FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners met Monday morning in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse to reorganize for the coming year, selecting a new chair and vice chair.
Commissioners selected Glenn Adams as chairman and Dr. Toni Stewart as vice chairwoman for the coming year.
Prior to the reorganization, former Chairwoman Stewart reflected on her and the Board’s accomplishments from the past year. Among those she thanked were her fellow Commissioners, the County Manager, department heads and County employees. She also thanked the County’s strategic partners, legislative delegation, and the county’s citizens for their engagement and participation.
“I want to thank my fellow Commissioners for appointment me to the position of Chairwoman for the past year and for working together in collaboration as we have sought to provide leadership and direction to move Cumberland County forward,” she said. “I have truly enjoyed representing Cumberland County in this capacity and witnessing first-hand so many of the things that make our County great.”
She noted the progress made during the past year on priorities like the Homeless Support Center, addressing mental health and using the County’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to support the community, and said she would continue to champion these priorities as a commissioner.
Following his selection as Chairman, Adams presented a plaque to Stewart for her services as chairwoman. He then laid out some of his priorities for the coming year and said in many areas, he wants to continue the work that is already underway. Priorities included moving forward on capital projects including the Crown Event Center, Homeless Support Center and General Government Services Building; continuing to allocate the County’s Opioid Settlement funds to provide programming to address the opioid crisis; continuing to prioritize employee compensation and opening a childcare center for County employees; and addressing mental health needs in the community.
He also mentioned other initiatives including training barbers and hairstylists to have Healthy Conversations with their clients and opening Café West at West Regional Library to provide job experience for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; preparing for the 2025 property revaluation; implementing Medicaid expansion; continuing to push for economic development and addressing school capital needs.
“It takes all of us working together to be able to push this county forward,” Adams said. “There is a lot of work to be done, but I know that everybody’s up to the task.”
Commissioners also approved a brief consent agenda that included the approval of public official bonds.
The Board went into Closed Session to discuss Personnel Matter(s) pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(6).
Following the Closed Session, the Board voted unanimously to raise the County Manager’s salary by 5 % immediately and by another 5 % in July 2024 to coincide with the start of the next fiscal year.
Meetings are streamed live on CCNC-TV though the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov, YouTube Channel and on CCNCTV Spectrum Channel 5. They are also archived on the County’s YouTube Channel following the meeting. All associated documents to this meeting can be found on the Cumberland County website to include meeting agendas, minutes and links to the videos under the Board of Commissioners tab.
You can also follow the Cumberland County on social media by searching CumberlandCountyNC.