[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6611466,"mediaKeyId","2895452-9253ce83fb2f00c394180ce2feefab2c","parentId",2895452,"title","Rutherford County commissioners approve economic, disaster and appointments; authorize animal services contract and disaster funding","audioSeconds",10676,"startMs",657000,"endMs",11333000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2895452-9253ce83fb2f00c394180ce2feefab2c&start=657&end=11333","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2895452-9253ce83fb2f00c394180ce2feefab2c/thumbnail_657000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6611466/Rutherford-County/North-Carolina/Rutherford-County-commissioners-approve-economic-disaster-and-appointments-authorize-animal-services-contract-and-disaster-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6611466-43610ecf5dc5fd39784770edbb8f4d82/orig.mp4?Expires=1770900726&Signature=DY765Wuu9VANfvX~KfWnDMR64WuhfwUNC0c4GtXhoYHcsYoWlPmrMBiS3o-RoCHp89VGrJDPIF8NEozAzMHKXpzRwPxnIHocxGNGa4r~s1v51jbOBKwgcDeQPhxYbbq7jPd-4e1GevkiNYsdjWZS~t4biqDunnf7yd9x0BQakqTNoQSBdIve5ATuI7dc2hXTovxe62IDIPOFhIePN-5O556u0~bc80kD0HzNvBwt41-bMyTSKKyc11Rcr-BmwyRVF0V3ePZmmDpBVBrMCmq5j378lBhEL8W4hEANs-b3ZGB4dv4FCJPXKw5eGE6Gl-aFXIRpvdgX8iVPXfmhzBsV7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rutherford County","date","2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","article","The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners approved a series of resolutions, appointments and financial actions on April 7, 2025, including support for an incoming employer, disaster-response spending tied to Hurricane Helene and a three-year management agreement for animal-control operations.

Key votes and outcomes

• Project Cold (economic development): The board approved a resolution backing a company identified as “Project Cold” to locate operations in Forest City. County economic-development staff said the project anticipates 88 jobs over the first three years, an average salary of $50,411 and a $6,450,000 capital investment. The resolution authorizes support through a local industrial grant equal to 50% of the assessed personal property taxes for up to five years, contingent on jobs, investment and wage levels being met. Motion: “Motion we approve the resolution.” Outcome: approved by voice/hand vote; no roll-call tally provided in the record.

• Animal-control management agreement: The county authorized the county manager and county attorney to negotiate terms and to execute documents to contract with Heart of the Foothills Animal Services to operate the county’s animal-control facility beginning July 1, 2025, under a proposed three-year agreement. Motion: authorization to negotiate and execute. Outcome: approved by voice/hand vote; no roll-call tally provided.

• GovDeals property sale: The board accepted the winning online-bid of $4,550 for a surplus county parcel and approved a resolution authorizing the sale (the resolution was amended to correct the bidder’s name in the third whereas clause). Motion: approve resolution as amended. Outcome: approved by voice/hand vote.

• JCPC (Juvenile Crime Prevention Council) funding allocation for 2025–26: The board approved the county funding plan for the JCPC. The county reported $225,234 available from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for community juvenile programs; an unallocated amount of $66,274 was left to solicit providers for remaining services. Motion: approve county funding plan. Outcome: approved.

• Budget amendments and school transportation facility line adjustments: Several budget amendments were approved, including disaster-related allocations, donations appropriations, DSS program reimbursements and an ICC (Isothermal Community College) HVAC/building repair request of $20,623. The board also approved internal line-item moves to complete the school-transportation maintenance facility project (contingency → furniture/equipment/technology). Motion(s): approve budget amendments. Outcome: approved.

• Hurricane Elaine disaster grant project ordinance: The board adopted a project ordinance and budget to cover ongoing disaster response and recovery work tied to Hurricane Helene (referred to as “Elaine” in materials). Officials reported a total program investment of $47,250,000 to address roadways, waterways, emergency protective measures and county properties; the county will use fund balance to finance work pending FEMA reimbursement. Motion: adopt grant project ordinance and budget amendment. Outcome: approved.

• State cash-flow loan for disaster response: The board adopted a resolution to accept a state cash-flow loan of $1,800,000 to support disaster-response cash needs. The loan is interest-free with a repayment schedule that begins with a token $1 payment at the one-year anniversary and larger percentage payments thereafter unless the legislature forgives the amounts. Motion: adopt loan resolution. Outcome: approved.

• Proclamations and recognitions: The board approved multiple proclamations and recognitions by voice vote, including a resolution honoring World War II veteran John Thomas Hill on his 100th birthday (declaring April 17, 2025 “John Thomas Hill Day”), line-worker appreciation (April 18, 2025), National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week (April 13–19, 2025) and Child Abuse Prevention Month (April 2025), and a National Day of Prayer proclamation for May 2025.

• Appointments: The board filled several advisory seats. Appointments included Sydney Pellegrini to the Social Services Board, Chuck (Charles) Flack to the Forest City Board of Planning and Adjustment (ETJ seat), Susan Eppley to the Transit Advisory Board (Medicaid-transportation representative) and Commissioner Hunter Hayes to the Partners Behavioral Health Management Board (to fill the manager’s outgoing seat). Motion(s): appoint listed candidates. Outcome: approved.

• Contract for revaluation services: The board approved a service contract with Wampler Ings Appraisal Group to perform the 2027 commercial-property revaluation (commercial properties only). Motion: approve contract. Outcome: approved.

What commissioners said and next steps

County staff and commissioners noted that several disaster-response items will be funded initially from county fund balance and reimbursed later by FEMA. Finance staff described the need to draw on fund balance in the short term to pay contractors and that the county has applied for a state cash-flow loan to ease timing pressures. Paul Holden and other presenters described JCPC allocations as state-funded through the North Carolina Department of Public Safety; the Elaine grant work will proceed while staff pursue FEMA reimbursement and potential Army Corps/PPDR (private property debris removal) actions.

Ending

Most votes at the April 7 meeting were carried by voice/hand vote; the formal records did not show named roll-call tallies in the transcript for those motions. Several of the disaster and budget measures proceed with the expectation of federal or state reimbursement and will require follow-up reporting and contract negotiation by county staff.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rutherford County - Board of Commissioners on 2025-04-07 6:00 PM - Apr 07, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners approved a series of resolutions, appointments and financial actions on April 7, 2025, including support for an incoming employer, disaster-response spending tied to Hurricane Helene and a three-year management agreement for animal-control operations.","taxTitle","Rutherford County, North Carolina","taxId",45173,"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},6611471,"Dozens urge Rutherford County commissioners to fully fund schools as public comment fills meeting",7330,961000,8291000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2895452-9253ce83fb2f00c394180ce2feefab2c&start=961&end=8291","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2895452-9253ce83fb2f00c394180ce2feefab2c/thumbnail_961000.jpg","/articles/6611471/Rutherford-County/North-Carolina/Dozens-urge-Rutherford-County-commissioners-to-fully-fund-schools-as-public-comment-fills-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6611471-5f1f13953d8757b11f912140c3c818b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770900726&Signature=elG4zW~jZCsLLNSsNmfWAzSsLy~WXpT5J0qXxijCMNW9oLG21HUTofAc6aWogph4FrqZOQHIHfZkHLjYCK~v7E7pVFtpe6Jijz4QEkpIP6l1WxEJ9kJDYfpUNFWfNXeiirMpiWG0jr6auaqZNyuGOY0EuFFdzoq7veuxyJpHKUyxozuQ~6YquQlBfh0RgxWcPEZccO3WMsujP4E3FXLzgLPb1~05fmbb3fe1TXUYwfB-Cny6pmJc0ryoYENbEREq18fhIdveAkv2Shi1ZUvaXApYpovZ2FGCv7DOJemIIC4DjaOrivjVYKKAO5h-2wlNgZPbbsYkUv8ZyocmA616gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Rutherford County residents and school employees urged county commissioners on April 7 to approve full funding for Rutherford County Schools, warning that cuts to staff and programs are already harming students and threatening the county’s future.

Speakers at the Board of Commissioners meeting included teachers, parents, school staff and former students who described overcrowded classrooms, teachers paying for classroom supplies out of pocket, shared school resource officers (SROs), and the loss of elective and career-technical programs that supporters said are essential to student success.

The wave of public comments came during the meeting’s public-comment period, where the board heard extended testimony but did not take a vote on overall school funding requests. Instead, commenters and several speakers emphasized the human impact of decisions the commissioners will make as they finalize the county’s budget.

“Whenever you are approached or given the opportunity to increase funding for our schools, I hope you always vote yes,” said Alexandra Langley, who said she moved to Rutherford County from Florida and urged funding for school safety and school resource officers. “When we invest in safety, education, and the well-being of our students, we are investing in a brighter and stronger future for our entire community.”

Other speakers described specific classroom and program needs. Jennifer Robertson, a teacher of children with exceptional needs, said federal law requires special-education services and that “these services must be provided regardless.” She cited high local poverty and said teachers often supplement students’ basic needs from their own paychecks.

Multiple parents and school volunteers cited career-technical education (CTE) and elective offerings as decisive for families choosing to live in Rutherford County. Several students and graduates credited hands-on classes — carpentry, agriculture, public safety, culinary — with job skills and college or workforce readiness. One parent and former teacher, Julie Pittman, said her son benefited from Rutherford County’s trades programs and earned OSHA certification as a freshman because of county schools’ CTE opportunities.

Speakers repeatedly called for consistent SRO coverage in every school, restored local supplements for teacher pay and smaller class sizes. Several commenters noted county audit figures and fund balances and asked elected officials to use available funds rather than allowing programs and staff to be cut.

“Please stop saving more money than necessary while these children and their educators do without,” said John Bridges, a county graduate and parent, referencing the county’s fund balance noted in the audit.

School-board and other local officials were also represented among commenters. Some speakers urged commissioners to treat the school funding request as an investment in the local economy, citing teacher retention, house-buying decisions and businesses’ ability to attract employees.

The meeting included multiple other agenda items and formal votes later in the session, including county budget amendments and other resolutions that may affect school operations. At least one amendment related to the school transportation maintenance facility was approved during the meeting, but the broader school funding request that residents urged the commission to adopt was not directly voted on during the public-comment portion.

Members of the public repeatedly asked for clarity on where county reserves and recent investment earnings might be applied to the school funding request. Commissioners heard the comments during what meeting materials and speakers described as an unusually large and prolonged public-comment period: more than 40 individuals spoke, including teachers, parents, students and nonprofit and business leaders.

The final disposition of the school board’s formal funding request will be decided as commissioners move through remaining budget deliberations; at this meeting commissioners approved several budget amendments and disaster-related spending measures elsewhere on the agenda that will affect county finances.

Community leaders said they will continue to press the board before final budget votes.

Ending

Commissioners offered no immediate vote on the full school funding request while accepting public comment. The board did approve narrower budget amendments during the same meeting; school advocates said they will return for further hearings and budget votes.","More than 40 residents, teachers and parents pressed Rutherford County commissioners to approve full funding for county schools and restore programs amid concerns about cuts to staff, counselors and extracurriculars; commissioners did not vote on school funding during the public-comment period.","actionData","errors"]

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Rutherford County commissioners approve economic, disaster and appointments; authorize animal services contract and disaster funding

Dozens urge Rutherford County commissioners to fully fund schools as public comment fills meeting