Union County commissioners set traveling town‑hall topics, keep LDR changes for dedicated workshop

The Union County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 6 agreed to take a targeted approach to upcoming traveling town‑hall meetings, saying the sessions should focus on three core topics — special assessments, a proposed fuel tax and impact fees — while leaving proposed land‑development regulation (LDR) amendments for a separate, dedicated workshop with planning staff present.

The board spent an extended portion of its regular meeting debating the format and purpose of the outreach, with Mr. Williams introducing the plan for district meetings and commissioners voicing differing views on whether individual commissioners should host district‑level forums or the full board should travel together. Commissioner McNeil said the goal should be to “be the ears” for constituents and bring collected feedback back to the board; other members warned against holding multiple duplicative meetings that could delay decision making.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the outreach is intended to increase transparency around potential fee increases and provide facts and data to residents. Several members stressed that citizens should be presented with hard numbers and supporting data in advance. Scott and Sondra from planning/staff were requested to attend the separate LDR workshop to answer technical questions.

How it will work: Commissioners settled on special assessments, fuel tax and impact fees as the topics for the traveling meetings. They agreed that LDR items — including accessory dwelling units and RV/ travel‑trailer occupancy rules — should be reviewed at a separate, advertised meeting that staff and planning council representatives can attend. Dates were discussed and staff will finalize logistics and advertised notices.

Quotes: Commissioner McNeil urged the board to narrow the scope and present clear data to the public, saying the intention was “to give them all the information” before taking questions. Commissioner Jackson proposed building an FAQ and a webpage with backing data so residents can see the information the board is using.