Resident urges county to withhold funds for Farmville fire project until ADA, audit concerns addressed

Steven Hardy Burrows, a Farmville resident, addressed the Pitt County Board of Commissioners during public comment on Sept. 15 and urged commissioners to withhold approval of large loans or grants to the Town of Farmville until outstanding legal and audit issues are resolved. Burrows told the board the town’s Section 504 plan — a federal civil‑rights requirement tied to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — and obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 remain incomplete, and he said those mandates were due to be completed by July 27, 1992. He also referenced findings in a state auditor’s review that, he said, identified mismanagement of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and cited dollar amounts he said the town lost or improperly handled. "So when it asked you for $2,000,000, you voted it down 8 to 1. Now it's asking you for a $4,000,000 loan at 2% interest," Burrows said, arguing the loan rate was far below market and urging the commission to require that the consultants' study on fire departments be completed before any county money is approved. Why it matters: Burrows framed his remarks as a request that Pitt County demand federal‑mandate compliance and completion of local studies before approving financial support for municipal fire services. The town’s request referenced in the comment has not been acted on at this meeting; Burrows said a county‑requested study related to county fire departments had not been completed "to the best of my knowledge." The board did not vote on a Farmville loan or grant during the Sept. 15 meeting. What was said: Burrows asked the board to "state a clear expectation that any town such as Farmville be current in compliance with the federal mandates" and to honor the earlier decision to require a completed study regarding the county’s fire departments before awarding funds. Attribution note: Burrows’ assertions about audit findings, dollar amounts, and the town’s compliance are his statements to the board; the transcript records his remarks but does not include a county staff response during this meeting that verified the figures or the town’s status with federal agencies. Next steps: Burrows asked the commission to require the completion of the requested study before the board considers loans or grants to Farmville; commissioners did not take action on that request during the meeting.