred due to the federal shutdown along with them extending the deadline to 21226. Um during our finalization of the SIFA, we reran the numbers to do our final uh major program determination to determine if there were any other programs that needed to be tested and a new program did pop up that also had to be attested. So that was another uh and see the only problem I have with this which nothing absolutely we can do about it.

They do things to cause you to be late and then they'll bring you there's absolutely nothing we can do about that. So for this one Yeah. Because when we do the preliminary SIFA, it's ran off of the prior year fiscal numbers. And then once we have all the numbers finalized and we know that their numbers are not changing anymore, there's not going to be any more journal entries or anything of that nature. We have to make sure that the CIFA expenditures that we have actually audited, um, we have to run those numbers back through our major program determination. And unfortunately sometimes it results in a new program possibly sticking out that did not get uh catched in the planning due to kind of like you were saying we get the rain and is their fault and all that local statewide had a budget in 2 years

and and we have to have this in on time all the time. Yes sir. And they put little stickers in your way to cause you and then and then give you all the blame. Yeah. Then you have a federal shutdown. Yeah. That Yeah. the federal shutdown. I'll say as an auditor myself, it did not make my year any easier. So, you know, and that's the worst part is you really can't until they come back and start doing their jobs again. There's really not much more you can do than kind of sit and wait for them to kind of get on the ball with it and everything. So, um yeah, that's uh that's pretty much it for my presentations. Um I was going to say I have a question slide if anybody wants to ask any questions.

I've got a question for Miss Cotang and she got the app. Um, we've been looking at um funding with the school system, Miss Cotang, and we we trying to look at the money that's going on with the uh North Carolina Lottery uh fund. And I think there's three parts of money that typically comes out through the North Carolina Education Lottery. Correct. I want you kind of explain it to the public on how that money is spent and how it's brought in. Okay. Well, we have um the first part of money is the lottery funds, right? And so they give us an allocation according to their calculation of what Hope County deserves or gets. Right.

That part there's my my understanding is there's an internal agreement with the board of education that we the county retains that money to pay for the Sandy Grove middle school debt that was taken out back in 2012. Right. So that's that's that pot of money. And then the other part of just stay right there for one second. Whatever that part of money is, the the debt that we owe Sandy Grove um is paid with that part of money. It is, but that don't include it does not cover all the money, the full principal and interest payment of that debt. Right. Right. So, the the county supplements the rest of the Yes.

Okay. Okay. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Um and then the next part of money is for that high school we're building, which is um the high school 22 project. And that comes from the needs base of the public school building. So that's all for that construction. And the way that works is the school has to submit their um requests of their invoices that they pay contractors to Department of Public Instructions. And then once they get that, they kind of say, "Okay, yay or nay to these expenditures." And then um at some point when they're in agreement with the school board, then the school board notifies me and Garvin and then they put the money out there in the core banking system for us under our Hope County name until that first part is reconciled and okayed by the Department of Public Instructions. The county is not able to draw down those funds until it's readily available in the core system.

Right? So, we need the school board to initiate that first with the department public instructions and then once the funds are out there then we can reimburse us for paying the school board for that project. Right. Okay. Um the third part of money is repairs and re that pot of money was the 51 million. That is yes. Yes. That's that needsbased grant. Okay. Um the other part is repairs and renovation. Um I can't I think it was like 8 million originally intended, right? I don't remember but

yeah um nothing's been done to with that to date as far as expenditures that I'm aware of. I believe that it works the same way as the needs base. The school has to submit their invoices to DPI and then DPI will reconcile with them and say yay or nay and then put the funds out there for me and garbage to draw down. Okay. So my my purpose for you explaining that is because we got two school board members here and there may be some money out there to help the school with some capital outlay projects that if they get touch base back with uh their finance department and also the superintendent there might be some money out there. Um my understanding is it might be just kind of pending the repairs and renovation. Right. I'm talking about that part. Yes. Yes. That part. Yes. Yes. Yes. That part.

But they have to initiate that get those dollars. Yes. The school board. Right. Yeah. But we have they're the ones that will spend

Yeah. But we have to make crystal clear that when those jobs are done, if we're spending our money that they've been approved to be reimbursed out of that fund. If it's not a refundable expense, there's a reverse on that ahead of time, right? So, say like I wanted to do a repair and I tried to get say two $2 million out of that fund, right? So, the way that would work is there there's a way the school board and or their folks could contact the state and say, "Hey, this is our project that we're doing. This is the amount of money that it's going to be. Is this a project that you'll approve?" is is

I was going to say I know that things don't happen quickly, but the best way if you were to ask me for my recommendation on drawing down, I wouldn't cut the school board any money until they get that reconciled with DPI. Right. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. The school board would probably reconcile that with DPI before they started such a project, too. Right. Those have to be approved. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I'm I'm clear now. Okay. Oh, there's a potential pot of money out there, right? I understand what you're saying. Yeah. Yeah. Make sure it be cool. I'm good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Like that is about 8 million. I heard number 8 million. Don't pull on it, but you going double check. Yeah, cuz I like that number.

Don't pull her on that first. Number might be a second. All right. Thank you. All right. Everything good? Thank you my friend for I appreciate you. I appreciate yall having me doing the job that y'all do. Thank you so M Mr. Chair we have the I guess this letter that we need to send to the North Carolina Department of State Treasure would follow up under this audit report. Yes, sir. So I want to we all had a copy of it. Yes, sir.

Uh and of course I hope everybody's read it cuz we all got to sign it. Every one of us. They didn't leave nobody off but Grady for some reason. Yeah, Grady. I know why he on here. But Mr. Chair, I make a motion that we uh approve the letter that has been presented to us that will go to the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer in response to the audit. And what our um decision is is to to correct what has happened. Okay. All right. I second the motion.

The motion is second. I don't have time to consider all I have a very good very good one. Well, you don't you may not make any money. You sure you don't want to lose any pass it on down to you. All right. JCP tonight, Mrs. Jackie Mlan and Good evening everyone.

Good evening. Good evening. I stand before you tonight um asking for your approval of the um RFP RFP funding for the fiscal year 2627. Um the funding recommendations were for you did get that letter, right? Yes, ma'am. Please. Mhm. And so the information that we included in the letter, we're asking for your approval of those um funding requests. I like the county add $10,000. Most of the other funds is from state North Carolina. Absolutely correct. Could we Okay. You want to add?

Yes, we do. Okay. So for um it's a total of $163,32. 15,500 is recommended for the JCPC administration. 48,300 is recommended for the Magus Outreach Educational um economic development center for their YES program which is community service and restitution. $16,02 again Maggie's um economic development center road to success mentoring program and 85,500 is recommended for multi-y young mogul which consists of team court and a leadership academy.

Okay, that that's that I'm I'm I'm certain glad that the state give it all but 10,000. That's how it counted. That's all we ask. That's a lot of money for uh $10 return which we do some income and introduce your staff. Who you tonight? Um let's see. We have um Miss Daffany Douglas, Miss Dudley. Um Mr. Ronald Clipping and then of course our awesome awesome JCP's coordinator, Miss Lorraine Lantry. Thank you Miss Lorraine. How you doing? You won you fetus. Thank you.

So Mr. Chairman, two things. One, I want to I have a question um about funding, but I we can go ahead and approve this first if you want to go ahead and make a motion. So, I'll make a motion that we approve uh the request made by JCPC for the funding for 2020 26. Is that 2627? 2627. Yes. 2627. That second motion second. And that's our uh uh amount that we put in right there. 10,000,000. That's the motion for Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Right. Okay. All time. So with I in favor with I oppose. Thank you. And I say that once. I got my money. I got my money. I said

Councilwoman Mane. Um every year um at the end of the the program sometimes there's a pot of money left over around the state. And when that part of money is left over around the state, the state comes back I guess the North Carolina program come back and said, "Well, could y'all use some money?" And if so, could you use some money? Then we put in another request. Did we get any money in additional money from the state from the money that was left over throughout the state? We did get some um discretionary money. We did get some discretionary money. Um actually um molding your mogul. Okay.

Um I'm not sure. I think it was something like 20 Miss Linda, do you know exact it was um something like 25,000 or $26,000 that she received and Maggie's outreach received um 3600 I believe it was. Yeah. King Court is getting the ban divided up among your department. The money was divided request and they put in a request and they asked for the I got you accept what's and they both both agencies got what they asked for. Good. Yeah. So, you know, there's deadlines to all that and um yeah, so that that's a blessing. That that's that's why I want to bring it up. It comes to do it. Jason, they just approve it, right?

You know, go ahead and ask what you're going to ask for. And team Court has been um excuse me, Loren Court has been um in need of a vehicle. Okay, good. To move about with their program. So, that was a gift. Yeah. I I want to just bring it out so everybody know what's going on. Well, we appreciate you bringing it out. Yeah. Thank you. Relax. I got my money. Jackie, Jackie, just so I just I guess for I do it again to you. Might be my last time I get to do it. Um with the with the what types of things they do? They take the students to other places for court and things like that. Just pick them up.

Um some of the some of the kids who are defendants don't have transportation. Good. that presents a challenge. And so they use the vans to pick them up, take them home, and when they have um leadership training and retreats, it gives them an opportunity to take the kids for some um great educational um interaction and improvement. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Thank you. I think that's important for the audience to understand that too. Why are we buying a van? Right. It's definitely not for joy, right? Yeah, I understand. Thank you. Well, sometimes it gets interpreted wrong. That's why and certainly coin and it doesn't belong to the coordinator

and James reach don't ride in it. That's that help that once again help me prove my point when children is involved. We get the best for our children and fulfill what they need. And I'm always Tony children involved. That's why we try to get them what they need. You know why? Yeah. I know you've been some Thank you, Tony. Um um surplus property.

Yes, sir. Uh this item is requesting for approval of the sale of surplus property identified as parcel number 39420048 Aggies Lane which was declared surplus April 7th, 2025 and offer in the amount of $3,17.68 was received. Uh this has been published and during the upset bid period no upset bids were received. Okay. All righty. Do we have a motion to accept the bid on surplus property? Make that motion Mr. Chairman. That second. Second. All with I

post. I have it. Thank you, Sil. Uh Mr. Manager, you have a um lieutenant request. Um, chairman, board of commissioners, at the recess meeting on Tuesday, the board made a request of me to bring the allocations list um to the board. Um, so um I gave to the clerk to the board. I gave you three list. So the TRC had subdivision list um in that was in Q. So you had the PWC list um that they had in Q. So I gave it to you three ways. You had the TRC had all um subdivisions that they had in in Q um and I had them give it to you with just the PWC zone in um so that you could see it that way. And then utilities gave um you the list that they had all subdivisions that they had in Q. So you have it always um based upon what the board did on Tuesday um April the 14th. So um I have provided the board the list that was requested of me um on Tuesday the 14th.

That's it. Yes, sir. So So Mr. Chairman, what what what we're what we're looking at and what we said that we would approve is is that we we got to the number of 80%. But we have to understand that some of those zones were already above that. Right? So, what we're looking at tonight is is that the PWC zone and the 401 hoke zone, any of those subdivisions that are within those two zones, those are the zones that we can move up to the 80%. Repeat that again one more time.

I'm asking a question to you, Mr. Chairman. You're looking at me like I don't Yeah.

Okay. What I'm saying, and I'm miss I'll talk to y'all. talk. So when we look at the five zones, you got McCain, Niss, Adak, Arabia, then you have PWC and 401. We've got them broken down into five zones. Everybody knows that. Okay. So when we look at the allocation by percentages, we know that the McCain Wilson Clair and Antioch and Arabia are already above the 80%. So, we know we can't do anything in those three areas, but those are the three areas that we're doing the work up in McCain and we're enlarging the pipe on 211. When that construction is finished, we're going to be able to move some of that water down uh towards uh the other areas like uh new Sinclair Antioch and to the new Sinclair area. We do have a site that has been given to us, right, Tish? Yes, sir. that we are going to do a test well on. We'll go ahead and get started on that and hopefully if we can get that wheel going in that area that'll take care of Will Sinclair and help maybe free up something over there maybe. But the point of it is is that what we are approving or what we're saying that we're looking at the two zones that have allocation left in them is PWC and 401 zone. Right.

Mhm. Right. Okay. And we have those lists before us. Yeah. Cuz I was going to say would it to help us out and for clarity if we could name out maybe the subdivisions and would would that would that would that help without confusing anybody? Yeah. Y'all just named off stuff the other day. Yeah. Can Do you want to name them out? I don't You got them right there. Uh I don't have my glasses on and I may call one out. No. And these are the ones in the queue. So the queue for um the TRC that um will I don't those are the technical review technical review. Yeah.

Yeah, that one you can those are all PWC. Those are all PWC and and then you've got your other list that was in your packet. And then you got this list right here. So if you name all the ones off in the PWC and 401, you would be good. You got this list. You see that list? I don't. I got that's what I was thinking. I had a sheet. It's on the other side. Oh, on this side. Okay. You got them. Okay. So, if you do that list, anything that's in the PWC, like all that PWC Yeah. PWC and 401, you would be good. And then anything that's in this one, this the ones that are in the That's the technical review committee.

Technical review. That's where they're being. They have to come out of that committee. technical review committee that is they have to meet all those requirements within to get out. But if they get out of there, then they could get allocation. If they get my understand letters from the DRC tomorrow or tomorrow. Okay. Okay. All right. So So I'm going read them off and then you guys help me out.

The one that's the PWC's on. Okay. Oh, we got um uh Shbane Reserve phase two, RL Smith Town Homes, BNB Loop Town Homes. Uhhuh. Sultra phase one section two Blackwell. No, that's McCain. Take that out. Okay. To the bottom. Uh Drake Landing, is that correct? Yes, that's 401. Okay. Homestead. That's PWC. Okay. Uh the AMS at Westgate. Yep. That's more one. Um Ellisley, that's PWC.

Okay. Current village phase two and three. Okay. And um so those ones are those are good. Yeah, that's And then this T. You call it T what now? The TRC. You got one more page on the back side. Yeah, there's a page on the back side. Yeah, all of those are PWC. Miss Thomas, you are you hearing us, Miss Thomas? Oh, no. Some of those are those are they they say those whole time. Thank you, M. Those are the same. Okay. And then um the TRC,

we got um Jared Samson. Then we got MM Home Contractors. That was a big list. Land East Mitchell Aver. Am I Am I reading the right department? Yeah, you got it right. They're by name. Right. This says Blackwell Woods, but I thought I saw that again. Blackwell Woods. It's only twice. If it's over there twice, then it is twice. It's twice. Did it twice? Okay, it's fine. It might have to go back through the TRC if they didn't do something. Okay, it's fine. Commissioner Thomas, you on? Yeah, he's Can you hear us? We can't hear him. I think I think we got everybody. I'm thinking now. I want to make sure. Did

you say the other two? He's on. What other two? I'm sorry. Did you say Metro? Now, and this is one thing that I have to tell you. If you guys remember Tuesday that they said that um LKC and the utilities department is going through some old ones of some phases that might be in there that they have to go back through. We will go back through and pull those. Um if you read his email, there are some there are some out there that LKC is going to spend the next couple of weeks, right,

to pull the um their reports to work with them. And we will bring be bringing some more back to you guys. If they find that paperwork that was there prior to um us finding some subdivisions that are out there, once we clean up that stuff, we'll bring some more back to you guys. Okay? and and I would like to once we approve this um share the list with the developers so they have that have the information and also have the number of lots that was approved as well. Yes, sir. So that everybody's on the same page. Yes, sir.

Um so do we need to entertain a motion at this time before I go further? I'll make a motion, Mr. chairman that we approve uh the list of uh developers for board allocations and the list you guys should have written down that's my motion again motion second all motion second time all with I I post I have it now Mr. Tell me one more thing. Um, we had agreed at that time to increase the allocation from 70 to 80%. Is that correct? Yes, sir. From 70 to 80% cuz she Yeah. Yes. 80%.

Right. And then, Commissioner Hunt, um, you you just stated, which is good news, that uh, uh, Miss Sinclair, you might have a will. We have a site that's been uh given to us by one of the developers and we're going to use that site to hopefully get started with a test well over there. They may be already done some testing over there. I'm not for sure, but we'll find out. But in our upcoming budget, we've got to find the money to be able to put that well in. And of course we one of our developers said that they would get on to getting rid of the state about raising that u allocation that that uh developers could invest in a world and get reimbured for it. Right now that amounts at $250,000 by general statute that won't even be the real Harley. It needs to be close to a millionish. Well yeah maybe a little bit more. So, we're trying to see if they can get that changed and if they can and get that during this short legislation period, then we could start talking to developers about progressing some of the other areas that we have for doing wells.

All right. This right here, uh, thank you, Commissioner Hunt. I think this is a good indication that the, uh, the county is trying to move the county forward. Two things I want to say in our meeting that we found out last week was uh in the PWC zone as well as the 41 zone that there's no water shortage in Hulk County. The issues in over there in those zones that we're working on now is infrastructure. So, so I I think sometime when when we say words sometime the words are are misinterpreted or or miscommunicated. But what we're doing over there is trying to improve our infrastructure. We want to thank our developers. We want to thank uh PWC uh and also thank our utility commission um led by the chairman uh Hunt. Thank our staff uh for working together to try to come to a a common ground on getting some things done. We are going in the right direction. Um right now uh we waiting on some information back from PWC in terms of a cost allocation to improve that infrastructure on that end. um which would do which would do a great job for us for the next 30 to 50 years. Uh in addition to that um we have some developers that came to the plate and said that they're willing to be true partners uh with Hope County as we uh tackle um water issues on the western part of the county. So again we want to thank our developers, thank our uh utility staff, commission um everybody working together trying to get things done. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. and give my TRC is working to get these people out of the TRC. So, give us just a couple of days because they will be getting letters out to everyone. Um, but we're working diligently on this. They just passed it and we have to work towards that. So, just give us couple days, but they will get letters out to everyone. A couple days if you need to. We'll do. We want to do it right. We want to do it right. So, just we're working on making sure that it happens and we'll get this out to everyone. They're working on it. If you don't have time to do it now, you certainly amount time to do it the second time to do it right first time. All right. You finished? I'll look on my You finished? Yes, sir. I am. Thank you.

Okay. I ask for the go a motion to adjourn. Make a motion to adjurnn. A second. Second. All in here would I?