Due to the recent Labor Day holiday delaying last week’s Richmond County Commission meeting, both the RCC and the Rockingham City Council will meet on the same night.

With only an hour seperating the decision-makers of Richmond County’s two largest governing bodies, local leaders will have plenty to discuss throughout Tuesday evening.

BOE seeks nearly two-thirds salary increase

Nestled in the consent agenda of Tuesday’s Richmond County Commission meeting is a funding request from the Richmond County School District requesting a $100 increase per board member per meeting with a $125 increase for the school board chairman. Current board members receive $325 per meeting while the chairperson receives $350. If approved, then board members would receive $425 per month while the chairperson would receive $450 with the salary increase going into effect in September. That figure would increase by another $100 September of 2025.

In a statement to Richmond County Commissi0n Chairman Jeff Smart, Board of Education Chairman Cory Satterfield said the increase in salary is appropriate considering the salary structure has not changed since 2023.

“While Board of Education members choose service as a civic duty, the nominal monthly compensation they receive helps to offset the cost in time and resources required for Board service. The current compensation ($350 per month for the Board Chairperson and $325 per month for the remainder of the Board) has been the same for at least twenty-three years, with no adjustments for inflation or any other factors. After carefully reviewing the matter, in its meeting on August 13 the Board voted to approve this request: that the Richmond County Board of Commissioners approve a modest increase pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-38 of an additional $100/month increase this year and another $100 increase the following year,” Satterfield stated in a letter to Chairman Smart.

”Project Rising Sun” seeks state grant

On a more secretive note, Richmond County Director of Economic Delopment Martie Butler will request the county apply for the Rural Reuse Grant, facilitated by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. If approved, the county will submit an application for the grant and agree no less than 5 percent of the funds will go to an undisclosed Rural Building Reuse Project – Code named: “Project Rising Sun.”

One indicator of the project’s intention may be the sourse of the grant – the One North Carolina Fund or OneNC. According to the Department of Commerce website, OneNC is a discretionary cash-grant program that allows the Governor to respond quickly to competitive job-creation projects. The North Carolina Department of Commerce administers OneNC on behalf of the Governor. Awards are based on: number of jobs created, level of investment, location of the project, economic impact of the project and importance of the project to the state and region.

Last month, NASCAR officials announced the return of NASCAR to the Rockingham Speedway Easter weekend of 2025, when the Xfinity Series and the Craftsman Truck Series come to town. During a press conference later that day, in order to host its first NASCAR race since 2012, Track Enterprises Race Promoter Bob Sargent said Rockingham Speedway will need mostly cosmetic improvements in order to be ready before next Easter.

“I don’t think anything major needs to be done yet. The smaller details when a facility sits for a while … All of the amenities for concessions, scoreboard, things you think are naturally ready to go for a venue, when they sit for a while they need upgrades, painting and things like that. The carpet is ripped out of the suites. The scoring tower (needs) new wires ran, things of that nature that deteriorate over years,” Sargent said.

Another potential project may also be renovation of the old Pee Dee Electric building, which county commissioners approved renovating as part of a $5.5 million plan to relocate the GIS department, inspections, planning, zoning, information technology, building maintenance and board of elections.

Rockingham to accept $12 million grant for wastewater facility

After announcing plans for a $13 million complete overhaul of the Rockingham wastewater facility last summer, the Rockingham City Council will voter whether to approve its primary funding mechanism Tuesday night.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the council will vote whether to formally approve an 2023 appropriation from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. While speaking to the council in July Crump said the project will revamp of Rockingham’s current operations. Along with replacing the inner workings of Rockingham’s wastewater treatment facility, the project will also install generators capable of powering the facility for more than 24 hours, which will prevent the treated water discharging into the Pee Dee River from backing up in the event of a power failure.

“We’re using Davis & Floyd, who designed the original water plant back in 1937 or 38. They have done a lot of work for us, and are very familiar with our system and our facilities. They are specialists in this. We have a high degree of confidence moving forward. Right now, the schedule we looked at has a completion by February of 2027,” Crump said. “… The fact you have the same engineers that did [the wastewater facility in 1989]. The same manager, the same wastewater treatment client ready to sit down in a room and talk about what we did wrong the last time and correct it this time – it’s unique to have that.”