FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The following is a summary of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting held at 9 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2026, in Room 118 the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. Agendas and supporting materials are available at cumberlandconc.portal.civicclerk.com.
Chairman Kirk deViere acknowledged the birthdays of Commissioner Marshall Faircloth and Deputy Clerk to the Board Iva Clark.
Commissioner Marshall Faircloth led the Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance.
RECOGNITION
A. Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
The Board recognized the Budget and Performance Department for receiving the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for Fiscal Year 2026.
The award recognizes excellence in governmental budgeting and reflects the County’s commitment to transparency, accountability and best practices in financial management. To earn the distinction, the County’s budget document met nationally recognized standards for effective budget presentation and was rated “proficient” in all required categories, including:
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Policy document
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Financial plan
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Operations guide
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Communications device
The budget also met all mandatory criteria within each category.
Assistant County Manager and Chief Budget and Performance Director Deborah Shaw accepted the award on behalf of the department, joined by Deputy Budget and Performance Director Gathany Smith, Senior Budget and Management Analysts Denise Urban and Ashley Brewington, and Budget Specialist Kaitlyn Dobson.
B. Government Finance Officers Association Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded Cumberland County the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
The report was evaluated by an impartial panel and found to meet the program’s high standards, including demonstrating a constructive spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate the County’s financial information and encourage use by a broad audience. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting and represents a significant accomplishment by the County and its financial leadership.
Chief Financial Officer and Finance Director Robin Koonce accepted the award on behalf of the Finance Department, along with Finance Manager Jessica Hullender, Financial Accountants Mary Felts, Liz Cherry, and Ray Manuel and Risk Manager Steve Rogers.
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The Board unanimously approved the agenda with the following changes:
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Addition of 6A, an Appointment to fill a vacant Commissioner seat on the Alliance Health Board of Directors.
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Addition of Economic Development to the Closed Session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(4).
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Addition of Personnel Matters to the Closed Session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(6).
2. CONSENT AGENDA
The Board unanimously approved the following consent items unless otherwise noted:
A. Approval of Dec. 1, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes
B. Approval of Budget Ordinance Amendment for the Jan. 5 Board of Commissioners Agenda
3. PUBLIC HEARING
A. Community Development Revised Program Year 2024 Draft Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)
Chief of Staff and Interim Community Development Director Tye Vaught presented the draft Program Year (PY) 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).
The draft CAPER is available for public review and comment from Dec. 23, 2025, through Jan. 7, 2026. Copies have also been distributed at locations throughout the County. The final CAPER will be available at the Community Development Office, the Clerk to the Board of Commissioners Office, and on the County’s website, cumberlandcountync.gov.
The PY 2024 CAPER outlines program accomplishments and evaluates Community Development’s progress toward meeting the goals and objectives established in the Annual Action Plan for the period July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
The CAPER serves three primary purposes:
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Provides the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with information needed to assess the County’s compliance with federal community development program requirements;
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Supplies data required for HUD’s statutorily mandated Annual Report to Congress; and
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Offers an opportunity for the County to share progress with residents on revitalizing communities and achieving Consolidated Plan objectives.
No action was taken.
4. ITEMS OF BUSINESS
There were no Items of Business for this meeting.
5. NOMINATIONS
There were no nominations for this meeting.
6. APPOINTMENTS
This appointment was added by unanimous vote.
A. Alliance Health Board of Directors
Cumberland County currently has three seats on the Alliance Health Board of Directors. Vice Chairwoman Veronica Jones and Assistant County Manager Heather Skeens currently serve on the board.
The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Commissioner Glenn Adams to fill the vacant seat.
7. CLOSED SESSION
The Board entered Closed Session to discuss:
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Attorney-Client Matter Pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(3).
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Economic Development Pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(4). This item was added by unanimous vote.
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Personnel Matter Pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(6). This item was added y unanimous vote.
Following the closed session, the Board voted unanimously to approve Form 26A, authorizing a $107,730 settlement and directing that the settlement be submitted to the North Carolina Industrial Commission for approval in the case of Danny Britton v. Cumberland County (Claim No. 4A24107YHBB-0001).
The meeting adjourned at 10:58 a.m.
The next Board of Commissioners will be held on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. in Room 564 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.
Board meetings and agenda sessions are livestreamed on the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov, on the County’s YouTube channel and on CCNCTV Spectrum Channel 5. Meeting documents are available on the County website.
For more information about Cumberland County Government, visit cumberlandcountync.gov, download the MyCCNCGov app or follow CCNCGOV on social media.