Commissioners overturn Juvenile Crime Prevention Council funding decision, ask council to revisit allocations

The Lee County Board of Commissioners on July 21 voted to overturn a funding decision by the Lee County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) and directed the JCPC to revisit its funding allocations for fiscal year 2025–26.

Nicholas Roner, chair of the JCPC, presented the council’s funding plan and explained the committee’s review and appeal process. He said the JCPC had allocated state Department of Public Safety grant funds to local programs, including $5,084 for JCPC administration, $107,000 for a teen-court program run by Scotts for Youth, and $93,000 for Project Challenge (a nonprofit). The council did not fund a proposal from Lee County Schools’ High School Seminar at Bragg Street Academy; the school’s superintendent, Dr. Shannon Shuey, had appealed that decision.

Roner described the appeal and the JCPC’s internal review. “The funding committee determined that no such violations occurred… the council voted to take no action on the appeal and uphold the original funding decision,” he said. He asked the commissioners to consider whether to uphold or overturn the JCPC’s decision and to authorize county signatures required by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety if the plan is approved.

Commissioner Martin moved to overturn the JCPC’s decision, asked the council to revisit the budget to include all three parties (including Bragg Street Academy) and to shift to a one-year funding cycle rather than two. Commissioners discussed program costs, the recent need for programs to pay rent after being displaced from the juvenile justice center, and that some program budgets include paid staff positions. Roner noted that Project Challenge and Teen Court have identified new office-space rent needs and that rent was about $1,200 per month, which affected funding allocations.

The board voted to overturn the JCPC decision and requested the JCPC reconvene to revise its funding recommendation and to consider a one-year contract cycle; commissioners asked staff to place the matter on the August 4 special meeting agenda if possible, or otherwise the next regular meeting, to meet state timing requirements.

Staff noted the appeal timeline had passed the June 30 deadline owing to the appeal process and recommended a special meeting addition; the board directed staff to work with the JCPC to resolve timing and to return recommended allocations for commissioner consideration.