Pitt County commissioners back countywide fire-service feasibility study after heated Farmville funding debate

Pitt County commissioners declined a $3 million request from the Town of Farmville for construction of a new Farmville Fire Department headquarters but voted to fund a countywide feasibility study into fire service needs, funding and communications.

The board’s meeting on March 24 drew dozens of volunteer firefighters and chiefs from departments across Pitt County who urged the commissioners to distribute county infrastructure funding so every rural department can upgrade aging stations, buy equipment and expand manpower.

Why it matters: The debate exposed broad concern about growing call volumes, aging facilities and unequal local resources for volunteer departments. Commissioners approved a feasibility study intended to produce recommendations on funding options, districting, and radio and communications improvements — information county leaders said is needed before making large one-off appropriations.

Public comments and town presentation Members and chiefs from more than a dozen volunteer departments described strained facilities and rising costs. Steve Wright, a member of the Falkland Volunteer Fire Department, told commissioners the county “needs it” when referring to additional funding for local fire departments and invited officials to tour his station and training site to see resource needs firsthand. (Steve Wright, citizen/volunteer firefighter.)

Mark Wyndham, president of the Grimesland Volunteer Fire Department, stressed three essentials for departments: “a facility, equipment and manpower,” and urged that any county support be available to other rural departments as well. (Mark Wyndham, president, Grimesland Volunteer Fire Department.)

Johnny Mayo, chief of Simpson Fire Department, said many small departments already draw on fundraisers and grants but face staffing and facility shortages as calls increase, and urged a countywide rethink of how fire services are structured. (Johnny Mayo, chief, Simpson Fire Department.)

Farmville leaders told the board the town is proposing a modern, shovel‑ready headquarters to replace a 97‑year‑old facility that cannot accommodate modern apparatus or crew needs and is not ADA accessible. The town representative said the project is partly funded by a congressional-directed appropriation of roughly $3.75 million assigned to the project; the town has already spent about $900,000 on land acquisition, design and permitting. The town described other potential funding sources it is pursuing but said certainty on county participation would affect its loan and grant applications. (Town representative: Mr. Hodgson.)

Board action and votes Commissioner (surname Manning) moved to appropriate $3,000,000 to the Town of Farmville to assist construction of the new fire station, conditioned on the town continuing to serve the rural fire district and provide mutual aid; a second was offered. That motion failed on a voice/hand vote. The board did not adopt the appropriation. (Motion by Commissioner Manning; outcome: failed.)

Following extended public comment, the board voted to pursue a county-led feasibility study of fire services. The study will examine funding options, districting, county-municipal roles, communications and radio systems, and will incorporate input from departments and communities across the county. The board directed staff to expedite procurement and return with a recommended vendor and budget amendment, with initial funding to be included in the FY 2025–26 budget or provided from contingency as needed. (Motion to pursue feasibility study: approved.)

What the study will cover and next steps County staff advised the board the study would be advisory — providing recommendations for the board’s consideration but not imposing requirements on departments or municipalities. Manager Janice Gallagher said a comprehensive study including stakeholders and communications work could cost between $50,000 and $100,000; staff will seek an expedited procurement and bring a cost recommendation back to the board ahead of the formal FY 2025–26 budget adoption.

Commissioners emphasized the board’s role as a facilitator with municipalities. Several commissioners said they are willing to help Farmville and other towns identify municipal or district-level funding options (for example, municipal tax-rate adjustments or rural fire-tax districts) but expressed reluctance to fund many one-off capital requests from the county general fund without a countywide strategy.

Community and operational context Speakers described a 41% increase in Farmville’s call volume over five years, a current distribution of roughly 52% of calls originating in the rural portion of the Farmville service area, and limitations posed by existing station bays that cannot house modern apparatus. Fire leaders repeatedly voiced concern about volunteer burnout and the difficulty of sustaining training and staffing without more infrastructure and operating support.

Several volunteer leaders warned that awarding a large county appropriation to a single department could set a precedent and prompt numerous similar requests from other districts. Commissioners referenced multiple other pending capital requests from departments across the county and said the feasibility study should allow decision-makers to compare needs fairly.

Ending The board’s vote to fund a feasibility study signals a move toward an analytic, countywide approach to fire-service policy. Officials said they aim to return recommendations and a procurement result before finalizing the county’s FY 2025–26 budget, allowing the board to weigh whether targeted appropriations, district tax adjustments, loan guarantees, or other solutions would be appropriate.