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Broadband nonprofit asks Bertie County to OK $25M tax‑exempt bond plan in principle
Summary
Encore Connects asked the Bertie County Board of Commissioners to approve in principle the issuance of up to $25,000,000 in tax‑exempt bonds to finance broadband expansion to roughly 3,000 additional service locations; the company’s attorney said the county would bear no repayment liability and asked for a timely decision to meet the company’s financing calendar.
Encore Connects, a nonprofit formed to expand broadband in northeastern North Carolina, asked the Bertie County Board of Commissioners on April 6 for an approval in principle that would allow tax‑exempt bonds to be issued and loaned to the company.
"The issuance here would finance up to 25,000,000 in debt that would be Encore's responsibility to repay," said Ephonar Cruz, attorney for Encore Connects. He told the board the bonds would be issued by the Public Finance Authority of Wisconsin and that, under the documents presented, "the county would not have any liability for this repayment of this debt." Cruz said the financing is time‑sensitive and the company hopes to close by the end of the month.
Commissioners asked for time to review the documents and to consult the county attorney. One commissioner urged staff to contact the state and other counties to confirm the structure. Cruz said Halifax County had approved a similar request that morning and that Encore planned hearings in neighboring counties in the coming days.
Commissioners pressed for specifics about service reach and customer impact. A resident, Jerry Towne, asked, "How many households will not be served by this deal?" and said he had seen local infrastructure installed that did not serve all nearby properties. Cruz and his team said approximately 3,000 additional service locations would be reached by the expansion but that details about precise household eligibility and billing line items depend on final network design and program agreements.
The board did not vote on final approval that evening. Commissioners said they would need time to read the proposed resolution, consult with counsel about local fiscal and legal implications, and could either conduct a special meeting or schedule a vote after additional review. Cruz offered to make further information available to help address commissioners’ questions.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 437; topfinish SEG 666
