[{"_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",6478751,"mediaKeyId","5708261-60ee22be6517272a10a373e1be9427f8","parentId",5708261,"title","Votes at a glance: Surry County Board of Commissioners, Dec. 2, 2025","audioSeconds",10820,"startMs",270000,"endMs",11090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708261-60ee22be6517272a10a373e1be9427f8&start=270&end=11090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708261-60ee22be6517272a10a373e1be9427f8/thumbnail_270000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6478751/Surry-County/North-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-Surry-County-Board-of-Commissioners-Dec-2-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478751-660c927ec13145dd2c31256406dcfe28/orig.mp4?Expires=1773649899&Signature=PgT-w9f8BusHC5XsYU6qG9iqlsHiTp7Gv2do7sfImt~JMRzJJdwO26cDdW4VwyYxm9iKPRUwMcln1~seeWRyDsRT7Kp6rZvDUNzIgAm4DNHwF4q48tYnEH7G1a5~yNbFX0G9EkVdjUBMXTvI1hxP0aa51c2eVy8rhmhPvSOCeFDePUdJPr3kg8amqRY78tdxZvHXGrfI0r69G~qz8bizvSQb3jK9z6oV8OwoTuNmYBWC-Qm7NJaF~Olu3yZzJROJyL8HCMvWAqBoluLUe~XlbbsnJLMFDmh-hDKtynJ7t146dWn6~9OFJcxiuaDbi-XDTFguNIpKcqXEndFHRmf5jQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Surry County","date","2025-09-03T13:41:28Z","article","At its Dec. 2, 2025 meeting the Surry County Board of Commissioners recorded the following formal actions.

Approved minutes and agenda
- The board approved the meeting agenda and approved the Aug. 18, 2025 meeting minutes by voice vote.

Consent agenda approved
- The board approved the consent agenda (nine items) including: allocation clarification for Invest in Surry/Friends of Youth, creation of a paralegal position, appointment of a deputy purchasing officer in the finance office, a position title change in the Office of Substance Abuse Recovery, an MOU between Surry County Schools and DSS for foster care, a position reclassification, Budget Amendment #3 (family caregivers and health; cleanup for Invest in Surry), petty cash for registered deeds in the health and nutrition center, and cancellation of the Neighborly software contract for future budget years. Motion carried by voice vote.

SCOSAR advisory council reestablished
- The board voted to reestablish the Substance Abuse Recovery Program Advisory Council (see separate article on the STP presentation). Motion carried (unanimous of members present).

Appointments and reappointments
- The board appointed and reappointed members to several boards and committees including Juvenile Crime Prevention Council appointments and reappointments (Abby Bishop, Kevin Kilby, Mark Marion, Tanya Oakley, Jeff Sedlacek, and Andrew Wright). The board also discussed vacancies on the Animal Control Committee and Board of Equalization and Review and deferred some nominations pending further outreach.

Personnel action after closed session
- After a closed session on legal and personnel matters, the board voted on a salary adjustment: approve salary for elections director at Grade 75, Step 8, effective Sept. 1, 2025. Motion carried 3-1 (the transcript records the tally 3 to 1; individual votes were not specified in the public transcript).

Other routine business
- The board approved the resolution and motion to begin the fire-service restructuring process and to form a Fire and Rescue Commission (see separate article). The meeting adjourned following a motion by Commissioner Hyatt and second by Commissioner Goins.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 2, 2025 Surry County Board of Commissioners meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal actions taken during the Surry County Board of Commissioners meeting: routine approvals, consent agenda, board appointments, and a personnel salary action recorded after closed session.","taxTitle","Surry County, North Carolina","taxId",73854,"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},6478756,"Surry County moves to countywide fire service district, creates Fire and Rescue Commission",902,1962000,2864000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708261-60ee22be6517272a10a373e1be9427f8&start=1962&end=2864","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708261-60ee22be6517272a10a373e1be9427f8/thumbnail_1962000.jpg","/articles/6478756/Surry-County/North-Carolina/Surry-County-moves-to-countywide-fire-service-district-creates-Fire-and-Rescue-Commission","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478756-10e7b21aea097bc7d54570c3efc7a2a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773649899&Signature=bMphjyQrLPpxlZE4mXusmjdkognXX4wiIlcj~wntox0Ucl387J1eyQM9OGmlBiJq~ihJQcL5qvzLkOjLSzzWU3PtuaOMzB3pC-UZYGLvNb3JHeTYsisR~tLHvm0Hf36EQV63CmtYXW3N-478pxwj69slGJJhcNRk5xiHkcWMLZuKoylbKlXdUlEsX-pbPujf5GFLJmuvIVL6y4Ak~7-kkkoQp3mgGGyzsBSgiAD6ZSSfAKBbGx2MC8GXIrfp4m-ND4w-MMVurz~firG4dnkVwK06GAktu5hW5R6~4fRG2~hz5eTyU9ynOG4GRyX0IYZEP9SAnBTC8c~0x3w7mggHyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its Dec. 2, 2025, meeting the Surry County Board of Commissioners voted to begin a process to replace 17 rural fire protection tax districts with a single countywide fire service district and to create a Surry County Fire and Rescue Commission to advise the board and coordinate with volunteer departments.

County Manager Chris Knauth told the board the move is grounded in a 2024 independent study the board commissioned to evaluate fire protection in unincorporated areas. He said the study and subsequent community feedback identified funding disparities among districts, declining volunteerism, and a need to develop a more consistent funding and oversight model.

The resolution the board adopted caps taxation for the proposed countywide service district at 15 cents per $100 of property value, consistent with the alternative procedure in North Carolina General Statute 153A-309.2, and schedules a public hearing on Nov. 3, 2025, to solicit public comment. Knauth said the county will publish required notices and a map of the proposed service district and that municipalities Dobson and Pilot Mountain have been advised they may opt in by passing resolutions and reaching terms with the county.

Knauth said updated contracts will be prepared by the county attorney and distributed to fire departments; existing contracts will expire June 30, 2026, and new contracts should be in place for July 1, 2026, if the board proceeds. He said future revenue distribution would be based on response-district size, population, ISO rating and land-use intensity.

The board also voted to establish a 15-member Fire and Rescue Commission and adopt proposed rules of procedure to provide ongoing oversight and recommendations. Knauth and other staff said the commission will include active fire-service members, citizen members and ex officio county staff.

Commissioners said the change is intended to create a more equitable funding system and to incentivize ISO improvements that can reduce insurance costs for property owners. The board followed the county's budget calendar as a reason to begin the process now so any structural changes can be considered during fiscal-year 2027 budget development.

Both the resolution and the motion to establish the commission were approved by the board during the meeting.","The Surry County Board of Commissioners voted to begin consolidation of 17 rural fire tax districts into a proposed countywide fire service district capped at 15 cents per $100 of assessed value, and established a Surry County Fire and Rescue Commission to advise on contracts, funding distribution and service standards.",{"_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},6478760,"Surry County highlights jail-based reentry services; board reestablishes recovery advisory council",1526,434000,1960000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708261-60ee22be6517272a10a373e1be9427f8&start=434&end=1960","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708261-60ee22be6517272a10a373e1be9427f8/thumbnail_434000.jpg","/articles/6478760/Surry-County/North-Carolina/Surry-County-highlights-jail-based-reentry-services-board-reestablishes-recovery-advisory-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478760-12e7df9cf995156a2a631ee397ce42ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1773649899&Signature=d9uXwfJqTd5mpK3AnQ433b1-Ubn6nKZ1ndrDyoXHboY1HO0YuJQTvw9poN~Cf6W1Ua7yegr0b9M0yoybudsE8p5~LU3ceIeTcP4Nq2vc59dsWNTNA~HY0XYq7Ksm9k74RNuOooPJQKwCE~DItzkejEuRcWzgXQ1bJx5qX5I7j5lGXdYIIIzwi00lO8QYC-xRj44MUnJ4ZgpX7aZLj6j~RxToaDVhoCYAnhcbQVo9SSWr24zuLcAG3uZ8-Ti5u4JVJikYM3dzcksNOjPqravWqjJunfFHANNWYrjqZmsMHZnYcHz~SQdC~7R9HnpUMO6sohsptPm5WGad2M-ewVr7Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Dec. 2, 2025, meeting of the Surry County Board of Commissioners, Jamie Edwards, director of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery (SCOSAR), presented results from the county's Surry Transition Project (STP), a jail-based reentry and treatment effort funded by a federal grant through Sept. 2026 with a possible one-year extension to Sept. 2027.

Edwards told commissioners the program has provided services both inside the detention center and for up to six months after release, with 252 individuals served on a duplicated-count basis (meaning some people received multiple types of services) and 861 instances of service recorded from the program's start in February through the June 30 reporting quarter. \"We're really proud of that number,\" Edwards said of the 861 service contacts. She said the program has offered 23 weeks of uninterrupted services and about 76 groups or classes during that time.

The presentation said STP provides substance-use screenings and assessments in custody, case management pre- and post-release, workforce-development training (including NC Department of Transportation flagger certification), ServSafe training, GED instruction, transportation and housing assistance, and connections to the county's EMS post-overdose response team and health and nutrition services. Edwards said the program's goals are public safety and reduced recidivism, promotion of recovery and citizenship, and helping participants achieve self-sufficiency.

Edwards gave a demographic snapshot for substance-use services through June 30: 39 unique individuals touched by those services; 27 male and 12 female. She said nearly half of the clients were in the 30-39 age range and that screening-based recidivism risk scores showed high needs: \"the male average score, 80 percent,\" and the female rate higher in her sample. As of June 30 the program reported seven male graduates and no female graduates (Edwards said female groups started later), and in job-training activity the presentation said 114 people had been served across three job-training offerings. In a DOT flagger class of 44, 42 participants earned certification.

On staffing and funding, Edwards said the federal grant currently funds two positions; one was filled about six weeks before the meeting. She and county staff said the program also leverages opioid-settlement and other settlement funds to support employment and educational coordination, and emphasized that if federal funding ends the county could consider using settlement funds but would need to prioritize among competing needs.

After the presentation, the board voted to reestablish the SCOSAR advisory council, a panel Edwards said had been dormant since 2022. \"My goal is to conduct a community needs assessment to present new recommendations to this board every four years,\" Edwards said. A motion to reestablish the substance abuse recovery program advisory council was made and seconded; the board voted in favor and the motion carried.

The board heard praise for the program during discussion and thanked detention staff, the sheriff's office, the community college, and partnering county departments for their roles in the project.

Looking ahead, Edwards said STP provides reentry support for up to six months post-release, and that the program intends to continue integrating substance-use, criminal-justice, and employment services as a combined strategy to reduce recidivism. She and county staff said the board will see further recommendations as more outcome data accumulates.

The board recorded the formal vote to reestablish the advisory council during the meeting.","Surry County officials heard a detailed update on the Surry Transition Project, a detention-centered substance use and reentry program funded by a federal grant through September 2026, and voted to reestablish the county's Substance Abuse Recovery Program Advisory Council to guide future recommendations.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Surry County Board of Commissioners, Dec. 2, 2025

Surry County moves to countywide fire service district, creates Fire and Rescue Commission

Surry County highlights jail-based reentry services; board reestablishes recovery advisory council