[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6535511,"mediaKeyId","3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a","parentId",3395561,"title","Chatham County manager presents FY‑26 recommended budget; officials schedule work sessions after public hearing","audioSeconds",3488,"startMs",2374000,"endMs",5862000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a&start=2374&end=5862","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a/thumbnail_2374000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6535511/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Chatham-County-manager-presents-FY26-recommended-budget-officials-schedule-work-sessions-after-public-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535511-ac875f8925e21fd4863518e84136afca/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950928&Signature=DPqDXQyH6ZZXndbUq8D7ov2z~0Pyr3y8zs2KUSRzW1T0LkmLskbtlLS2jh96f9PdVAlZqRippXvNoO-qLn6OgDltcf6hNv6x0X3swk1svOEHs0N4F2mT13msj7xVI~ilWSEb~NVNX1H6qCSz2OxQqqdO2FKE-XLT2cHDMZS2HstQ6ySNL8UFwi2HsDZXzJchZXvxujxEv6UWSQjHtidVmllGYNQfla2max8Wb3I0lYcE5MWD1shJGWIq0FxD2jL~N3topL-V8Ouv0wzvng6H9eCiw4iSm5OhTDWmb~aSp0DvlH~eu6OMGv~kiKprbpMVrp04yjLeB8riMEdyefi51w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chatham County","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","Chatham County officials opened the first public hearing on the county’s recommended fiscal year 2026 budget on May 19, where County Manager Brian Thompson gave a high-level overview and staff received public input on several budget priorities.

Thompson described the recommended tax rate and revenue assumptions, staffing and program changes, and a timeline for review. The presentation and the public hearing focused attention on public safety staffing, school funding, election-office staffing and services for adults with developmental disabilities.

Key fiscal points: the recommended property tax rate included in the budget presentation is 60¢ per $100 of assessed valuation. Thompson said the county’s current rate is 72.5¢ and the county’s revenue-neutral rate following revaluation is about 52.96¢. Staff noted slower local sales-tax receipts compared with the state average and recommended revenue assumptions that reflect that trend. The manager cited major expense drivers as salary adjustments (including a recommended 4% salary adjustment and continued implementation of a two‑thirds pay study), contractual increases and capital needs.

Major program and expenditure highlights: the recommended budget includes approximately $2.4 million in additional funding for Chatham County Schools. That allocation is intended to cover anticipated state salary adjustments, higher benefit and retirement costs, operational increases, continuation of the district’s universal breakfast and lunch program and an estimated $550,000 to provide a $400 base increase to the local teacher supplement and a $100 increase to classified staff supplements. The sheriff’s office requested an increase of roughly $2.3 million (9.4% over FY25 revised) that the manager said would fund continued rollout of body cameras, contractual increases, technology and expansion items including six deputy positions and other staffing increases.

Other adjustments and fees: the budget document includes fee changes to the planning department to reflect cost recovery under the new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and increases in the solid-waste enterprise fund: a $20 increase in solid-waste fees, a $5-per-ton rise in yard-waste disposal and a $15-per-ton increase for land‑clearing and inert debris disposal. The manager said additional positions were proposed across multiple departments and highlighted capital and cloud-migration investments.

Public testimony and priorities: public commenters urged the county to add an election coordinator position to handle compressed state processing deadlines, poll-worker training and public-records demands under recently changed state election laws. Speakers from the League of Women Voters and members of the Board of Elections described legal and operational changes that shrink processing time for absentee and provisional ballots and asked the board to fund additional staffing to avoid overtime and compliance risks. Members of disability‑support groups and family members also urged the board to fund a new day program for adults with developmental disabilities; presenters asked the board to maintain a recommended startup allocation for a program to be operated by a third‑party provider and noted local demand identified through surveys.

Process and next steps: Thompson told the board the budget is available online and in the clerk’s office and that staff will hold meetings in Pittsboro and Siler City, followed by a sequence of work sessions to refine priorities. He said staff will bring a revised proposed budget to the board for consideration on June 16 and encouraged board members and the public to send questions to assistant county manager Daryl Butts in advance of the work sessions.

Ending: The board closed the public hearing after hearing 16 registered speakers. Commissioners and staff will consider the public input during scheduled budget work sessions and return a revised document in June.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chatham County - Board of Commissioners on 2025-05-19 2:00 PM - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chatham County Manager Brian Thompson presented the recommended FY‑26 budget and the board opened the first public hearing, with residents calling for more election-office staffing, increased school support and a day program for adults with developmental disabilities.","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},6535515,"Chatham commissioners defer decision on Sam’s Express car wash pump-and-haul waiver after residents raise noise, traffic and water concerns",9616,754000,10370000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a&start=754&end=10370","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a/thumbnail_754000.jpg","/articles/6535515/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Chatham-commissioners-defer-decision-on-Sams-Express-car-wash-pump-and-haul-waiver-after-residents-raise-noise-traffic-and-water-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535515-7b22af91c3cc90257f66a65b7c1fff7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950928&Signature=S-IbQaNo2M0VDOkT~FNM0FQok92sY6i21Pzdaah3xwBo-VGKm2JUuzjJ9WssmQ79dOZK3hkO56i0L4tsGFVpENgr0w2IbXQN7Y0Xb5X4hs2B~P7yKR1sfdq249lA-l0ZJon0hzvCiDKprU48GArN-vE2~CP3AOM3pyzV5jvI5W5tTiYh0bvKRu4QFOghU8RKEL-HWTRfCfh6fkb~jR6~FEAmHkxVR~OTK2WxocoozftITP29Sf7Mn9UW75wfedhN7EpQlz7xQRGhRiK2dp7J4wMTDN8wmJziQ80iyZQG6aD~2eqcSnsNQ7BLx3NDy7VHLx0rW1WOx7uhxqXX4pk-xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chatham County commissioners on Monday delayed a decision on a waiver request that would allow a proposed Sam’s Express car wash at the Briar Chapel area to use a pump-and-haul system to remove industrial process wastewater.

The proposal, presented to the board as a waiver under the Briar Chapel/Compact Communities Ordinance, drew more than a dozen residents who said the car wash would create chronic noise, light pollution, more traffic on U.S. 15-501, and an ongoing stream of tanker trucks hauling wastewater. Neighbors told the board they had not been given adequate information about the chemicals involved, the expected hauling frequency and routes, and long-term environmental risks to nearby streams that flow toward Jordan Lake.

The questions mattered because of the site’s location and the ordinance that applies there. County planning staff explained that Briar Chapel properties are normally required to connect to a centralized wastewater system; the developer and owner of that system, Old North State, declined to accept the car wash’s industrial wastewater unless it modifies its state permit. The applicant therefore proposed pump-and-haul — sending treated overflow and settled waste off-site to a third-party processor permitted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ).

Why it matters: residents stressed that pump-and-haul would bring frequent heavy trucks into a constrained shopping-center lot next to long-established homes in Farrington Village, magnifying safety and noise concerns already associated with backups on the 15-501 corridor. Neighbors also cited prior local incidents involving the contracted hauler’s corporate footprint and urged the board to consider alternatives that would avoid weekly or near-weekly tanker access in a tight, mixed-use area.

What staff and the applicant said: planning staff and the applicant described the proposed site plan, water-reclamation process and regulatory controls. The applicant said the chain reuses most wash water on-site and that the volume requiring off-site hauling is relatively small at each pumping event; they pointed to existing operations in other markets and stated pump-and-haul is regulated by NCDEQ and by the receiving facility. County staff said the Compact Communities waiver process is discretionary for the board and that similar waivers have been considered in the past.

Numbers and specifics from the record: public commenters supplied different estimates that the county has not independently verified: opponents cited figures in the 1.7–1.82 million gallons per year range and described proposed hauling with 5,000-gallon tanker trucks arriving multiple times per week; the applicant said routine pumping intervals at comparable sites range from monthly to quarterly, but acknowledged that a facility without sewer access could require much more frequent pumping (the applicant estimated the location could need much more frequent service than its sewered sites).

Board action: after more than two hours of public comment and applicant presentation, a commissioner moved to continue the waiver request to the next board meeting to allow staff to gather additional information and for the board to review further details. The board agreed to continue the matter.

What’s next: the item will return on a subsequent board agenda. The applicant and county staff indicated they will provide further documentation on pump-and-haul logistics, chemical inventories, NCDEQ permitting steps, hauling destinations and schedules, and any alternatives for sewer connection.

Ending: neighbors said they will return to the board with more evidence if the applicant pursues state permitting; the board’s decision to delay leaves the car wash proposal unresolved pending those follow-up materials and additional review.","Residents near Farrington Village pressed the Board of Commissioners to deny a waiver allowing a proposed Sam’s Express car wash to use pump-and-haul for industrial wastewater. County staff and the applicant described regulatory steps and alternatives; the board continued the item to the next meeting for more information.",{"_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},6535498,"Commissioners appoint three new members to Chatham County Housing Authority, reappoint two incumbents",477,10955000,11432000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a&start=10955&end=11432","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a/thumbnail_10955000.jpg","/articles/6535498/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Commissioners-appoint-three-new-members-to-Chatham-County-Housing-Authority-reappoint-two-incumbents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535498-3dc6e5d1da328d97999f88f21214b579/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950928&Signature=JgEUwZGoKfowNMow2liIvwpuFtVRNnWbhBGhD5G3tUCEb5znV9lDBhK-t5qeJTY0TkBxyaNR5zzD~pbmQChPbtnaf6GUZ47fQ5HQhg6gIY9rxu1Xrenf-AoeHC6Zyf6A8vjK-ACLl2PgllTkIuYhPYTkKTnPGR0GIq3V9VZJ9w6B7D4s3R-uJb-aa5AmHApmycln-fjdGzb3-RUQePpjplO8~RtQBESMICkiZgRsMeTJ78yWckHUs-W9mR8om8AmteZDVBe~7acumYkQa8w1VR2qrRNzWKJAwHnNQPxETs5H0VmA7wBWQ9H6fXUgxfIXxiW0UfXaEZD-rzoMxyvfSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its May 19 meeting, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners voted to appoint three new members to the Chatham County Housing Authority and to reappoint two incumbents to additional partial terms.

Appointments and terms: the board reappointed Mary Lee Moore (term ending 12/31/2026) and Shamila Godfrey (term ending 12/31/2027). The board appointed Sharon Taylor Gray, Demetrius Robert Holt and Deepa Sanyal to the authority and assigned staggered term expirations to create a schedule of rotation: per the board’s direction at the meeting, Deepa Sanyal will have the earliest expiring partial term (12/30/2025), Sharon Taylor Gray will be assigned a partial term expiring 12/30/2026, and Demetrius Robert Holt will be assigned a partial term expiring 12/30/2027.

Why it matters: the housing authority has faced operational and governance challenges in recent years, and commissioners emphasized the need for appointees who can provide oversight, avoid conflicts of interest, and assist the authority in delivering affordable-housing services. Commissioners indicated they selected candidates with strong, complete applications and no apparent conflicts of interest.

Vote and follow-up: the board approved the slate by voice vote. Staff said they will notify the appointees, confirm term assignments and complete the formal documentation for the authority.

Ending: Commissioners said the appointments were intended to strengthen oversight and support the authority’s work delivering housing services in Chatham County.","The board approved a slate of appointments and reappointments to the Chatham County Housing Authority to fill staggered terms; the motion passed by voice vote.",{"_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},6535502,"Chatham County proclaims Juneteenth a county holiday and recognizes Pride Month",268,217000,485000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a&start=217&end=485","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a/thumbnail_217000.jpg","/articles/6535502/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Chatham-County-proclaims-Juneteenth-a-county-holiday-and-recognizes-Pride-Month","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535502-50f722564fa430189ee659459404b898/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950928&Signature=ahdxQNZmmPlfmE-CXb1mmDWQ5~eKZX0-igyhi6~io4j4ET34WkzK5XMpDke-xxG0KMC6I0rP5JFmJseeVpHHPGNzuygyPLvKRMskhuAvsJkdbd1avm9nf8yAng1rwNCqgGMz2QShAmXpUpSiYUHxYAWHnl2j~gf6x7IRrxuZ6ThKIOz8lY4MA89C~2gtoZRbAeu8XkzwgTHUas8gzhgc3y7fxcERx3h33rpTpT4jO6j-Tihck~DqkrOa-9FtRJ1MqB~ijhwQsSG3lxsByKq3ghowU72NT870v9hj3xXiJSoq7iLQAJOAV4v2qhfvKWEUkipnmzJz0dVtQ2Z6bkfsxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chatham County commissioners adopted two resolutions during their May 19 regular session: one recognizing Juneteenth as an official county holiday beginning in 2025, and another proclaiming June as Pride Month.

Juneteenth resolution: the board adopted a resolution recognizing June 19, 2025, as Juneteenth in Chatham County and announcing that the county will recognize the day as a paid county holiday beginning in 2025. The resolution’s text, read at the meeting, framed Juneteenth as the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, described its historic significance and encouraged community observance, education and celebration.

Pride Month proclamation: the board also approved language recognizing June as Pride Month (the meeting packet used the wording “Bridal Month” in error; the board’s action and the presentation referred to the nationwide observance of LGBTQ+ Pride Month). The proclamation affirms the county’s stated commitment to inclusion, encourages support for LGBTQ+ residents and highlights ongoing efforts to address discrimination and barriers in housing, healthcare, employment and civic life.

Vote and next steps: both measures were adopted by voice vote during the special presentations portion of the meeting. The resolutions direct staff to publish the proclamations and to support community events and educational programs associated with the observances.

Ending: Commissioners said they hoped the proclamation and holiday designation would encourage reflection, education and community events. The county’s human-resources office will implement the holiday designation beginning in 2025 as described in the adopted resolution.","The Board of Commissioners adopted resolutions recognizing Juneteenth (June 19) as a county paid holiday beginning in 2025 and proclaiming June as Pride Month (noted in the agenda as 'Bridal Month').",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6535506,"Commissioners expand Chatham Promise to include nontraditional learners; no new county dollars requested",2898,7336000,10234000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a&start=7336&end=10234","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395561-a10f8a7bddaa63579f8d8c5d51cf262a/thumbnail_7336000.jpg","/articles/6535506/Chatham-County/North-Carolina/Commissioners-expand-Chatham-Promise-to-include-nontraditional-learners-no-new-county-dollars-requested","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535506-b8bb130e1b0c029031988627f24c92b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950928&Signature=oCV~2p0bzjEaKI2uX0mX-Q8vERwmNdOpPHPrsbxdNg0R0XsONCsr3WG8Ab5QAUAYyTkx5VHvwUljK81wfr2jJczKu~GUUo1flmWYNSgr7A7RNCMFNSBCsruOK~wPjL~K9s9oBLosx4b0-r6mBWra5zti1EIrvJevXUV0R8oC8OKfkx~n1BwBvzFniUP9hCnL71k1wRLcC~JH0zXsgX5-AS-RUGqUlh7Uhje1LZUGQ1jZJL1OXop64W~9-xVOv5z1ywcIO4MHso-VW8WozColVpJz5~8Px4ylKAuDvCL4vMJ7JlhUutGw539hpOM9o4roXkVoeVD01ahtmMAKiv9Jkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Chatham County Board of Commissioners voted May 19 to amend the county’s Chatham Promise agreement with Central Carolina Community College to allow funding eligibility for nontraditional (adult) learners beyond the existing two‑year post‑high‑school window.

Mark Hall of Central Carolina Community College told commissioners that the program has served more than 500 students over six years and that in the last academic year it enrolled roughly 80 additional students. Hall said about 74% of participating students return for a second year and that 55–60% of Promise participants receive Pell assistance — indicators the college offered as evidence the program is reaching lower‑income and first‑generation students.

What the amendment does: the county and college agreed to allow Chatham Promise funds to cover eligible Chatham residents who are beyond the program’s prior two‑year window after high‑school graduation. The amendment keeps the program’s existing funding limit approach: tuition support remains last‑dollar and the MOU adds a cap for adult learners equivalent to the two‑year tuition amount (five semesters’ worth of tuition as calculated when a student first enrolls). The amended language also preserves residency verification procedures and narrows coverage for residents who already hold college degrees unless they pursue a credential in a high‑demand occupation.

Funding and oversight: the county did not add new dollars. The amendment repurposes existing Chatham Promise allocations to make them available to more eligible adults; the college invoices the county for actual usage. Hall and college staff said the amendment is intended to expand pathways to family‑sustaining jobs for adults who need retraining or new credentials.

Vote and next steps: the board approved the amended agreement by voice vote. Staff will finalize the amended MOU documents and continue program administration with Central Carolina Community College under the amended terms.

Ending: Commissioners and college leaders described the change as a way to broaden workforce pathways without increasing the county’s financial commitment.","The board approved an amendment to the Chatham Promise agreement with Central Carolina Community College to allow county funds to support eligible residents beyond the two‑year post‑high‑school window; the change extends eligibility but does not increase the county allocation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Chatham County manager presents FY‑26 recommended budget; officials schedule work sessions after public hearing

Chatham commissioners defer decision on Sam’s Express car wash pump-and-haul waiver after residents raise noise, traffic and water concerns

Commissioners appoint three new members to Chatham County Housing Authority, reappoint two incumbents

Chatham County proclaims Juneteenth a county holiday and recognizes Pride Month

Commissioners expand Chatham Promise to include nontraditional learners; no new county dollars requested