Sanford talks green plan, debates fees, and Senator Burgin talks budget and bills

On March 30, the second day of the Sanford City Council’s retreat, Director of Engineering Jason Bertoncino led a discussion on the Sanford Central Green concept.

In 2022, the council reviewed the concept of connectivity from city hall to downtown, as seen in the video here.

The concept has now been updated to show more green spaces.

The purpose of Sanford Central Green is to engage with East Sanford, activate under-utilized spaces and bring the community together.

Thus far, the city has removed five flood-prone residential structures, demolished the King Roofing building and installed Pilgrim’s Sanford Agricultural Marketplace and the Weatherspoon Pedestrian connection.

The city hall park and greenway concept has about $13,019,231 in commitment funds.

The city purchased 10 parcels, totaling 9.51 acres, via the general fund at $901,500. FEMA provided $98,500, and the flood-prone properties are now city property.

The stream restoration is dependent on location and grade and is considered the cornerstone project, according to Bertoncino. They need a multipurpose path near the stream and need to improve the floodplain in that area. “It’s probably a twelve-month project.”

“Downtown is a measure of the whole town,” Assistant City Manager Victor Czar said.

The engineering background work is ready, but the city will hire a consultant group to survey public input prior to finalization.

Mayor Pro-Tem Byron Buckels said he was concerned about parking.

Czar said the consulting group would weigh public envisioning with feasibility, so they did not place a parking lot in an activity area.

Member Charles Taylor said to consider how Pullen Park in Raleigh transformed an at-risk area.

How to incorporate the Singer Building at 157 Charlotte Ave. is a challenge because of the railroad right of way, the floodplain and foot traffic.

“I think it [Singer Building] has a higher use if the stream is moved,” Czar said.

The city is still searching for money to fund the stream restoration, and that project needs to happen first.

Member Linda Rhodes said the idea of having kids play in the stream, which Czar mentioned was occurring now and that they planned to make the stream an amenity, set off her alarms.

Between presentations, the board celebrated Town Manager Hal Hegwer’s birthday. He grew up in Scotland County, moved to Charlotte, was in the area surveying and chose Sanford.

System Development Fees

Charles Archer with Freese and Nichols said a system development fee was paid by new development for treatment capacity: pump and lift stations and pipe size. They can only be paid from water and sewer revenues.

Sources to cover upgrades are water bills, grants and system development fees.

In the mid-1970, federal funds covered costs. By 2005, only 5% were paid with federal funds.

The General Assembly stepped in to create statutes for the system development fees.

Archer said fees are based on calculations and the local cost.

“What we have now is based on existing capacity and ours is very low [the cost] relative to the systems we’ve merged with that based their costs on growth,” Czar said about Lee County’s fee at $3,000 and Chatham County’s at $8,000.

To meet growth demands with larger pipes and pump stations, the fees will increase.

Czar said the debate on fees will continue.

When the meter is set, who pays the system development fee is determined, whether it is the initial developer or a contractor who buys the prepared parcel and develops the project. Czar said they were looking at a uniform fee.

Archer said after the study on fees was published on the city’s website, and they accepted 45 days of public comments, and set a public hearing, they could vote on a fee.

Buckels said they needed to consider how to make the fee more accessible to low-income home buyers.

Taylor said there were limited ways to cut the price of a house.

Buckels said the council could make exemptions.

Czar said they needed to consider whether other people wanted to have higher water bills to exempt fees for affordable housing.

Senator Jim Burgin said a group of senators were sending a letter to Fuquay-Varina about transferring water from the Cape Fear River and he was not signing it. “Harnett is looking to set two water plants next to each other, side-by-side, and I meet with them tomorrow.”

The Town of Fuquay-Varina filed a Notice of Intent to request an Interbasin Transfer Certificate. Its current water supply from Raleigh, Harnett County, and Johnston County will not meet future demand. The town proposes transferring 6.17 million gallons per day from the Cape Fear River Basin to the Neuse River Basin by 2055. The preferred plan would source all water from the Tri-Rivers (Sanford) Water Treatment Plant, while continuing to send wastewater to treatment plants in both river basins and accounting for consumptive use.

Burgin said he wants regional projects because then he can ask for funding.

Burgin said he talked to someone about property taxes for 15 minutes in his car before entering the meeting. He sits on the Senate Tax Committee and does not want municipalities and counties to lose property tax authority.

“Florida is considering dropping property tax. They rely on sales taxes, and that works for them. A group in Senate is working on it and proposed ideas, such as when people reach age 65, the tax is frozen,” Burgin said.

He said people tell him to mandate impact fees, but the courts found it to be illegal.

The budget is a far-reaching topic, and Senator Burgin shared information.

Member Mark Akinosho said elderly people want to homestead [to avoid property taxes] but the amount is the same as it’s been for years.

“That amount needs to be raised. Technically, we never own our homes because they’re always charging a tax on them,” Burgin said as he explained why there should be some way to own your home without tax.

Burgin wants to change SNAP benefits so people can’t spend all their benefits on snacks and Red Bull.

Applied behavior analysis services are up to $250 million with a projection of $1 billion for next year.

“You will have a budget in the next few days…pay salaries across the board,” Burgin said about one in April and one in May.

“I want everyone in my district to tell me what they want,” Burgin said about the property tax debate.

“A lot of people can’t work because they can’t afford childcare.”

“There are 283k children in unlicensed childcare now. I’ll tell you a sad story. We found five or six kids in an upstairs apartment,” he said about the children not being able to get outdoors to play.

“I interview death row inmates and learned a lot about how they ended up there,” he said about needing quality care for children.

“What do you want to do [about down-zoning]? I have a local bill. [It does not have a number yet.] I can add up to 15 other counties, including Harnett and Sampson. Tell me if you want it,” Burgin said. “There will not be an overall fix [bill] for everyone [on down-sizing].”

The board said they will send a formal letter requesting Burgin’s support to restore the local government’s ability to regulate down-zoning.

“I have a bill to ask for faster adoption services. We have 34k kids in foster care right now. Have 170 children out of state because of enforcement and billing, in a place called New Hope in South Carolina. They want to build houses all over North Carolina, so they [children] will not need to leave the state. Some are in Utah. Our school system has 40 kids who identify as homeless right now,” Burgin said.

“Burgin said the governor asked for another $7 billion for mountain relief from Hurricane Helene in 2024. It has been that it was a $60 billion disaster. It was originally estimated that 40% will not be rebuilt.”

“We are looking at Medicare cuts of $32 billion because of the Big Beautiful Bill.”

He introduced a bill to give $1,500 to teach kids at home. It reads that the state does not add any duties to the recipients as a requirement to accept the funds.

It costs 12,500 to educate one child for a year in Lee County.

“We had a meeting at church last night, and a large group wants us to have a homeschool hub. All three of our kids went to public schools and I’m a big proponent of community colleges.”

“There’re counties in North Carolina without any childcare centers. We’ve also had 30k+ children we’ve had to remove from parents who did not care for their children.”

Mayor Rebecca Salmon asked about support for the workforce and industrial development.

“You are in a fast-growth area, with 361 per day moving into the state, the majority in Wake, Mecklenburg. Y’all are part of Wake growth. Wake County, Harnett has 2,100 lots being prepared now…A friend of mine, a farmer, was paid 10k per acre because the sewer line went right through his property. Good-bye soybeans,” Burgin said about his farmer friend being paid $1million.

March 30, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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