ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution Monday to send a list of legislative goals to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners that will be considered to potentially be presented before the NC General Assembly based on their applicability to all 100 counties.
Those legislative goals included, “Seeking legislation amending NCGS §106-740 that defines formal initiation of any action to condemn any interest in qualifying farmland within a voluntary agricultural district by State or local public agencies or governmental units to allow for adequate time to hold a public hearing and to investigate and develop recommendations on proposed acquisition, supporting increased funding for the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust to enable the provision of additional conservation easements, supporting funding for comprehensive food systems coordination, including food councils, food hubs, and Cooperative Extension Food Systems agents, seeking funding that will extend federal stabilization grants for childcare centers, supporting legislation to increase subsidy reimbursement rates for childcare centers, supporting legislation to update 2015-established statewide floor rates for childcare subsidy reimbursements, supporting funding for parks, trails, and other recreational amenities that contribute to quality of life and attract and drive economic activity and seeking additional revenue sources to address statewide school capital needs and ensure methods used to distribute school capital funding considers the needs of both low-wealth and growing counties.”
The board then approved multiple funding items including the addition of two deputy sheriff positions for the City of Trinity at a cost of around $189,000 for the 2024-25 fiscal year which will be fully reimbursed by the City of Trinity.
“The additional positions would be utilized to patrol the city, respond to calls, conduct crime prevention activities and assist with criminal investigations,” said chief deputy Aundrea Azelton. “Given the City of Trinity’s growth in population and increased public safety demands, the additional law enforcement presence would be highly beneficial.”
In addition, the board approved the purchase of eight 2024 Chevy Silverado for the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office at a cost of around $362,000, an approximate $193,000 construction contract to Granco for a conditioned storage building to expand what the health department is able to store on-site and the purchase of a public health emergency trailer at a cost around $107,000 using temporary federal COVID pandemic-related funding.
“Acquiring this equipment will facilitate rapid deployment for emergency response for potential use as a health screening or testing area, a mass vaccination area or a temporary command center,” said Public Health director Tara Aker. “The enclosed trailer will come outfitted with inflatable sheltering, lighting, an inflator/deflator, heating and air units, a generator, an industrial fan, inflatable light towers and so on. When deployed, the trailer’s contents can be used in whole or in part, depending on the need at that time.”
The board also approved the allocation of $430,000 in outstanding 2023 Strategic Planning Funding with $200,000 for the Family Crisis Center, $10,000 for OE Enterprises, $20,000 for RhinoLeap, $100,000 for Habitat for Humanity and $100,000 for Lydia’s Place.
The funding, which comes from an agreement with Waste Management for the operation of the landfill, has been used for many years to support local expenses, however it seems that that funding will be running into some issues.
“This year’s revenue shortfall required us to use that money to balance the budget and we realized that going forward, we’re going to need to be much more strategic with those strategic planning dollars and so looking forward, we’re going to kind of create windows of application periods and lay it out a bit more formally and set to a time so it’s easier to navigate year by year and easier to budget for,” said county manager Zeb Holden.
While the outstanding funding comes from the 2023 funds, the 2024 funds have already been allocated to balance the budget which puts future funding into question.
“I’m very leery about any recurring funds that we issue out because we may not be able to do that next year,” said commissioner David Allen. “We don’t want to start a program and then have it fall because we don’t have the money.”
The Randolph County Board of Commissioners next will meet Sept. 2.
