[{"_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",6558113,"mediaKeyId","3276500-bc26c7607618ef46cbc6bdf0b114f4a0","parentId",3276500,"title","Wendell receives $5,000 safety grant from North Carolina League of Municipalities for light tower","audioSeconds",269,"startMs",1434000,"endMs",1703000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3276500-bc26c7607618ef46cbc6bdf0b114f4a0&start=1434&end=1703","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3276500-bc26c7607618ef46cbc6bdf0b114f4a0/thumbnail_1434000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6558113/Wendell/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wendell-receives-5000-safety-grant-from-North-Carolina-League-of-Municipalities-for-light-tower","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558113-8c94f4a39198a7d5dbb7c6234c302aba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150786&Signature=J1jncQf~Yk7SdEpr~cGrGKX4bdntLgmPC-Sx7l-WvdJ~i0UeLSciIrA8JNe3b51RY8fTPflERAn257qa5-Zcor2JLg3trp~2KG7Dp~cafsSeLRSGH9-vHBeNmoyAOWdB3A7~DQbUCivg29KZLs8YVOH91hP1E9A3kXPS6cQGDg~UZRqIbptMevnKsu8ZAw-JYXd7AL-dwpDSRWPrOxPhlPy9tmiLGgTpRToNemiLFy6xNQLKqNpdCJHuQF0MaOOtub1UbRjvDXcGDq8VH0Fh2A72ezL6pArNJLvGEEVhtjtFyM0wk-abciPw3vBckku2fYiNBLvB-yv6Qd5BsX0WQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wendell, NC","date","2025-05-12T22:13:41Z","article","The Wendell Town Board received a presentation of a $5,000 matching safety grant from the North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) to help the town purchase a portable light tower for events and emergency use.

Public Works Director Brian Bray told the board the grant was submitted in 2024, awarded in early 2025 and the town received $5,000 in April 2025 for the new light tower. “We received notification that we were awarded it in early 20 25 and received 5,000 in funding for the new light tower in April of 20 25,” Bray said. He added the award is the third safety grant that has enabled the town to purchase light towers (previous awards in 2020 and 2022).

Matthew Reed, a risk control consultant with the League of Municipalities, presented the check to the town and described the League’s matching safety grant program as intended to help members reduce operational risk. Reed thanked the town for participating in the program and for efforts to protect employee safety.

The presentation did not require board action; commissioners accepted the presentation and paused for a photograph with the NCLM representative.

Speakers and sources for this short article are identified in the meeting record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wendell Board Meeting - May 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The town received a $5,000 NCLM matching safety grant to buy a portable light tower for events and emergency lighting; town staff said this is the third safety award used for light towers.","taxTitle","Wendell, Wake County, North Carolina","taxId",46442,"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},6558117,"Wendell resident tells board she filed lawsuit alleging commissioners lack required surety bonds",234,895000,1129000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3276500-bc26c7607618ef46cbc6bdf0b114f4a0&start=895&end=1129","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3276500-bc26c7607618ef46cbc6bdf0b114f4a0/thumbnail_895000.jpg","/articles/6558117/Wendell/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wendell-resident-tells-board-she-filed-lawsuit-alleging-commissioners-lack-required-surety-bonds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558117-b906c11ae544d573c01b20d1e728f7b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150786&Signature=c~L0H7O7ek7HDyvtUcmjfDvIwwtiOYM6BNxkR2~hg-FL7y8BzF3smso-uAaDKgxjaVfw0z7FBTLzKbdcZ70j-NaiIoz9~Ud2OEhptDQWvTUP-1yw-W~XJUxOqBqeOART5nxN1XvWeGxxO9CRLTFJ6cSxKa-MA5a02d3XH7MZUXy4zI7kBFfdpcio3nztoHCb7L-hu8Oee7~Kbn2r9jV4u9b8dEiIE6jZjJ82aEbi8Dj4VQHMuUWUkQi~rVbohBEwajVfQOJJK6nbJlzVdYh0gzlW~cOurUei-85ULrwEQYbImMUblj1eIvoCxUMAW01cLJhNyz4Zh7bXqwpbDdYdtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the Wendell Town Board meeting’s public-comment period, resident Regina Harmon told the board she had filed a lawsuit and served an affidavit alleging the town’s commissioners were not bonded with individual surety bonds required by North Carolina law.

“My name is Regina Harmon… I went to the town manager and the police chief over a number of conflict of interests, and they did nothing,” Harmon said during public comment. She told the board she found that “none of you on the board are bonded with individual surety bonds that are required by a number of general statutes of North Carolina in order to vote on or pass anything sitting up there as commissioners.”

Harmon said she filed suit roughly two weeks earlier and asked the board “to not move forward with anything more votes whatsoever because of the unlawful actions you have taken for a number of years.” She offered to hand affidavits to the board members; the clerk accepted the documents.

The board did not announce any immediate procedural change in response and proceeded to the consent agenda and subsequent items. No town official made a substantive public response on the record during the meeting excerpt to Harmon’s legal allegations.

Speakers quoted in this article are listed in the meeting record. The transcript identifies the allegation and the transfer of an affidavit to the clerk but does not specify the statutes Harmon cited.","During public comment resident Regina Harmon said she filed a lawsuit and handed an affidavit to the clerk, alleging the town's commissioners are not individually bonded as required by North Carolina statutes and asked the board to stop voting until the issue is resolved.",{"_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},6558120,"Wendell holds public hearing on $58.6 million FY2025–26 budget; board approves bond resolution and brownfield task orders",2332,1631000,3963000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3276500-bc26c7607618ef46cbc6bdf0b114f4a0&start=1631&end=3963","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3276500-bc26c7607618ef46cbc6bdf0b114f4a0/thumbnail_1631000.jpg","/articles/6558120/Wendell/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wendell-holds-public-hearing-on-586-million-FY202526-budget-board-approves-bond-resolution-and-brownfield-task-orders","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558120-09df3a5a72280a9d6dc7d39ef9f037cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150786&Signature=bd-QiBsveZbgfJX~Pd1Mk0klTCcP1UY1vDtMo9Tbmc0O9yc2a1jD1kNUUPLvQvJQvM77mor9KVdXy12qEjIzi4RkV6hIiAo1sdumenOaZD9PTaa1IHKKMeWi2c3jrrJ9FtHFBbQ0tk6SnzRmtS7q26H1UcvfHOUEh0Yy7m1oDskqGZdkmg828AIfdoVbdVex5yTitCFjH~C6E1j0orGYIXw0CvNuHfYRc8vNwCsVC9awCN-c38MFABnN3qyZpgS7f3Vi1YM1CkxIR-eJHwwihEzZoHLQsXMET0Dec6abaf~RKhI5dF6AYAaXehFaiFxEfg6wzOB3kN-lJpw~9Td6aQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wendell Town Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget at its May meeting and approved a resolution to issue general obligation bonds and two Brownfield task orders tied to local redevelopment projects.

Town Manager Tyler Collins, who serves as the town’s budget officer, presented the proposed all-funds total of $58,586,493 and described the proposal as a balanced budget prepared under state statute. “The total budget this year, $58,586,493,” Collins said during his presentation, and he told commissioners the plan maintains “a flat property tax” at 42¢ per $100 valuation.

The budget document includes a larger capital program and several new funds, Collins said, and proposes seven new positions that would increase full-time equivalents from 92 to 99. The presentation also showed a one‑year capital project list, a five‑year capital plan of about $121 million and a planned general obligation borrowing consistent with a voter-approved bond referendum. Collins said the budget appropriates loan proceeds for capital and recommends no new fund-balance appropriation for FY2026.

Why it matters: The proposed budget funds police traffic unit additions, sidewalk and streetscape work, multiple parks and greenway projects, design and first-year construction for a 5-field athletic complex, and other multi‑year capital efforts tied to a November 2023 voter referendum approving parks/recreation and transportation bonds. Collins told the board that, by statute, the town could not adopt the budget at the hearing but could act at its next meeting on May 27.

The board took three formal actions later in the meeting. It adopted a resolution making findings and determinations related to issuing general obligation bonds, including a not-to-exceed provision of $22,500,000 and staff’s request that the Local Government Commission consider a private sale to Webster Bank without a national rating. The resolution passed on a voice vote with the board answering “Aye” when the mayor called for approval.

The board also approved two task orders under the town’s Brownfield program with GeoCentek. Task order 19 covers additional environmental record review for the Pleasant Grove redevelopment project (the former school at 948 Morphis Bridge Road, which is being converted to a community center) and is capped at $30,000. Task order 20 continues work related to the former gas station near the Wendell Falls Parkway and Eagle Rock Road intersection; that task order is capped at $14,007.40. The approvals were made by motion and voice vote.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution: “Findings and determinations related to general obligation bonds” — motion adopted; not-to-exceed amount in resolution: $22,500,000; next administrative step: Local Government Commission consideration (LGC meeting referenced for June 3). Sale method discussed: private sale to Webster Bank without national rating. Outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Task Orders 19 & 20 (GeoCentek) — Task Order 19 (Pleasant Grove environmental record review): up to $30,000; Task Order 20 (Wendell Falls Pkwy/Eagle Rock Rd former gas station assessment): up to $14,007.40. Outcome: approved (voice vote).

Budget highlights and timing

- No change to the property tax rate: 42¢ per $100 valuation, according to Collins. No new change to routine service rates (stormwater, solid waste) was proposed in this draft.

- Proposed additions: seven positions (net increase from 92 to 99 FTEs) and three reclassifications; expansion of the police traffic unit (one sergeant and two officers) was described as part of service-level maintenance.

- Capital: Year‑1 capital budget and a five‑year capital plan were presented. Projects mentioned in FY2026 year‑one include design for a new recreation center; first-year construction for the Wendell Athletic Field Complex (five fields); Buffalo Creek Greenway Phase 1 trailhead; Carver Community Center construction; downtown streetscape phase 1 targeted at Pine Street; and intersection work including signalization at Wendell Boulevard and Wendell Falls Parkway.

- Long lead items: Collins and other commissioners noted planning for a skate/bike park and splash pad appears in later years of the five‑year plan (fiscal year 2029–30 on the plan shown to the board). The manager and commissioners encouraged the public to review the budget detail available online.

Next steps

Collins said the board may act on the budget ordinance, tax levy, fee schedule and pay‑and‑classification plan at its May 27 meeting. The Local Government Commission will consider the bond issuance next on its June 3 agenda, per staff comments.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are identified in the meeting record.","Town Manager Tyler Collins presented a $58,586,493 proposed FY2025–26 budget that keeps the property tax rate at 42¢ per $100 valuation and funds a large capital program. The board voted to approve a resolution to issue up to $22.5 million in general obligation bonds and approved two Brownfield task orders for site work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wendell receives $5,000 safety grant from North Carolina League of Municipalities for light tower

Wendell resident tells board she filed lawsuit alleging commissioners lack required surety bonds

Wendell holds public hearing on $58.6 million FY2025–26 budget; board approves bond resolution and brownfield task orders