NASH COUNTY, N.C. — At its Jan. 6 meeting the Nash County Board of Commissioners approved multiple finance and governance actions: four budget amendments, a project-ordinance amendment moving ARPA funds to the high-speed internet project fund and accepting a digital-literacy grant, a new project ordinance for a DEQ wastewater/infrastructure grant, and a slate of board and commission appointments.

Mary Hogan, finance director, presented four budget amendments that the board approved together: adjustments to Senior Services to reflect HCCBG grant allocations and medical transportation funding; additional Cooperative Extension funds from the De Leon Carter Foundation for farmers market programs; and a finance amendment to appropriate fund balance to cover a new special projects position salary. No county general-fund dollars were requested for the grant-related amendments.

The board also approved a project-ordinance amendment for the Nash County high-speed Internet project. The amendment moved $1,391,462 originally set aside for a different ARPA phase to the high-speed Internet project fund and accepted $508,665 from the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s Digital Champion grant to support digital literacy programming.

Separately, the board approved a new capital project ordinance for a water infrastructure project that incorporates a $16,745,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Infrastructure. Expenditures in that ordinance are based on projected costs.

On appointments, Tia Fuller (assistant county manager) presented nominees and the board took votes to fill seats on several boards. Appointments included:
- Tourism Development Authority (TDA): Arlene Bailey (to fill an unexpired term and then a full three-year term), Nish Patel and Lauren Williams (appointed to fill two vacant positions; Patel is connected to hotel ownership in the area and lives outside the county but is eligible as a lodging/collector member under state statute changes).
- Consolidated Human Services Board: Wanda Lamb (nurse member) and Ricky Crump (public member) were appointed to four-year terms expiring 04/30/2029.
- Nashville Board of Adjustment: reappointment of Dennis Evans (ETJ member) and direction to return with a recommended ETJ alternate in a subsequent meeting.
- Voluntary Agricultural District / Ag Advisory Board: Joseph Scott Bissett and Donald Scott Rogers appointed to three-year terms expiring 12/31/2027.

Fuller noted a few boards still had vacancies and staff will follow up with commissioners on outstanding openings.

Ending: The budget and project ordinances align funds for broadband, digital literacy, and wastewater infrastructure projects; appointments filled multiple advisory and statutory board vacancies and maintain county governance functions.