Bladen County swears in new manager; commissioners approve housing LOI, tax adjustments and vendor change

Bladen County commissioners on Sept. 8 formally swore in Samuel B. Croom as the county’s new manager and took a series of administrative votes, including approving a letter of intent tied to White Lake housing funds, accepting a donated structure for relocation to county property, approving tax write-off and collection actions for past years, and authorizing a new water-billing vendor.

Samuel B. Croom, introduced by the board as the new county manager, took the oath of office during the meeting. “I am Sam Croom. I’m originally from Lenoir County. I am so thankful that the four commissioners had entrusted me this opportunity to come to Bladen County to serve as next county manager,” Croom said. “I’m excited for the work that’s ahead of us, and I’m just looking forward to the great things that we can accomplish by working together as a team here with the county commissioners, with county staff, and also with community leaders. … My door is always open.”

The board then moved through consent and regular business. Commissioners voted to approve a letter of intent related to the White Lake Housing Project; meeting discussion described the LOI as part of an existing $15,000,000 allocation for White Lake that cannot yet be spent and said the LOI approval is needed so the county can request an extension. The amount tied to the LOI was discussed in the meeting as “4,000” in the transcript; the meeting record did not specify currency units or whether that figure represented $4,000, $4,000,000, or another unit, so the precise approved amount is not specified.

Commissioners voted to accept a donated structure for relocation to county-owned property at 5853 U.S. Highway 701 North. Board members discussed locating the structure to avoid conflicts with water and sewer lines on parts of the property; staff said they would locate utility lines and confirm the final placement before relocation.

On tax matters, the board approved an annual settlement and unpaid-tax report that covers tax years 2015 through 2024. County staff said state statute requires removing uncollectible 2015 personal-property balances from the county’s accounts; commissioners asked staff to pursue additional collection efforts for personal property where feasible. The board also adopted a 2025 collection charge (described in the meeting as “the 25 charge to collect”); the transcript did not specify the exact charge rate or statutory citation in the record.

The board considered water‑department business and approved switching to a different outsourcing/billing company after the county’s previous contractor ceased operations. Water-department staff said the new provider’s proposal was “considerably cheaper” than the one the county had engaged when the prior vendor went out of business, and commissioners approved the change.

The board tabled several appointments: the local emergency planning committee (LEPC) appointment for a firefighter and a workforce board appointment were both tabled for later consideration. Commissioners scheduled a planning session for Sept. 15 at 8 a.m. in the commissioners’ room to include only the commissioners and the county manager.

During public comment, a resident identified as Joshua raised concerns about the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC), saying several JCPC members had resigned or planned to resign amid internal disputes and alleged misuse of funds on relatively minor spending decisions. Joshua said he did not believe the allegations rose to criminal fraud and named John Davis and Dr. Duncan as people he believed were aware of or involved in addressing the situation. Commissioners said they would follow up and obtain materials from staff and outside reviewers to determine next steps.

Near the end of the meeting, commissioners announced they would go into closed session under statutory authority cited in the meeting as N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143‑318.11(a)(3) (attorney‑client privilege) and § 143‑318.11(a)(8) (personnel/other specified subject); the board moved into closed session after the announcement.

Votes at a glance - Motion to move consent items with removal of item 4(c) to 1(c): moved by Rick Stecker, seconded by another commissioner; outcome: approved (voice vote recorded as aye). - Consideration/approval of a letter of intent related to the White Lake Housing Project tied to an existing $15,000,000 allocation: motion and second recorded; outcome: approved. Precise LOI amount stated in the discussion as “4,000” (units not specified in the transcript). - Approval to accept a donated structure for relocation to county property at 5853 U.S. Highway 701 North: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. - Approval of annual settlement and unpaid-tax report covering 2015–2024: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. Staff noted statute requires writing off remaining 2015 personal-property balances. - Adoption of a 2025 collection charge for tax collection: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. - Authorization to change water-billing/outsourcing vendor after prior vendor went out of business: motion made and seconded; outcome: approved. - Tabled appointments: LEPC firefighter appointment and workforce board appointment: motions to table; outcome: tabled.

What happened next/what’s next The board planned a brief reception after the swearing-in to introduce Mr. Croom to attendees and scheduled follow-up on JCPC concerns and specific utility‑line checks before the donated structure is relocated. Commissioners asked staff to prepare any necessary documentation to support collection efforts and to forward Department of Transportation correspondence about removed river signs to relevant parties.

(Reporting from the Bladen County Board of Commissioners meeting. Details presented are limited to statements made during the meeting and to motions recorded in the meeting transcript.)