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Commissioners approve $116,000 for Lake Gaston weed treatment, attorney urges regional/legislative framework
Summary
Halifax County approved a $116,000 grant to the Lake Gaston Weed Control Council for hydrilla/weed treatment. The county attorney warned that long‑term authority for lake‑wide treatments requires interlocal agreements or state authorization and recommended pursuing legislative or DEQ action to avoid yearly ad hoc appropriations.
The Halifax County Board of Commissioners voted to provide $116,000 to the Lake Gaston Weed Control Council to support treatment of invasive aquatic vegetation.
A motion to make county funding available drew support from commissioners who cited the urgency of treating hydrilla and protecting recreational and waterfront property uses. One commissioner noted that several other North Carolina counties and Virginia jurisdictions are providing similar support for Lake Gaston mitigation efforts.
County Attorney Glenn Rollins cautioned the board that while the immediate appropriation could be made, a recurring or county‑led treatment program spanning multiple counties and states would be better established through an interlocal agreement or state authorization; he said the county’s current authority to spend property‑tax dollars on treatments that occur across jurisdictions is legally brittle without a wider agreement or explicit DEQ authorization. “There’s a reason the law is the way it is,” he said, urging legislative engagement and a coordinated approach with the lake’s other counties.
Despite the caveats, the motion carried by voice vote and the board directed staff to work with the county attorney and the legislative delegation to pursue a more durable regional framework.
The appropriation was recorded as a one‑time grant to the Lake Gaston Council at the meeting.
