Greene County Commissioners Approved School Budget Ordinance, Nominated Jones to NCGTP Economic Development Region Board

Jones didn’t wait for someone else to second the motion—he handled that part himself before the unanimous vote.

The Greene County Board of Commissioners approved a budget ordinance for the planned Greene County Elementary School, nominated Vice-Chairman Jerry Jones to the North Carolina Global Transpark Economic Development Region Council, and agreed to a sponsorship for the Snow Hill Tennis and Golf Tournament when the board met at the Greene County Operations Center in Snow Hill on Monday, August 3, 2026.

Consent Agenda

The board approved its consent agenda without changes. Included in that agenda were four late applications for property tax relief. Under state law, N.C.G.S. 105-282.1(a1), the tax assessor does not have authority to approve a late application for the Elderly or Disabled Exclusion, Disabled Veteran Exclusion, or Present Use Value Deferment; the statute allows such applications to be approved by the Board of Commissioners upon a showing of good cause, with approval applying only to the current tax year and not retroactively.

Tax Administrator Stephanie Wiggins had recommended the board consider the requests, noting the applicants and parcels met eligibility requirements. One applicant sought an Elderly or Disabled Exclusion, citing the death of her husband as the reason for filing late. A second sought a Disabled Veteran Exclusion after a parcel was transferred into a living trust earlier in the year, requiring the application to be refiled. Two other applicants sought Present Use Value classification, both citing delays from the county's Mapping Department and Tax Office in generating parcel data ahead of the June deadline.

Also approved as part of the consent agenda were the 07/20/26 regular meeting minutes, and three vehicle tax refunds tied to vehicles sold during the year, covering the 2025 tax year. The refunds, which included prorated tax and fire district amounts plus interest where applicable, totaled $16.08, $73.55, and $38.80.

NC Global TransPark Board Appointment

County Manager Kyle DeHaven told the board that the North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region had asked the county to nominate a representative to its Board of Directors for a new three-year term, since Chairman Bennie Heath's current term in that role, in which he has served as Vice-Chair, was set to expire in October. According to a memo in the agenda packet from Trey Cash, the regional organization's Chief Operating Officer, Section 5.03 of the organization's bylaws gives Greene County the right to nominate an individual to the board, with the nominee then subject to approval by a majority vote of the full regional board.

Commissioner Ray Johnson nominated Jones for the seat, and Jones seconded his own nomination. The board voted unanimously to put Jones forward as the county's nominee.

Snow Hill Tennis and Golf Tournament Sponsorship

DeHaven brought forward a sponsorship request from the Lenoir Community College Foundation for the 44th Annual Snow Hill Tennis and Golf Tournament, noting the county had sponsored the event at different levels in past years, including bronze and silver tiers. Commissioners recalled that the county had given at the $300 bronze level the previous year.

Vice-Chairman Jerry Jones moved to sponsor at the silver level this year. Commissioner Ray Johnson said he preferred the bronze level because the money would stay in the county, but seconded Jones's motion for silver after further discussion among commissioners about the tournament's sponsorship levels. The board then voted unanimously to sponsor the tournament at the silver level.

According to the sponsorship letter included in the agenda packet, from LCC Foundation Executive Director Jeanne Kennedy and Development Coordinator Katherine Pearson, the tournament runs from August 21 through August 30. It opens with a USTA Singles Tennis Tournament from August 21 to 23, followed by pickleball tournaments on August 25, with women's doubles at 1 p.m., men's doubles at 3 p.m., and mixed doubles at 5 p.m., along with a sponsor's appreciation social that evening.

Golf follows on August 27 at Cutter Creek Golf Club, and the event concludes with the USTA Doubles Tennis Tournament from August 28 to 30 at Greene Ridge Racquet Club, along with a raffle on the night of August 29. The letter stated the tournament has raised more than $270,000 over the years for Greene County students' college education, and that the LCC Foundation awarded more than $530,000 in scholarships to students from eastern North Carolina during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Commissioner Bobby Taylor has been a longtime advocate for the tournament, which is held each year at Greene Ridge Racquet Club, a facility Taylor owns. The board has sponsored the event for years, dating back to well before Taylor was elected to the board. At the county's June 29, 2026, meeting, Taylor told the board that every dollar raised through the tournament is restricted to funding Greene County students who attend LCC and stays within the county, and that the fund had grown to more than a quarter million dollars, built up through average annual proceeds of roughly $30,000 over the previous five years, which he credited to strong local business sponsorship and community support.

Capital Project Budget Ordinance for Greene County Elementary School

DeHaven next presented a Capital Project Budget Ordinance for the planning and future construction of Greene County Elementary School. He described it as a multi-year ordinance that establishes the county's authority to pay invoices as they come in for the project. The $42 million tied to the ordinance comes from a Needs-Based School Capital Fund grant through the state lottery commission, written by Dr. Rodney McNeil.

According to the grant application included in the agenda packet, dated September 12, 2025, the $42 million request was broken down into roughly $2.1 million for planning, $35.3 million for construction, and $4.6 million in other project costs, with no local matching funds required. DeHaven said the county had discussed additional funding for an expanded version of the project, and that if those funds were awarded, a budget amendment would be added later. For now, he said, the ordinance was needed so the county could begin paying invoices already coming in for the project. Jones moved to approve the ordinance, and the board voted unanimously to adopt it.

County Attorney's Comments

County Attorney Kevin MacQueen used his time on the agenda to recognize staff in the county's child support office, part of the Department of Social Services, praising their work and experience and saying working with them was one of the personal joys of his job. He noted that the department's director, Amanda Smith, had something planned later in the week to honor them.

Closed Session

Based on time markers in the meeting recording, the board spent about eight minutes in open session, covering the agenda items above, before voting to enter closed session for attorney-client privilege, pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(3).

The board remained in closed session for approximately one hour and 49 minutes. It then voted to come out of closed session and return to regular session, and adjourned within moments of reconvening.