A slowed process may be regaining momentum as the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners voted 4 to 3 on a motion for staff to proceed with finding alternative methods of funding through limited obligation bond financing for the proposed Public Safety Center.

At Monday night’s Beaufort County Commissioners meeting, Beaufort County Finance Officer and Assistant Manager Jim Chrisman told commissioners the committee set up to oversee plans and construction of the facility, the Jail Committee, wanted the board to discuss options for financing.

Previously, county officials sought USDA funding for the project, which would encompass a law enforcement center, Emergency Management Office, 911 communications and a jail. However, USDA State Director Randall A. Gore wrote in a letter that a lack of community support and the controversial nature of the project led the USDA to decline to offer funding.

On July 7, a public hearing was held regarding the USDA financing before the commissioner’s meeting, which illustrated support and opposition to the project.

Chrisman, who was tasked by the committee with finding the best option and cost in financing the project, told commissioners of two other ways the project could be paid for: through limited obligation bonds, which involves multiple investors in the bond market investing; and through private bank loans. He told the commissioners the facility would be used as collateral, in either case, and the county would have a short period to make payments on the loan.

Chrisman pointed out that the limited bond financing would be oversaw by the Local Government Commission, which reviews audits and has the final say over what the county does and doesn’t do in regards to borrowing money.

“The fact North Carolina has a Local Government Commission is very rare,” Chrisman said. “There are only two other states that have a LGC. For that reason, we have a much higher bond rating than we would have because investors know these sort of projects are being looked at.”

Despite a motion by Beaufort County Commissioner Stan Deatherage for the board to cease its search for funding to build a proposed Public Safety Facility, Chairman Jerry Langley made a motion to authorize staff to proceed with finding funding for the project through limited obligation bond financing and it passed, four to three.

“You have a situation where there is a willingness of at least a predominant number of people who do not wish this jail, in the southwest corner of the county,” Deatherage said. “You have three commissioners who do not support it, you have an election coming up and there are a good many commissioners who may vote against it at that point. I think you four commissioners would be wise to cease this motion.”

Chrisman told commissioners prior to applying for financing through the Local Government Commission, using limited obligation bonds, another public hearing related to the new source of financing would need to be held.

“The LGC is a very public process as we go along,” Chrisman said. “We would go and sit down with them, describe the project and the process and get their input. It’s very important to get their input in the beginning of the process as to see how they would see this process going through.”

Chrisman said the major factors the LGC looks at when approving financing are fiscal stability of the county, whether the county follows the general statutes, what collateral exists as a result of the project, to name a few.