Harnett County commissioners approve tax settlement, water contract and zoning text amendment; deny one zoning change

The Harnett County Board of Commissioners on July 21 approved the county's fiscal year 2024 tax collection settlement, charged the tax administrator with collecting real, personal and public service company taxes for the 2025'26 levy year and the collection of delinquent taxes from 2015 through 2025. The board also approved a $959,700 contract with McKim & Creed to assist Harnett Regional Water with Lead and Copper Rule compliance work, approved a budget amendment reducing the 1-inch commercial water tap fee and system development fee to $2,200 and $3,000 respectively, and approved a zoning text amendment while denying one zoning map change following a public hearing.

The actions update routine county fiscal and administrative matters and move forward water-system compliance work and local planning changes. County officials said the approvals implement previously discussed items and correct a technical error in the budget ordinance's special fire district tax levy section.

At the start of the meeting, the board approved meeting minutes from July 7 and July 15, 2025, and accepted the tax collection settlement for fiscal year 2024. The board formally charged the tax administrator with collection responsibilities for the 2025'26 levy year and with collecting delinquent taxes from 2015 through 2025; no vote tallies or individual votes were recorded in the meeting transcript.

The tax administrator also requested approval of an updated interlocal agreement with the Town of Broadway to add language about collection of a fire tax on behalf of the town for the entity identified in the record as the "Cape Fear bridal fire department." The board approved a technical correction in the budget ordinance's special fire district tax levy section to change the district listed as "Erwin" to "Duke," per a resolution adopted May 16, 2011.

Harnett Regional Water asked the board to approve a contract totaling $959,700 with engineering firm McKim & Creed for assistance with Lead and Copper Rule compliance programs; the board approved that contract. Harnett Regional Water also requested and the board approved an amendment to the budget ordinance to reduce the 1-inch commercial water tap fee to $2,200 and the system development fee to $3,000, for a combined fee of $5,200 for 1-inch service.

On appointments and advisory boards, the board confirmed a consensus recorded at the July 15 work session to appoint Commissioner Brooks Matthews to a one-year term on the Central Carolina Community College board of trustees from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and to appoint Genia Morris to a three-year term from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The board also reappointed Carl H. Johnson as the at-large Soil and Water representative and Lemuel Black as the District 2 Soil and Water representative; Sharon Booker and Derek Williams were appointed to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.

The board opened public comment; one citizen provided remarks. The board then held a public hearing on zoning map change Case Plan2506-0001; four individuals spoke during that hearing. The board denied that zoning request. A separate public hearing on a text amendment, Case Plan2506-0002, drew no public remarks and was approved.

During the county manager's report the board approved budget amendments. The board also approved a motion authorizing the chairman to sign contract amendments that exceed the county manager's signature threshold. The meeting record shows there was no new business and no closed session.

The board announced upcoming meetings: a work session on July 29 at 9 a.m. and the next board meeting on Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. The meeting recorder advised viewers to visit the county website for the full meeting recording and for additional updates.