ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Board of Commissioners at its September meeting approved a request from Cordova Fire and Rescue to help cover a shortfall in the construction of its new substation.
However, the allocation was not brought up for public discussion as it was part of the consent agenda — which also includes minutes from the previous meeting, budget amendments and resolutions.
According to the UNC School of Government, consent agendas “are useful for disposing of routine and noncontroversial items of business. A consent agenda allows the board to approve several items simultaneously using only one vote. In other words, a majority vote to approve the consent agenda approves every item on the consent agenda.”
Included as a support document for the request is an email from Emergency Services Director Bob Smith — who also serves as assistant chief of the department.
In the Aug. 18 email to County Manager Bryan Land, Smith says he received a call from Cordova Chief Jeremy Chance requesting $40,000 from the county to help offset remaining construction costs.
The station is being built on U.S. 74 Business at Critter Crossing, about midway between West Rockingham and the U.S.74/Interstate 74 bypass.
“You may recall that Cordova had previously sought approval to transition to a service district, which would have generated approximately $46,000 in annual revenue to support the operating costs of the new station,” Smith writes, adding that the substation will “significantly benefit homeowners by reducing insurance premiums by nearly half.”
Smith says that the project will also extend fire protection to Chalks Landing, “an area that has long sought assistance from the County in addressing high insurance costs.”
“Cordova is one of the few departments that has demonstrated substantial growth in both capabilities and equipment of the past five years — without requesting any additional funding,” Smith said. “The expedited construction of the new station became necessary following the closure of Lassiter Road. This request simply seeks to bridge the gap that would have been covered through the service district revenue.”
Noting the department’s growth, Smith said this is the first time since the early ‘80s that Cordova has requested an increase in funding or a financial contribution.
The department, he said, “has consistently managed its resources and grant funding with exceptional responsibility.” By department acting as its own contractor and buying materials directly, Smith said the station is being built for $150,000 less than initially anticipated.
“Cordova has proven to be excellent stewards of taxpayer dollars and serves as a model for how a department should be managed,” Smith said. “I believe their request is both reasonable and deserving of support.”
Chance the department hopes to have the project complete by early 2026.
