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Commissioners approve budget amendments, America250 appropriation; county announces broadband grant and park ribbon cutting
Summary
Commissioners approved budget amendments May 5 to record emergency-response reimbursement grants and a $15,000 America250 project budget (including a $10,000 state grant and $5,000 county match) and received announcements on broadband funding and a park ribbon cutting.
The Alexander County Board of Commissioners voted May 5 to approve two budget ordinance amendments and a project budget ordinance for the county's America250 North Carolina commemoration.
County Attorney/Finance staff summarized Budget Ordinance No. 35, which increases budgets in the General Fund and Solid Waste Fund to reflect a North Carolina Emergency Management deployment grant for reimbursements related to hurricane responses and budgets $8,325 in FEMA grant funds transferred to the Solid Waste Fund to cover grinding storm debris from Hurricane Helene. Ordinance No. 35 also budgets a $5,000 General Fund transfer to an America250 project to supplement a $10,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Budget Ordinance No. 36 amends the opioid settlement fund to record a $125,000 book-entry adjustment required by Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 96 related to subscription-based IT arrangements; the county attorney said the entry is for financial-statement presentation only and will not change the general fund balance or require additional opioid-fund spending.
The America250 project budget ordinance establishes a $15,000 multiyear budget for Alexander County's commemoration of the U.S. Declaration of Independence; $10,000 is grant funding from the state and $5,000 is the county contribution. County staff said these funds are intended to support a fireworks show scheduled as close as possible to July 4, 2026.
The board approved the two budget amendments and the project ordinance by motion and recorded unanimous approval.
In announcements, county staff said the North Carolina Department of Information Technology awarded a broadband grant to Yadkin Valley Telephone Membership Corporation (referred to in the presentation as ZERUS) of $3,305,768 to provide high-speed internet to 394 homes and businesses in Alexander County (about 14.78% of eligible unserved/underserved locations). Staff said the grant is a state-to-contractor award with no county match or procurement obligations, and encouraged citizens who believe they remain unserved or underserved to contact NCDIT's CAB program.
Staff also reminded commissioners and the public of a ribbon cutting and park-opening ceremony for Bethlehem Park scheduled for May 9 at 10 a.m.; Bethlehem Park improvements include a new restroom/concession building, pickleball courts, upgraded playground, half-court basketball, new LED lighting and other amenities.
