[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6302511,"mediaKeyId","2477593-bfe27f7b8435aa1fa4e65e10c30b297b","parentId",2477593,"title","Burke County weighs Army Corps mission, private contractors for post-Hurricane debris removal","audioSeconds",1521,"startMs",657000,"endMs",2178000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477593-bfe27f7b8435aa1fa4e65e10c30b297b&start=657&end=2178","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477593-bfe27f7b8435aa1fa4e65e10c30b297b/thumbnail_657000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6302511/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-weighs-Army-Corps-mission-private-contractors-for-post-Hurricane-debris-removal","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6302511-5bdd54ace4dd18d54131c34b19b2082a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167102&Signature=SY8Jxy7FxNY1z2xYVADfZBxK7C-6MAUHskKAj-c0gsed9P6CTqiOMmfMACUVAm-6VyK~s-pkveX8s7RvCkCKncxVfnQEWXfX4TEf8sBora5wakMTnDc0ktyJTT0nFEGPrfM82dlBQbtDrS30yP7Av~JrmsTql80HfsN6gqzA369qKJ725dnQTRP1MkmgtdUHIcABP5Yuh7DpIbW87mJaXZIU5C4IhWVWf48MXyWr1dg3t~PHMOafmm33fN9VoXxZ-xUflj2L1TttHOICM8jFROnwfFdxZZKItlCd62JFgh6VjwBZWaVhEfDTrQ6nt-v-TmdlQLI0RC-k2JEin7dWWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Burke County, NC","date","2025-03-03T19:10:56Z","article","Burke County officials on Monday reviewed recovery work from Hurricane Helena and moved to request federal assistance for waterway and private-property debris removal after weighing costs, reimbursement rules and administrative burdens.

County Manager Brian Mann told the Board of Commissioners that Burke County has registered about 13,000 people in FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, with roughly 59% meeting eligibility; FEMA awards in the county total about $14.6 million for individual assistance and $4.2 million for housing assistance so far. Mann said 24 owner-occupied homes and 18 rental units were listed as completely destroyed in county housing-assistance statistics.

Mann said the county has collected more than 255,000 cubic yards of debris from public right-of-way removal, using three alternative debris sites at the Burke County Fairgrounds, the county solid-waste facility at Marsh Trail and East Fleming. He described efforts to reduce material to mulch and current storage at the FEMA-approved landfill, noting that a short-term burn trial was stopped due to wildfire risk in nearby McDowell County.

The core remaining decisions, Mann said, are how to handle waterway debris and private-property debris removal (PPDR). He described two options: (1) hire state-approved private contractors, which can mobilize faster and allow the county to prioritize areas but requires heavy local administrative oversight and exposes the county to de-obligation risk if contractors handle material incorrectly; or (2) submit a mission request through the state Emergency Operations Center to request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform waterway and PPDR work, which shifts administration and much of the financial and operational responsibility to the Corps.

Mann described a drone-based estimate for the Catawba River that used a planning assumption of about $25 per cubic yard and produced a remediation estimate just under $900,000 for the Catawba segment surveyed; he cautioned that many county waterways remain to be inventoried and scaled. He also encouraged pairing PPDR and waterway work for operational efficiency: private property access is often required to reach waterways and debris placed onto private property frequently becomes a source for right-of-way collection.

On cost-sharing and reimbursement, Mann reviewed the public assistance formula: the typical federal share is 75% with a 25% local cost share, but for very large disasters that reach a Level 1 designation the split becomes 90% federal / 10% local. He said federal authorities granted a 180-day grace period for public-assistance eligibility that covers most county work. Mann also reported hearing from Joe Stanton, deputy director of recovery for State Emergency Management, that the state expects to assume the local 10% share when the event reverts to the 90/10 split, but Mann stressed that the county has no written assurance of that commitment.

Commissioners discussed experience with private contractors, the Corps’ prior performance in neighboring counties, and the tradeoffs between local control and federal administration. Commissioner Barry said the Army Corps has been working “pretty good” in neighboring counties, while another commissioner noted that private contractors in mountain counties have sometimes been dismissed for poor performance and that the Corps can impose more discipline. After discussion the board gave direction to staff to request a mission from the Army Corps of Engineers for waterway and private-property debris removal and to proceed with coordination through the state emergency operations structure; no formal roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript for that request.

Mann also updated the board on other recovery items: the county-operated disaster-recovery center logged about 3,500 visits; the regional debris total across 24 counties is roughly 3.7 million cubic yards; and Burke County has received about $14.6 million in individual assistance awards and $4.2 million in housing assistance awards to date. He noted the state-run Home Mitigation Block Grant (for acquisition, repair or elevation) has been processing applications and that the county must approve participation when the state forwards a list of eligible properties, which Mann expected to appear for commissioner action at a subsequent meeting.

Mann said the county received 695 informal property-value appeal applications after the storm — roughly 3½ times the normal annual number — and that early staff reviews suggest a residential value impairment of about $5–6 million and $20–25 million on the commercial side, pending final determinations.

Mann closed by asking for direction and offering to bring additional materials to the board’s regular meeting. Chairman Bridal and other commissioners signaled support for pursuing an Army Corps mission request and asked staff to proceed with the formal mission request through the state, while continuing to track reimbursement rules and maintain debris-site controls in line with FEMA requirements.

The county manager repeated key cautions: reusing debris material for commercial purposes can negate federal reimbursement (timber or mulch that is resold, for example), and any contractor mishandling of material can put county reimbursement at risk. Mann said staff would continue to develop detailed inventory, mapping and right-of-entry agreements for gated communities and private-property access and return to the board with any required authorizations or funding details.

The board did not adopt a binding resolution on the floor at the pre-agenda meeting; staff will proceed with the mission request process and return with any formal requests or documents for action as needed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March Pre-Agenda Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Burke County officials on Monday reviewed recovery work from Hurricane Helena and moved to request federal assistance for waterway and private-property debris removal after weighing costs, reimbursement rules and administrative burdens.","taxTitle","Burke County, North Carolina","taxId",51046,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6302503,"Burke County Board of Education seeks county approval of $675,000 purchase for new eastern elementary site",173,2670000,2843000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477593-bfe27f7b8435aa1fa4e65e10c30b297b&start=2670&end=2843","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477593-bfe27f7b8435aa1fa4e65e10c30b297b/thumbnail_2670000.jpg","/articles/6302503/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-Board-of-Education-seeks-county-approval-of-675000-purchase-for-new-eastern-elementary-site","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6302503-78cc8d4d304e9abda2a2b1b4969d0a1e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167102&Signature=oydBW3BPkkCHtwKyl-I-G8ZFw8C758nmDTorVy0B9ZxJpFDYplHi7EpBEDeA~L7IZolmHJWfLye-EugPXnt4zfNRDfJRZlhlvzBu0WYqiOeYe8nD0QZ-ibZujdJpIaFj2ECm5efqqIxnqGEF56Q2V0i766LIBafN1r~GnjhdUFegI~a14A7EfGcZYfvsXei6Jc5rJ0gcfvcCYJRHdR1~WUa7uR0iHwjjiPxA3M9Ku8JGWS7NzFiaBW875Z3maFyN3G9P~zslz3ULRZ36jH10uUOHtUpKpQ7NnEjzEZmDf0lBTUH~G81JzSRcJWuZUEQ8s9jzymnHvo0JTAivq5vmaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Burke County Board of Education has negotiated contracts to acquire two adjoining parcels near Hildebran totaling about 13.97 acres and asked the Burke County Board of Commissioners on Monday to approve a $675,000 purchase price required under state law for land acquired for school construction.

Attorney Jerome Lawson, representing the Board of Education, summarized a resolution titled “County of Burke resolution approving purchase price of property acquired for school construction.” He said the two parcels are identified as 305 A Third Street SW (approximately 10.06 acres) and 0 U.S. Highway 70 West (approximately 3.91 acres), which together total just under 14 acres. Lawson said the school board will evaluate the parcels’ suitability for an elementary school, including a test fit, stream-buffer determinations and Phase I/II environmental reviews, before any purchase would be finalized.

Lawson and commissioners also discussed funding. He said Burke County previously received a $42 million state lottery grant for construction and that the county has a significant capital fund balance; the grant requires county matching funds. He told the board the county match and remaining construction funds would come from the county’s capital fund balance and the state lottery proceeds would be used for the construction budget.

Commissioners did not take a final recorded vote at the pre-agenda meeting; the item remained on the consent agenda for formal action at the upcoming meeting. Lawson said staff expect to return with the appropriate environmental studies and formal documents before any closing.","Representatives told commissioners they seek approval of a $675,000 purchase price for two adjoining parcels (about 13.97 acres) being evaluated for a new elementary school in eastern Burke County; the county must approve school-construction land purchases under state law and staff said environmental and fit studies will precede any closing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6302506,"Burke County staff proposes standardized audits, present-use reviews and foreclosure thresholds for tax administration",519,4041000,4560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477593-bfe27f7b8435aa1fa4e65e10c30b297b&start=4041&end=4560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477593-bfe27f7b8435aa1fa4e65e10c30b297b/thumbnail_4041000.jpg","/articles/6302506/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-staff-proposes-standardized-audits-present-use-reviews-and-foreclosure-thresholds-for-tax-administration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6302506-f869d01aa1296e7121995be0c2bd759d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167102&Signature=QkVuhTwZjU4AtskubQtjMfc~Qae5oVZmayZA~cDd7VyosijmSE3deSbh0G82y6r37YFxerIMKsEiPiPp15WaMYJN0z88R2bF47mj732Srqce1B2fiVNn2XmIQwR-KjgjlWVtcrUHjN-86W9m3tJLaYo~-Xfa1mdkymKN2Lx049WehASu6sMYOIWsWuzbsSdHTsrvK4OPNav62cfd4pcXgMBp-grflf6-biioPJdfLiV7brDUONeJR4DwzPNCxe7V7-JL3UJfP36dZWMUhAmEYOrzeJW7vA470-9fj44VOETS6xCG7VCJNpGaFD9gb9IZ8-Fl3~23orba3a~IgJwYhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Burke County tax officials on Monday outlined proposed standard operating procedures to tighten and standardize business personal-property audits, reviews of present-use (deferred) property valuations and the county’s tax-foreclosure practices.

Tax Administrator John Bridges and County Manager Brian Mann presented recommendations modeled on the North Carolina Machinery Act (Chapter 105) and other state guidance. Bridges said the county’s total tax base is about $10.8 billion and that business personal property and motor-vehicle accounts represent a meaningful share of that base. He recommended an audit cadence and materiality threshold intended to improve equity in taxation and reduce ad-hoc enforcement.

Under the proposed business personal-property policy, staff would perform a third-party–assisted review of accounts with listing values above a $50,000 materiality threshold on an eight‑year rotating schedule (roughly 1/8 of qualified accounts per year). Mann and Bridges said the $50,000 threshold was chosen because the resulting annual tax impact at the county’s tax rate would be modest (under $300/year), while focusing limited audit resources on higher-value accounts where mislisting has the biggest fiscal effect.

On present-use value — the tax deferment for qualifying agricultural, horticultural and forestry land — staff recommended formalizing periodic property inspections. Bridges said state law and guidance require reviews to ensure properties receiving present-use valuation meet active‑use requirements; the county has been conducting reviews more frequently and proposed adopting a formal eight‑year schedule to align with statutory review intervals and local workload.

The third recommendation would formalize the county’s approach to tax-foreclosure cases, establishing a minimum threshold of one year delinquent and at least $500 owed before initiating foreclosure, and encouraging a stepped collection ladder that prioritizes wage garnishment, debt setoff and liens before foreclosure. Bridges and Mann said those steps would reduce unnecessary foreclosure litigation and legal costs while preserving collection options. Mann also noted that the county’s outside tax-attorney fees are statutorily assignable to taxpayers and that legal work does not always require county cash outlay.

Commissioners asked several clarifying questions. Commissioner Stroud expressed concern about aggressive pursuit of small-dollar accounts and cited constituent letters; Bridges said the formal policy is intended to create consistent treatment and avoid arbitrary or inconsistent outcomes. Commissioners also asked whether new businesses could be reviewed earlier than an eight‑year cycle; staff said they would return with data on how many accounts would meet the $50,000 threshold and with proposals for triggers tied to new commercial real-property permits.

Mann and Bridges asked the board to authorize staff to return to the regular meeting with formal policy language for consideration and possible adoption; the board agreed to have the items returned for action at the next regular meeting. No formal vote was recorded at the pre-agenda meeting.

If adopted in its current form, the proposals would: (1) audit business personal-property accounts >$50,000 on an eight‑year rotation with third‑party assistance; (2) formalize eight‑year present‑use reviews to confirm active production and apply the state’s valuation tables; and (3) set minimum thresholds and an escalation ladder (notice, payment plan, wage garnishment, debt setoff, liens) before foreclosure. Staff said they would provide data in advance of the board’s consideration, including account counts impacted and estimated administrative costs of implementing the program.","Tax administrator and county staff presented proposed standard operating procedures covering business personal-property audits, present-use value reviews and tax-foreclosure thresholds; board directed staff to return with formal policy for consideration at the regular meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Burke County weighs Army Corps mission, private contractors for post-Hurricane debris removal

Burke County Board of Education seeks county approval of $675,000 purchase for new eastern elementary site

Burke County staff proposes standardized audits, present-use reviews and foreclosure thresholds for tax administration