[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6542637,"mediaKeyId","3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b","parentId",3395563,"title","Economic development director outlines priorities, mega-site potential and local needs","audioSeconds",159,"startMs",2224150,"endMs",2383780,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b&start=2224&end=2383","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b/thumbnail_2224150.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6542637/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Economic-development-director-outlines-priorities-mega-site-potential-and-local-needs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542637-38459f19fc51e7660d0f7edd04ae2fa1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775736206&Signature=Re0uEZUiZEVUShldbXRoCf9oiGpsVEhryOuvEu7vy2l1uy8Zg0Skx3KFljv0ISkyFZgcekwGxSDZ-vDK~~jAZLV~9zg74FY1muGdySXizc~9l6YAmULwVU952IgJUSgxBxvO4RjbTgGF2BsOcNj2bk0wzIVRXX40AQxsZNnYE-VmiY1EYQEWre7r94rvulAz5tl6chpsYTbUAaiup8GbqDq3GV6EBSkVu6KwFhVDPedH1KOWIB5MfZfHm71ZRnFcII5OrILTrDvAERjqbGi8fBHLIQUuRuKlY4urDLipzU4sGjRtAcAE25AA5K2ilT99fBMf1ZqHQvzCII63mVDUXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chatham County","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","Michael Smith, presenting for Chatham Economic Development, told the Board of Commissioners that county efforts continue to focus on growing commercial and industrial tax base, supporting existing industry, and leveraging two large available mega-sites to attract new investment and higher-paying jobs.

Smith said biotechnology and life-sciences, energy (including battery and storage projects), advanced manufacturing and construction materials are sectors actively looking at Chatham County. He highlighted several projects and industrial players discussed during the presentation: Wolfspeed (a large semiconductor-related campus west of Siler City), VinFast (announced electric-vehicle production), a new FedEx building adjacent to Triangle Innovation Point West, Innovative Construction Group (announced locally as a 150-job, $40 million investment) and Medox (project timing pushed back). Smith said Apex Gateway Park has additional companies on site beyond Coca-Cola and that Triangle Innovation Point West remains a frequently visited property by site selectors.

Smith and his team emphasized these points:
- Chatham still has large available industrial land (mega-sites) that position it competitively in the region; staff described roughly 2,000 acres of large sites as a strategic advantage compared with many peer counties.
- A diverse recruitment strategy is preferable to relying on a single industry sector, Smith said, to reduce vulnerability to sector downturns.
- Workforce, housing and childcare are rising constraints given recent major project announcements; Smith described collaborative efforts with the Partnership for Children and other local partners to explore solutions.
- The EDC’s operating budget and structure: Smith said the EDC’s operating budget is approximately $678,212 and about 25% of that is funded by private-sector support; he offered to share a consultant review of local EDCs comparing budgets and staffing to peers.
- The Chatham loan fund (started circa 2007) is functionally dormant with one outstanding loan; Smith said the fund was used as a collateral-assistance program (up to $25,000) and that the EDC is open to moving program management to another local nonprofit or chamber to reach small businesses more consistently.

Board members asked about: whether the county should specialize in particular sectors (Smith recommended a diversified approach), how additional industrial development would change the tax-base mix, whether predicted announcements would materially change long-range projections, and whether EDC staffing and funding could be expanded to meet demand. Smith said staff could use additional capacity, described current partner relationships (including with the Triangle Regional partners and community colleges) and said the timing of infrastructure (water/sewer for some sites projected in 2027) will factor into site readiness.

Commissioners and EDC staff discussed incentive design and performance-based provisions; Smith reiterated that county incentives are performance-based and that incentives are not paid if companies fail to meet agreed commitments. Smith closed by offering to provide the board with additional financial reports on the EDC’s operating budget and the Chatham loan fund if the board requested them.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chatham County - Board of Commissioners on 2025-05-19 2:00 PM - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chatham County Economic Development staff briefed commissioners on priorities to grow commercial and industrial tax base, described active projects around Wolfspeed, VinFast and Apex Gateway Park, and flagged small-business loan fund and workforce, housing and childcare issues as constraints to sustained growth.","taxTitle","Chatham County, North Carolina","taxId",72775,"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},6542642,"Public commenters urge trail funding and land conservation; county to consider funding in capital plan",114,1782149,1896850,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b&start=1782&end=1896","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b/thumbnail_1782149.jpg","/articles/6542642/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Public-commenters-urge-trail-funding-and-land-conservation-county-to-consider-funding-in-capital-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542642-7c12f67908f478802f5d7a26e5d74f5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775736206&Signature=aCYyhMsk~7HGX2yTwaeT5733MMWuBJQJynK4yEuU~-~6hIdencEhH0OqfYUIlMZQ7~kNPm9zvAhM47QlW6rhb6GmsEfjrShPMvkVR-Po5h6ovptFRKnC7yaKrL3uYAN0wi6Pw9bfMzXv9KsEqk0B50wGDdhH-LnQAd86zxnRL~J7gKmpuHFD~vDntctv9iRSb54ceH0s2cHF4GMSSdn8PaOeDHUhDvy8FHfIR8mP2cI1snLqa90zcFh1stwE56fEnbTNeBOiYKnYC1R-qCnmX2HgOdCXfY-Wt6IX0cI4GylSS5H~upi0rEghUFwU--JsWFEbXvFDpgiYX32RRfSdTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the public-comment period at the May 19 meeting, three speakers urged county attention and funding for outdoor recreation and land preservation initiatives.

Gretchen Smith, president of Friends of the Lower Haw River, asked the board to include the county’s Haw River State Trail segment in the FY2025–26 capital budget. Smith noted the county’s prior support for a High (Haw) River Trail study and inclusion of projects in the capital improvement program and emphasized trails’ social, environmental and economic benefits. Smith cited statewide outdoor-recreation statistics and a local return-on-investment estimate: she said trails are free to use, serve broad demographics and that “every $1 spent on trail construction generates $1.72 in annual return on investment for local economies.” She urged urgency because land prices and development pressure along the Haw River corridor are rising.

Margaret Sands, associate director for land protection at Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), described a forthcoming updated inventory by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program that the county funded. Sands said 56 natural areas in Chatham met the program’s significance criteria. She said TLC has requested over $3 million from the state’s Land and Water Fund this cycle for multiple Chatham projects—two parcels totaling about 180 acres in the Haw River State Trail corridor, a 62-acre addition to TLC’s White Pines Nature Preserve and a 62-acre project in the Deep River State Trail corridor—and that the Land and Water Fund faced strong statewide demand (some 138 applications requesting roughly $132 million while the state appeared likely to have about $30 million to distribute). Sands asked the county to consider local matching funds to strengthen applications.

Shelly Paradise offered remarks on tax policy, urging repeal of real‑estate and personal‑property taxes in favor of a uniform state sales tax and raising constitutional claims; the county chair reminded the speaker her time had expired and that the public-comment period has a formal time limit.

The commissioners did not take immediate action during public comment but the requests were made on the record for budget and capital-planning consideration.","Speakers at the public-comment period urged commissioners to budget for the Haw River State Trail segment and to provide local matching funds for land-conservation grants; speakers cited rising land prices and a pending state Land and Water Fund round.",{"_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},6542647,"Commissioners receive third-quarter budget update; approve one-payroll implementation of pay-study",185,1232860,1418360,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b&start=1232&end=1418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b/thumbnail_1232860.jpg","/articles/6542647/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Commissioners-receive-third-quarter-budget-update-approve-one-payroll-implementation-of-pay-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542647-82205e5ffcb6cb1ee0860cbb0454113f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775736206&Signature=YoW0tCTLrjku9LryKWuAys6GXrWGyRswdVVgHF2LhfY7LWOGzFVqZo72r5YfBEUlr~ixllp9dK-UsF4L3MBT0BPBh0j6txbTysMZDEhq3aoi6ajHdEXL8677Gx1LKxEBBP8wS~jWCnKPwphlRINuYn32BBCLWQhylfs2cgGz3idwv1Bt4Z-7uCdLHBSIXAUQR~zQCg8ipqcATyKSk9Is3mrTSj5nwAhPBL~NMguX2zXVZy2s7VBscbReP4fpiSE3yKLI9cKWObp~6Xv1sfde23akqqfbJ0REnR1crMnO9W9aRrM9UbL3r2d4pGF7wbi5rnIZ8PWeFcJ6F3Z~62s4hg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Finance Director Daryl Butts presented the county’s third-quarter budget update (covering July through March) and briefed commissioners on revenues and expenditures, revenue drivers and risks. Following the presentation, the Board of Commissioners voted to authorize implementation of a previously approved two‑thirds market pay study for one payroll beginning June 15, 2025.

Butts told the board that, in an ideal budget world, spending would be at 75% for the first nine months; overall county expenditures were “just under 60% expended” year to date, reflecting transfers that occur late in the fiscal year. He highlighted that transfers out — budgeted near year-end — remain at 0 percent and will move expenditures nearer to full utilization when processed.

Key revenue and expenditure notes from the presentation:
- Ad valorem (property) taxes: collections were close to budget (about 99% as of March) and, since March, staff said the county had reached its budgeted property tax target for the year.
- Sales tax: local collections through the six months of available sales-tax data trailed the same period last year by about 4%; statewide collections trended 3–4% higher year-over-year, creating a local/state gap of concern. Staff said January and February tended to be lower months and added that March numbers would provide additional clarity.
- Development-related fees: building inspections revenue declined year-over-year largely because one-time Wolfspeed inspection receipts boosted the prior-year total; registered-deeds excise tax rose because of several large real-estate transactions.
- Capital expenditures: vehicle procurement and other capital activity increased compared with earlier pandemic-affected years; supply chain issues that stalled vehicle deliveries previously have eased.

Budget trends and line-item context were discussed: admin functional spending looked low because transfers that fund other areas sit in that category until executed; education, culture and recreation had the highest year-to-date expenses largely because monthly allocations to the Chatham County School System are recorded there.

On staff compensation, Butts reminded commissioners that a two-thirds market pay study for employees not included in fiscal 2024 implementation had been presented at the budget retreat and was included in the FY26 budget. He asked the board to authorize implementation for one payroll cycle — essentially one full payroll (two weeks) beginning June 15 — to simplify administration across current and upcoming salary changes.

A motion to authorize the one-payroll implementation of the two‑thirds pay study starting with the June 15, 2025 payroll was moved and seconded; the motion carried with all voting in favor. Staff said the cost for implementing the change for one payroll was minimal and already included in the FY26 budget projections.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about sales-tax timing, the sustainability of large one-time real-estate transactions that boost deeds excise receipts, and how transfers out would change late in the fiscal year.","Finance staff presented the third-quarter budget update showing revenues and expenditures through March, flagged a softening in locally-collected sales tax and progress on property tax collections, and the board voted to implement a two-thirds pay-study for one payroll effective June 15.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6542652,"County outlines ARPA spending changes, approves amended grant-project ordinance",105,1154910,1260520,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b&start=1154&end=1260","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395563-41c1ca7812f24967460861935ed8558b/thumbnail_1154910.jpg","/articles/6542652/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/County-outlines-ARPA-spending-changes-approves-amended-grant-project-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542652-2749afcc83184a827035d32615ce1c47/orig.mp4?Expires=1775736207&Signature=a0WyUlrUpGTr18Vgb1JnuCXLKB8HRJHQbA~rX1NewWSMK-wtrtoCsXrzSqMaQbw06j8xyk~6-0NUJKleU09yh751-RGHExUYW2GQUrgzzVfzydF94dL5tJfFdAH0JIKstk1aYGY1jUykeDrZ5WuPounQ9b8RCxGwsPGLxE-Ys8zkikNQYPPSqSx2dJSt5nJ0WdAfw8W8K6TL2EoEEV2oOc0PY6ArB1tNgxtaxf1gUkLoEJoXxuDhhbDUj7ofQWMppcB0odkKFIrBn2SVLGqyVwR2uo9O2yYpzmOVvw~UpCt8-SOcuhsGf7FR8BO-ikN0UuQdx~X9cpm2VE97hIDKDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chatham County staff presented an American Rescue Plan Act quarterly update and asked the Board of Commissioners to approve an amended grant-project ordinance to reflect lower-than-expected bids and revised salary projections. Commissioners voted to approve the amendment unanimously.

The county has obligated its full $14.4 million ARPA award; the current deadline to begin reporting expenses is Dec. 31, 2026. Staff said some projects moved from straight ARPA to “ARPA-enabled” funding because their expenses do not meet Treasury obligation requirements.

The staff presentation called out two changes driving the requested amendment. First, a county hydrant repair project originally estimated at about $1 million came in significantly under budget at a low bid of $726,000; the contract covers replacement of about 60 hydrants with additional repairs possible. Second, projected personnel costs (salaries and benefits) have increased, and staff proposed reallocating funds to match those projections. Staff noted accrued interest earned on ARPA balances that will be traced to the general fund and recognized against projects.

Status updates given during the presentation included:
- The county has obligated the ARPA award and must meet Treasury reporting requirements by the expenditure deadline.
- The county’s school HVAC project was described as about 40% through design with an anticipated bid period and potential construction start in August; staff said the lower hydrant bid will not prevent future change orders but believed the 60 replacement hydrants could be completed relatively quickly.
- The Emergency Assistance Program (EAP), now ARPA-enabled, has served 83 households through March and expended about $339,000.
- Other ARPA-enabled work cited included a fiber extension, Parkers Ridge design engineering and non-profit grants; staff identified roughly $1.2 million of ARPA-enabled funds not yet allocated and projected that number could fall to about $1.0 million later in the year depending on spending.

After discussion about project scope and flexibility to shift obligated funds, a commissioner moved to approve the amended grant project ordinance to reflect the lower hydrant bid and updated salary projections. The motion carried with all present voting in favor. Staff said Treasury guidance allows municipalities to reallocate funds among obligated projects so long as obligation criteria continue to be met.

The board discussion also touched on how hydrants were selected (staff said contractors and fire districts identified the hydrants in most dire need) and that additional hydrants could be added to the scope if additional funds are allocated.

The approval places the amended project ordinance into county records; staff will continue to monitor bids, change orders and Treasury guidance and will report back if further amendments are required.","Chatham County staff reported an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) quarterly update, including project status for school HVAC, hydrant replacements and housing diversion programs; commissioners voted unanimously to approve an amended grant project ordinance reflecting lower-than-expected hydrant bids and reallocated salary projections.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Economic development director outlines priorities, mega-site potential and local needs

Public commenters urge trail funding and land conservation; county to consider funding in capital plan

Commissioners receive third-quarter budget update; approve one-payroll implementation of pay-study

County outlines ARPA spending changes, approves amended grant-project ordinance