Pender County commissioners approve memorandum to begin EMS-fire merger; town halls scheduled

The Pender County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that starts a formal process to merge Pender EMS and multiple local fire departments into county-run emergency services, with a target merger date of July 1, 2026.

County Manager Miss Fulton described the MOU as "a formal, but not a legally binding agreement that outlines our intentions to collaborate on a shared goal." The document, she said, lays out an interim operations period, the projected merger date, task lists and responsibilities for transferring assets and addressing employee benefits and volunteer continuity.

The vote followed extensive public comment and questions from commissioners about costs, staffing and community input. Dozens of residents called for town halls and full financial details before the board moved forward. Several speakers urged the commission to delay the action and hold wider public meetings; Rochelle Whiteside warned the move could "raise our taxes to pay for new buildings and equipment" and described community distrust. Frankie Saunders said the pace of the takeover had prompted departures from Pender emergency services and questioned transparency.

Fulton said the MOU was requested by the affected departments and by outside consultants to provide "good faith assurances" while staff completes a long task list: updating leases and titles, inventorying apparatus, confirming benefits enrollment, completing actuarial work for a defined‑benefit plan and finishing IT, fleet and facility transfers. She said staff is working with NC Fire Chief Consulting and insurance and benefits brokers and that town halls will be scheduled in each county commissioner district beginning Sept. 30; additional meetings are planned at H.B. Sugg (Heidi Trask) High School in Rocky Point, Penderlea Auditorium, Surf City Town Hall and the Hampstead Annex.

Several commissioners pushed staff for clearer cost estimates before finalizing the legally binding merger agreement. Fulton and county finance staff said preliminary cost modeling exists but that several inputs remain uncertain — notably the number of employees who will enroll in particular health and ancillary insurance plans and final actuarial figures for legacy defined‑benefit obligations. Fulton said staff will work to produce more complete budget numbers during the task‑list work and in time for additional public meetings and the final merger agreement.

Commissioners emphasized that the MOU does not itself change operations; departments will continue providing services during the transition. Commissioner concerns focused on potential tax impacts, salary competitiveness with neighboring counties, preserving volunteer departments’ community roles and the effect of staff departures on response capacity. The board discussed conducting another salary comparison and revisiting funding options in the spring budget cycle before executing a binding agreement.

Action: The board approved the MOU 4-1 (motion and second on the record; vote recorded as 4 in favor, 1 opposed). Staff will proceed with the task lists, schedule the district town halls and return with a final, legally binding merger agreement and more precise cost estimates.

The commissioners directed staff to continue outreach with affected volunteer departments to explore models that preserve volunteer roles and community autonomy where feasible. Fulton said many post‑merger items will still require action after the July 1, 2026, transition date and urged patience during the multi‑step implementation.