042500April 25, 2000
The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in special session at 6:30 p.m. in the
Commissioners Meeting Room, County Office Building, 725 McDowell Road, Asheboro, NC.
Commissioners Kemp, Davis, Holmes, Frye, and Mason were present. The purpose of the meeting
was to hold a duly advertised public hearing to consider a request made to increase the area ofthe fire
tax district for Staley and Franklinville Fire Departments.
Neil Allen, Emergency Services Director, stated that he had received a request from Staley Fire
Department to annex additional area into their tax district. (He pointed out this area as the white area
on the large map posted on the wall.) He also had received a petition from some property owners
west of Parks Crossroads Church Road asking to remain in the Franklinville Fire District. More
recently he received a small petition from some property owners along Old Siler City Road asking to
remain in the Coleridge Fire District. The area to be considered for annexation is in a response area
(but not a tax district) currently served by Staley, Franklinville, and Coleridge Fire Departments. All
properties in the response area are more than five road miles from the closest fire station, which
means those property owners do not receive any reduction in their homeowner's insurance premium.
Mr. Allen added that one station built in this response area would put everyone in that area within
five miles of a station.
Chairman Kemp opened the public hearing for citizen comments.
Sandy Campbell, 7602 Browerdale Road, Siler City (in Randolph County), said she has been
served by Coleridge Fire Department but that she would support any department who would build a
station within five miles of her home.
Randy Macon, 6378 Foushee Road, Ramseur, said that he is in Franklinville's response area
and that he had turned in a petition in March of 1999 that was signed by all but one homeowner in
this response area, asking to remain in Franklinville's district.
Chairman Kemp asked if Staley and Franklinville had worked out any compromise since this
item was addressed at the Commissioners' March meeting.
Arnold Allred, Board of Directors President of Franklinville Fire Department, and Eric
Beard, Board of Directors member of Staley Fire Department, stated that they had reached a
compromise except for four parcels along the south side of Foushee Road. Mr. Allred said the
owners of those four parcels wish to remain in Franklinville's district. Mr. Beard said that Staley
needs the entire area to make it financially feasible to build a substation, but that he respects the
wishes of the property owners of those four tracts.
Jim Canoy, 6744 Roby Coe Road, Ramseur, said Franklinville had served his area well and he
and other neighbors who are present want to remain in their district.
Sandy Campbell asked if those four parcels remain with Franklinville, would that prevent
Staley from building a station, thereby preventing everyone else in the white area from getting the
benefit of an insurance premium reduction.
Eric Beard replied that Staley's decision would not be based on those four parcels. He added
that if they build a substation, they will be able to do it in one year (from the time they begin
collecting fire tax from the additional territory).
Tom Canoy, 5554 Old Siler City road, Ramseur, asked about fire tax rates for other fire
departments in the county.
Neil Allen stated that Franklinville's is 8¢ per $100 valuation; Staley's is 10¢; Coleridge's is 8¢;
and the maximum for any department is 15¢.
Bobby Coe, Roby Coe Road, Ramseur, said he wants to stay in Franklinville's district because
of their good response. He asked about manpower regulations for fire stations.
Neil Allen said the main station must have 20 volunteer firefighters available at all times and a
substation must have an additional eight in order to be a rated fire district.
The Board discussed how to draw the district lines on the map and in which district to put the
four parcels in contention by Franklinville and Staley. For purposes of discussion, the line was
drawn showing the territory Franklinville wishes to add to their tax district, with the four parcels in
question remaining in Franklinville's district.
Chairman Kemp asked those who want to remain in Franklinville's, Staley's, and Coleridge's
district, respectively, to stand. Seventeen people stood for Franklinville, eleven for Staley, and two
for Coleridge.
Chairman Kemp closed the public hearing.
On motion of Frye, seconded by Holmes, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the map, as
amended (ATTACHED, with boundary descriptions prepared by the Randolph County Tax
Department), with the stipulation that within one year from July 1, 2000, Staley Fire Department
must have a rated substation operational within the new territory annexed into their tax district
tonight.
The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
Phil Kemp, Chairman
J. Harold Holmes
Robert O. Mason
Darrell L. Frye
Robert B. Davis
Alice D. Dawson, Clerk to the Board