Wayne Week — Feb. 2, 2025

N E W OL D NORT H M E DI A P R E SE N T S A W E E K LY N E WS M AG A Z I N E

ARE RATE HIKES IN GOLDBORO'S FUTURE?

F E B RUA RY 2 , 2 02 5

N E WOL DNORT H .C OM

If the Goldsboro City Council wants to fund critical improvements, increases will be necessary.

BY KEN FINE p. 14

N E WS & V I E WS: Wayne County Public Schools now says “thousands” of data sets were compromised during PowerSchool hack.

p. 4

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2, 2025 Volume 2, Issue 22

NEWOLDNORT H .CO M

EDITORIAL EDITOR Ken Fine EDITOR Renee Carey DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Hallie Hulse Evans ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE McKayla Alves ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers

PUBLISHER

New Old North Media LLC

CONTACTS EDITORS

kfine@newoldnorth.com rcarey@newoldnorth.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES hevans@newoldnorth.com llanders@newoldnorth.com malves@newoldnorth.com

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advertising@newoldnorth.com © 2025 NEW OLD NORTH MEDIA LLC All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission.

WAYNE WEEK (ISSN 2993-9666) is published weekly — except the week of Christmas, Easter, and July 4 — for $125 per year by New Old North Media, LLC, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC, 27530. Periodicals postage paid at at Goldsboro, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WAYNE WEEK, 219 N. John Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530.

4 WCPS: Hack exposed data

Wayne County Public Schools officials now say that the PowerSchool hack that unfolded at the end of 2024 compromised “thousands” of pieces of data, including some teachers’ Social Security numbers.

7 City chemical plan has not changed

Despite fears that the EPA could reverse course on its “forever chemical” philosophy, Goldsboro Mayor Charles Gaylor said the city is moving forward with plans to do whatever it can to remove those substances from its water supply.

8 Chamber leader resigns

For the second time in three years, the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will be forced to find a new president.

11 Dog trainer’s court date is soon Former Rosewood High School and University of Mount Olive baseball standout Matthew Neal was charged, in 2024, with abusing animals. He is scheduled to appear in a Duplin County courtroom Feb. 7.

12 Our take

In our view, real leadership is not about making popular decisions. And sometimes, including now, we all must sacrifice for the common good.

14 Cover story

The Goldsboro City Council, during the board’s annual retreat, learned that in order to fund critical improvements to the city’s wastewater system, customers would need pay higher water and sewer rates — with substantial increases recommended for every year for the next decade.

20 Spectator

Charles B. Aycock and Southern Wayne High School were supposed to clash on the hardwoods last week, but snow pushed the rivalry to Wednesday evening.

COVER DESIGN

BY SHAN STUMPF

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NEWS +VIEWS WCPS: Social Security numbers were, in fact, compromised during breach The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction told Wayne County Public Schools that “thousands of data fields” were exposed during PowerSchool hack, including teacher SSNs.

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espite assurances given by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction earlier this month that no local Social Security numbers had been compromised when a hacker gained access to PowerSchool late last year, Wayne County Public Schools officials said Tuesday that “thousands of data fields were exposed for WCPS alone” during the breach — including educators’ SSNs. District spokesman Ken Derksen told Wayne Week Tuesday that the incident would impact “students and educators dating back to the state’s adoption of the platform in 2013,” but no specific numbers were given.

NCDPI was notified about the breach Jan. 7, just a few days after students returned to public school campuses from Winter Break.

And while N.C. schools represented only a sliver of those impacted by the breach of what PowerSchool characterized as its “global client base,” NCDPI officials acted quickly — contacting its districts and issuing a public statement.

The following is the update provided by WCPS to all staff. Details will also be made available on the district’s website: “Since the breach was reported, Wayne County Public Schools (WCPS) has learned the full scope of what the global data breach means locally. Essentially, tens of thousands of data fields were exposed in the breach, affecting all WCPS students, educators, administrators, and other professional staff dating back to the state’s adoption of PowerSchool in 2013 and up to the school district’s movement to Infinite Campus student information system at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.

While WCPS student Social Security numbers were not exposed in the breach, student data fields that were compromised include: - Names of students, parents/guardians - Physical address - Mailing address - Date of birth - Gender and Ethnicity - Student Identification Number 4

. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

BY KEN FINE AND RENEE CAREY

- Email address and phone numbers of parent/guardian - Emergency contact information - Limited medical alert information Social Security numbers were exposed for North Carolina public schools educators who have or who had PowerSchool accounts.

Other types of data fields that were compromised include: - Name - Street address - Home phone number - Email addresses PowerSchool confirmed that the breach was conducted by threat actors who held the data hostage in return for a ransom.

The data breach occurred when the credentials of a PowerSchool contract employee were compromised. PowerSchool reported that the threat was contained and that the compromised data was not shared and has been destroyed. PowerSchool is working with law enforcement to monitor the dark web for any data exposure.

PowerSchool currently advises that there is no evidence that credit card or banking information was involved. Additionally, PowerSchool has confirmed that there were no actions that Wayne County Public Schools or the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction could have taken to prevent this cybersecurity incident.

Impacted families and staff will receive a notification email from PowerSchool in the coming weeks with the offer of: Identity protection: PowerSchool will be offering 2 years of complimentary identity protection services for all students and educators whose information was involved.

Credit monitoring: PowerSchool will also be offering 2 years of complimentary credit monitoring services for all adult students and educators whose information was involved.

Credit monitoring agencies do not offer credit monitoring services for individuals under the age of 18. If a parent/guardian enrolls an individual under the age of 18 in the offered identity protection services, the individual, upon turning 18, will have the

opportunity to enroll in credit monitoring services for the duration of the 2-year coverage period.

WCPS would like to remind school employees, parents, and students that additional bad actors may try to take advantage of confusion caused by this incident. PowerSchool advises that it will never contact individuals by phone or email to request personal or account information and that anyone trying to do so is likely to be a scammer.

Notices will be provided by PowerSchool to each individual affected and will include a description of the categories of personal information that was compromised and the identity protection monitoring services that will be offered. Experian will also be providing a call center to answer questions.

Separate and apart from these services that are being provided by PowerSchool, any individuals impacted should be urged to take precautionary steps to avoid identify theft, including the following: • Review your financial statements and accounts for any suspicious activity.

• Stop identity thieves from getting new credit in your name by placing a security freeze on your credit. Contact the Credit Bureaus to request a security freeze: Equifax: 1-800-349-9960 Experian: 1-888-397-3742 TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872 Individuals can get a special Protected Consumer security freeze to help protect a child against identity theft.

Continue to review your credit reports every few months. Your private information released in the security breach may not be used immediately. To get your free report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877322-8228.

In the event it is needed, staff, students, parents, or guardians can also contact the North Carolina Department of Justice for assistance with a security freeze: https://ncdoj. gov/protecting-consumers/protecting-your-identity/free-security-freeze/” n

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

City stance on forever chemicals has not changed Goldsboro will continue work to reduce the amount of PFOS and PFOA in its water supply.

BY KEN FINE

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he Trump Administration might have withdrawn from the EPA’s plan to set discharge limits on “forever chemicals” from manufacturers, but Goldsboro Mayor Charles Gaylor said the decision would have no impact on the city’s ongoing effort to ensure its water supply is as safe as possible.

“For me, it’s about the safety of our citizens and providing quality water,” he told Wayne Week Tuesday. “I will continue to insist on transparency and push for improvements, regardless of (federal) requirements.”

Gaylor knows that chances are, they are already in most local residents’ bloodstreams — the manmade chemicals that decrease fertility and increase the risk of diabetes, cancer, and liver, kidney, and thyroid problems.

In fact, numerous studies conducted across the world over the last two decades conclude that nearly 99 percent of the global population — including fetuses — have been contaminated by the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been used in water- and oil-resistant consumer products since the 1940s.

And because the national, legally-enforceable drinking water standards issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency April 10, 2024, remain intact — and recent news reports that have raised concerns that the new administration has signaled a potential change in philosophy are, at this point, speculative — Goldsboro will push forward with plans to eradicate PFAS and PFOS from its supply.

When the new standards were established last year, the government pledged billions of dollars to help states implement forever chemical testing and treatment to ensure their drinking water is safe, as the EPA estimates that between 6 and 10 percent of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to the new rules would have to take action to reduce the amount of forever chemicals in their drinking water.

Goldsboro was one of them — above the new legal limit for both PFOS and PFOA. But what are “forever chemicals?”

A group of manufactured chemicals that have been used since the 1940s and, according to the EPA, can be found in the following locations: Drinking water — in public drinking water systems and private drinking water wells.

Soil and water at or near waste sites — at landfills, disposal sites, and hazardous waste sites such as those that fall under the federal Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act programs.

Manufacturing or chemical production facilities that produce or use PFAS – for example at chrome plating, electronics, and certain textile and paper manufacturers.

Food – for example in fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS and dairy products from livestock exposed to PFAS. Food packaging – for example in grease-resistant paper, fast food containers/ wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and candy wrappers.

Household products and dust – for example in stain and water-repellent used on carpets, upholstery, clothing, and other fabrics; cleaning products; non-stick cookware; paints, varnishes, and sealants.

Personal care products – for example in certain shampoo, dental floss, and cosmetics.

Biosolids – for example fertilizer from wastewater treatment plants that is used on agricultural lands can affect ground and surface water and animals that graze on the land.

Fire extinguishing foam — in aqueous film-forming foams (or AFFFs) used to extinguish flammable liquid-based fires. Such foams are used in training and emergency response events at airports, shipyards, military bases, firefighting training facilities, chemical plants, and refineries.

When Goldsboro officials got wind of the fact that fire extinguisher foam was on that list, the city quickly tested its water supply and joined a lawsuit against 3M and other companies that manufactured and sold the foam.

And fortunately, because of that lawsuit, should federal funding dry up, city coffers would likely be able to finance a significant chunk of the work to correct that issue, as City Attorney Ron Lawrence confirmed late last year that a large portion of the roughly $10 million it would take to get Goldsboro’s water supply below the EPA’s threshold is expected to find its way into local accounts once the settlement is fulfilled.

“Those settlements have been approved by the courts and the city will be receiving millions of dollars,” he said.

But that lawsuit was not the first time Goldsboro and 3M were at odds in a courtroom.

Back in 2021, the state of North Carolina brought a civil action against the company and more than a dozen others, claiming they were responsible for “injuries to North Carolina’s natural resources, including groundwater, surface water, sediments, soils, and biota” — one that sought compensation for “property damages, economic damages, remediation and restoration costs, and all other relief available as a result of releases of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (“PFOS”) and perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA “) into the environment due to the use, release, spill, transport, storage, disposal, and/or handling of aqueous film-forming foam (“AFFF”) at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.”

And Goldsboro has already received $500,000 to study its water and to come up with a plan to make the supply as safe as possible.

So, moving forward, Gaylor feels good about the local mindset.

“Bottom line is that the medical research is consistent that this is a problem, and we need to fix it,” he said.

Even if funding the project gets “dicey” as the Trump Administration continues to look for ways to cut back on government spending.

“We still have to try,” Gaylor said. “It’s water. It’s pretty vital to public health.” n newoldnorth.com

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Satterfield out as Chamber president

His resignation means the organization will, for the second time in three years, have to search for a new leader.

F R O M S TA F F R E P O R T S

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or the second time in three years, the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will be forced to launch a search for a new leader.

Chamber President Scott Satterfield announced Monday that he was leaving the post, and while he did not offer a reason for his decision in the letter he penned as a “news release,” he said he was “proud” of “the work that has been done over the last three years” and “grateful” for what he characterized as “the rare opportunity that this role afforded me.”

His resignation comes just shy of three years after longtime Chamber president Kate Daniels stepped down to dedicate more time to her family — a move that shocked and saddened local businessowners, residents, and elected officials.

According to sources on the Chamber board, a search for a new leader will be launched in the coming weeks.

During Satterfield’s tenure, the organization expanded its team, launched a redesigned website, and created a podcast that aimed to “delve into the heart of Wayne County.” n

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Congratulations to the BEST team in NORTH CAROLINA!

The Wayne County Clerk’s Office was one of only six offices in the state to achieve an “Effective” audit opinion for our internal audit — the highest opinion given, which indicates excellence in minimizing potential risks.

I feel so blessed to work with all of you.

Thank you for helping Wayne County shine!

Sending you love and best wishes as we take on this new year together as a community!

Julie Whitfield, Wayne County Clerk of Court

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

Court date nears for dog trainer charged in animal cruelty case

Former Wayne County baseball standout Matthew Neal was arrested in July 2024 and charged with numerous felony and misdemeanor counts after videos that depict graphic dog abuse attributed to his retriever training business went viral on social media.

BY RENEE CAREY

A

ccording to court records obtained

by Wayne Week, a former Wayne County baseball standout who was arrested in July for allegedly abusing the dogs under his care is set to appear at the Duplin County Courthouse Feb. 7.

Matthew Neal, who was charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, was, at one time, a high-profile athlete at Rosewood High School and the University of Mount Olive.

But the East Carolina Retrievers owner’s most recent brush with “fame” was a dramatic departure from the recognition he once received for his accomplishments on the diamond.

In a video that went viral on several social media platforms last summer, a man in a black hooded sweatshirt repeatedly whipped — with the object in his right hand — the face of a labrador retriever.

He used a closed fist and threw punches.

Moments later, he grabbed the dog by the neck, lifted it some six feet into the air, and slammed it onto the ground.

The scene was recorded, but it was not the only video of the man that made the rounds on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

In another, he relentlessly whipped another dog as it yelped — cries so loud that they drowned out the high-pitched whistle the man was blowing over and over again.

Several local residents told Wayne Week they were horrified by what they said were videos of an East Carolina Retrievers trainer abusing dogs under his care.

One of them even pulled their puppy from the ECR program before Neal was arrested in July because they no longer wanted to be “associated” with what are now nearly a dozen abuse charges against Neal himself.

Within hours of the videos being published, Lenoir County Sheriff Jackie Rogers pledged accountability — releasing a lengthy statement in response to a flood of emotional pleas from the public.

“There has been a disturbing video depicting the abuse of an animal circulating on social media.

Lenoir County Sheriff Jackie Rogers, Lenoir County Health Department Director Pamela Brown and Lenoir County Animal Control are aware of this video and the departments are conducting intensive investigations,” the statement read.

“The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office and Lenoir

Matthew Neal works with one of the dogs under his care.

WAYNE WEEK FILE PHOTO

County Animal Control have conducted several interviews involving the incident. However, we are asking for the public’s help. Anyone with firsthand knowledge (videos, pictures or eyewitnesses to the abuse) is asked to contact the LCSO at 252559-6118.”

And he assured the public that if his department could prove ECR abused dogs, justice would, he said, be served.

“While I am sheriff, I can assure the residents of Lenoir County that everyone, regardless of income level, race, social status or any other factor will be held accountable for their crimes,” he said. “I have proven in my tenure as sheriff that no one is above the law in Lenoir County.”

A few days later, the LCSO converged on Neal’s Pink Hill home.

They arrested him — charging him with nine felony counts of cruelty to animals and two misdemeanors — and “confiscated” the 11 dogs on the property.

“They will be housed in a safe location,” Rogers said at the time.

According to the arrest warrant, lawmen claim Neal beat dogs with “his fists and a PVC pipe,” used “shock collars” to the point of “causing dogs to vomit and have bloodshot eyes,” and “choked” the animals.

In cases like this one, North Carolina General Statute opens the door for either misdemeanor or felony charges.

According to G.S. 14-360, if any person “intentionally” wounds, injures, torments, or kills “any animal,” they are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

But if they “maliciously torture” or “cruelly beat” an animal, it rises to a Class H felony, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 months.

Ultimately, Neal was not only charged by Lenoir County lawmen, but faces penalties in another county as well — as evidenced by his upcoming court date in Duplin County on three misdemeanor and one felony animal cruelty charges.

And since the videos were posted, the company’s website has been deactivated, and no new posts have been made to its Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Attempts to contact Neal since the videos first began circulating have been unsuccessful, but complete coverage of Neal’s upcoming court appearance will appear in a future edition of Wayne Week. n newoldnorth.com

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{ our TAKE }

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

T

here is a very often quoted phrase that is easy to say but not always easy to hear.

You have to spend money to make money.

There, see, we said it — and your eyebrows are probably already up.

“We already spend enough,” you might have just muttered.

“All government does is waste our money. We cannot afford to give anymore.”

We get it.

Eggs that once were the cheap meal we relied on are now $8 a dozen.

And well, wages are not exactly skyrocketing.

So, it’s not exactly the right time to be talking about needing to contribute more to the community till.

But we really should not base decisions about progress on how much money is being spent.

It is about what we are getting for those dollars.

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So, you might be surprised to learn that we think the proposal to increase city water rates to get the work done to improve our wastewater infrastructure is more than just another excuse to raise taxes.

After all, you know how this newspaper feels about blank checks to bureaucrats and out-ofcontrol spending.

But this time, it is different.

This time, it is all about thinking ahead.

There is no question that there are major improvements that need to be made to Goldsboro’s system.

Consultants have told us, and staff members have warned us for years — and yes, the late Mayor Chuck Allen warned that with growth would come the need for a new water treatment plant.

So, if this community does not act soon, Goldsboro faces all sorts of dire consequences.

So, much like the work we told you is going to be necessary to make sure Seymour Johnson Air Force Base stays a vibrant and secure part of this

community — and the investment we said was necessary to make sure Goldsboro is a safe city — this, too, is a must.

How we got here is why we need to act now.

When necessary work is neglected, put off, or otherwise ignored, there are consequences.

For years, elected officials with less-thanstrong constitutions did not tell the community the hard truths about what happens when infrastructure is not cared for properly.

Having to explain away a tax increase was hard, and just putting it off for another set of leaders to deal with was much more comfortable.

So, what began as a series of small incremental needs to make sure the city’s wastewater operations were efficient and cost-effective and ready for future expansion if necessary, got ugly when the work was put off until another day.

And we are there, knocking at the door of that ugly scenario.

If we don’t act now, it will only get worse.

An already hefty bill will balloon exponentially and we can forget about growth.

So, the trade-off is pretty clear.

We can eat higher water bills to ensure the money to get the work done is there when we need it.

We can make a plan to have the infrastructure in place so that when investment and development opportunities come, we are ready.

Or we can watch as we lose those massive opportunities to Johnston and Wilson counties and stare down a potential moratorium.

You see, without a wastewater system that can handle increased capacity and meet state and local requirements, there will be no development.

And we cannot afford for that to happen — not if we want Goldsboro to continue on a path that will create the kind of thriving community we hope to leave to our children and grandchildren.

The good news?

We are already on the right path.

We have seen what happens when leaders think outside of the box and when they do the hard things.

And as we have pointed out before, this Goldsboro City Council has already made some really tough decisions.

The choice to take a chance and to find the money to fix the budget concerns that were limiting the Goldsboro Police Department’s ability to attract and to maintain enough personnel to keep the city safe was not simple or cheap.

It took a leap of faith — the ability to see past the immediate to the possibilities.

It took courage.

It was about setting priorities and then having the confidence that making the right decision would set the stage for better opportunities.

So, council members, understanding how critical the choice had become — looking at the explosion of crime in the city and listening to the experts who told them what it would take to fix the problem — decided that there couldn’t be months of debate, handwringing, and waffling about what the next step should be.

They swallowed hard and made the change that made the difference.

And we are already seeing the results of that vote.

The police force is now proactively making this community safer — and Chief Mike West has the support and the money he needs to make progress possible.

Without that critical investment, we would not have made even one step closer to having safer streets.

We would be looking at even more crime, even more threats to our neighborhoods — and facing an even more seemingly unconquerable obstacle in the way of continuing Goldsboro’s path forward.

Crime has not been eradicated from our streets just yet, but we have taken the steps to make a resolution of that concern a reality.

And that is why although a massive water rate increase might seem like just another bid by a government to line its pockets, it is really yet another one of those critical decisions at a very important crossroads.

Sure, we can wait.

We can risk putting the city into a situation where development is limited because the infrastructure won’t support it.

We can sit back and watch as money and investment goes elsewhere.

We can save a few dollars now and watch as that stagnation results in a diminishing tax base and limits that affect everything from home values to the city’s viability as a location for a major Air Force base.

Or we can take the next step forward and prepare to be part of the development and the possibilities we believe are ahead for t his community.

In the last year, we have made the choice to look for leadership with vision and a determina-

tion to put the needs of this community and its residents first.

We have watched as some boards and organizations that were not living up to the trust we had placed in them cleaned up their acts.

Now, it is time to have the same vision for our community.

There are too many positives for Goldsboro and Wayne County to let poor planning and easy decisions put the brakes on its future.

We have to have the backbone to take the steps that are necessary to make sure that those maybes become realities.

And no, those steps will not be easy.

And yes, council members will get panned by some taxpayers and their political rivals will jump on their vote to do the right thing.

But our hope is that members of the board will be bold enough to vote for the increase anyway.

Because when strong leaders make the right decisions, they are remembered.

And Councilman Chris Boyette was absolutely right when he said the city really doesn’t have a choice here.

Instead, we have a chance — a chance to step into the next chapter and to create a community where not only more and more people decide to build futures, but where our children and grandchildren will come home to create families and lives of their own.

A higher water bill is not such a big sacrifice when you look at that potential payoff.

But even as we suggest that this is the time to think bigger and to invest in our community, we offer this caveat.

Goldsboro officials need to continue to look at every expense and every place where there is a potential to save money.

There can be no more nickel and diming and wasted time — no more insane bickering and irresponsible posturing.

Tax dollars must be used efficiently and responsibly.

Where we can save money, we should, and when we need to spend it, we need to do so with respect for those taxpayers who are footing the bill.

That’s the pact we made as a city when we chose this group of leaders.

We think this is one more example of why that choice of leadership just months ago was so important.

Making the hard decisions is never easy, but putting people in place who know when it is time to make them — well, that is critical.

We think we have those people in place right now.

And our hope is that those who agree will make it easier for Mayor Charles Gaylor and the rest of the council to do the right thing by reaching out and showing their support for casting a vote that will take this city we all love to the next level. n

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ARE RATE HIKES IN GOLDBORO'S FUTURE?

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. Wayne WEEK . newoldnorth.com

If the Goldsboro City Council wants to fund critical improvements, increases will be necessary.

BY KEN FINE

T

he price tag is daunting — nearly $500 million over the next 10 years to fund expansion of Goldsboro’s water reclamation facility and to design and build a new water plant.

And according to Stantec Consulting Services’ David Hyder, if members of the Goldsboro City Council do not act soon, inflation will drive that sum even higher.

But Councilman Chris Boyette said he doesn’t “see that we really have a choice” but to take the steps necessary to ensure the work can be done — not if the city wants to remain a regional wastewater treatment provider and posture itself for future growth.

History, he added, tells him so.

“ The hits just keep on coming.

But I didn't run for council to not make the hard decisions when I know in my heart they are the right decisions.”

“For those of us who have been around for a while, I can remember many a council meeting 20 years ago when the late Mayor (Chuck) Allen was speaking exactly to this — the need to start planning for the replacement of the water treatment plant. He kept saying, ‘If we don’t do something, in 20 years, this is where we’re gonna be,’” Boyette said during the council’s mid-January retreat. “Well, 20 years later, here we are. I don’t see that we really have a choice … particularly if we want to grow as a community and be able to have the infrastructure to take on and assume that growth.”

His comments came after Hyder told the council both what wastewater infrastructure projects were necessary and how to ensure the city received adequate funding to do so.

The brass tacks?

Substantial water and sewer rate increases are necessary — and not one-off hikes, either, but annual ones.

In fact, each of the four funding scenarios Hyder provided require multiple double-digit percentage rate increases over the next 10 years.

He explained that the reason is because the city, which would have to borrow the majority of the project total, has to “demon-

strate that we have that level of cash and that we can meet that debt service coverage.”

“These are monumental projects that you’re undertaking. When you factor in inflation, we’re looking at over half-a-billion dollars over the next 10 years,” Hyder said. “Water and sewer rate increases are necessary to make sure you can secure the financing for those capital improvements.”

Boyette knows how Goldsboro got here.

For years, whenever the topic of water and sewer rate increases came to the fore, council members have, more often than not, balked at the idea of burdening their constitContinued on page 16

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uents with higher bills.

And each time, city staff warned that without incremental rate hikes, one day, larger ones would be necessary.

For Boyette, that “one day” is here.

“We can’t make a decision until it’s staring us in the face sometimes, I guess,” he said.

Interim City Manager Matthew Livingston said there was no question the work had to be completed — particularly as Goldsboro is positioned as a regional provider.

“I hope that Goldsboro will remain the regional provider that we are now … but we also have to think about the fact that if we are the regional provider, we have to have the sewer capacity,” he said. “No matter where our rates are at … if we don’t have sewer capacity, we’re not going to be able to grow at all.”

And even if the city were not in that position, future growth would require the $500 million expenditure anyway.

“I don’t feel like Goldsboro is going to remain stagnant as a community,” he said.

“I think we’re going to see growth pressure.

So, we need to be thinking about this sooner rather than later.”

O

f the four revenue scenarios Hyder provided, only three of them are viable — as one would see the city “burn” all their reserve cash which would be a deal-breaker for potential lenders.

The rate increases for those three include: • The first would require annual rate hikes of 15 percent for five consecutive years and another 7 percent per year for the next five.

• The second would require three years of 15 percent increases, one year with an 11 percent hike, and the last six with annual water and sewer rate increases of 7 percent.

• The third, which would delay construction of the water treatment plant, would only require a 12.5 percent hike for the first five years and 7 percent annual jumps for the remaining five.

Mayor Charles Gaylor seemed to balk at the third — expressing his desire to not kick the can down the road.

“We’ve got to do the wastewater treatment plant,” he said.

And while Boyette acknowledged that the public would likely consider taking action a tax increase — saying that he realizes “utility rate is a separate animal from tax rate, but the

“I don’t feel like

Goldsboro is going to remain stagnant as a community, I think we’re going to see growth pressure.

So, we need to be thinking about this sooner rather than later.” taxpayer doesn’t see it that way” — he remains convinced that he and his fellow council members were not elected to play it safe.

“I don’t see any way around what we’re looking at with the utility side of things,” he said. “We are absolutely in a position where we need these things and we’re reaching a critical point with our water facility. We want to replace that, and it needs to be done.”

The last month has been daunting for members of the council, as multiple consultants have delivered reports that conclude substantial money would need to be spent to rectify a variety of

issues, from the organizational structure of the government to the condition of city streets.

In fact, getting every single road in Goldsboro up to par will cost a staggering $51 million.

Add to that the fact that “eliminating blight” is one of the council’s top priorities and more money will likely be needed to fund demolition of dilapidated houses.

And Police Chief Mike West recently told Wayne Week that his department needs new vehicles and that the GPD headquarters building is literally “falling down around us.”

“The hits just keep on coming,” Boyette said. “But I didn’t run for council to not make the hard decisions when I know in my heart they are the right decisions. We knew going in that it was going to be this group that was going to have to make some of the most consequential decisions that have ever had to be made. This city was literally falling down around us when this council showed up.”

But just what recommendation Livingston makes in the wake of Hyder’s presentation — and other consultants’ reports on the government’s organizational structure and road conditions — will likely remain unclear until he presents his recommended 2025-26 budget. n

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Continued from page 16

SENERIO 3

SENERIO 4

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NO T ICE S NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Durwood Ray Grimes, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 26th day of April, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 21st day of January, 2025.

Lorrie G. Thomas Administrator for the Estate of Durwood Ray Grimes 611 Watery Branch Church Road, Stantonsburg, North Carolina, 27883 Published Jan. 26, 2025, and Feb. 2, 2025, Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF RALPH RONALD GRIFFIN

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF JENNIFER LEE WILLIAMS KUYKENDALL

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Ralph Ronald Griffin, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 2nd day of February, 2025.

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against Jennifer Lee Williams Kuykendall, deceased, of Wayne County, are notified to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 2nd day of February, 2025.

James Patrick Griffin and Laura Elizabeth Meyer, Co-Executors of the Estate of Ralph Ronald Griffin c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published Feb. 2, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025

Judith D. McMillen, Administrator of the Estate of Jennifer Lee Williams Kuykendall c/o Mark J. Hale, Jr. Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, P.C. Attorneys for Estate P.O. Box 916 Goldsboro, NC 27533-0916 (919) 735-7275 Published Feb. 2, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Debra Ann Mills, deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 3rd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 25th day of January, 2025.

Tiffany Wheeler Administrator for the Estate of Debra Ann Mills 5271 U.S. Highway 117 North Pikeville, North Carolina, 27863 Published Feb. 2, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Brian Kent Abbott deceased, late of Wayne County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 26th day of April, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 29th day of January, 2025.

Rosalyn Abbott Administrator for the Estate of Brian Kent Abbott 1601 East Holly Street, Goldsboro, North Carolina, 27530 Published Feb. 2, 2025, Feb. 9, 2025, Feb. 16, 2025, Feb. 23, 2025

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the SPECTATOR

Rescheduled Rivalry

The games might have been pushed back a week because snow fell in Wayne County, but when Charles B. Aycock and Southern Wayne High School’s basketball teams met on the hardwoods Wednesday evening, the games still delivered.

PHOTOS BY KEN FINE

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JERICHO FA R M S

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