CARTHAGE – Following a surplus of sales tax dollars from last fiscal year, the Moore County Board of Commissioners has found a way to offer a bit more support to local teachers.
At the board’s Sept. 5 regular business meeting, the commissioners approved a one-time allocation of $40,000 to Moore County Schools to be distributed to K-3 teachers to assist with out-of-pocket supply costs.
“In our elementary level, there’s certainly more print material, more materials that many times teachers take on on their own to make their classrooms very welcoming,” said MCS superintendent Tim Locklair. “We certainly appreciate the commissioners considering this.”
The funding for the allocation comes as a result of a strong surplus in sales tax dollars that the county received from the prior fiscal year, especially helped along by the U.S. Open in Pinehurst back in June.
“The chairman brought this up as a result of the great performance of sales tax around Moore County for fiscal year ‘24,” said County Manager Wayne Vest. “We finished the year at $29.975 million compared to having budgeted for $26.5 million.”
Chairman Nick Picerno originally pitched the idea to his fellow commissioners a few weeks ago and county and school staff quickly got to work to figure out a mechanism to get the funding into the hands of the teachers.
“I think it’s a good thing in this inflationary time that we help our teachers,” Picerno said.
The board also held a public hearing for updates to the Unified Development Ordinance.
The proposed change was to incorporate indoor recreation as a by-right use in the industrial zoning district, which had already allowed high-impact outdoor recreation and assembly halls as a by-right use.
The request arose due to the applicant wishing to start a high-level gymnastics training facility on a 2.6-acre parcel located at 120 Knox Ln which is currently zoned industrial.
Following the hearing, the board approved the request.
The board also approved a special use permit for the Unity Grove Baptist Church located at 849 Mount Carmel Rd in order to construct a fellowship hall expansion and a five-year, $511,000 contract with NeoGov for the procurement of a new human resources management platform.
“This option saves the taxpayers over $100,000,” Picerno said.
In addition, the board will hold a public hearing at their Sept. 17 meeting to discuss the expansion of county animal operations.
“At the work session, a lot of misconceptions were pointed out,” Picerno said. “So we wanted to have a public hearing so we can have the public have input.”
The Moore County Board of Commissioners will next meet Sept. 17.
