By Miles Layton

EDENTON — The Chowan County Board of Commissioners will confront one of the most consequential decisions in recent county history Monday night as members consider authorizing negotiations to close the aging Chowan County Detention Center and join the Albemarle District Jail.

The long-debated jail question, combined with a major property reappraisal update, contract amendments, school facility change orders, and board appointments, ensures a full and potentially pivotal meeting for county government.

While several agenda items address routine governance and capital maintenance, the jail decision stands apart in scale and long-term impact.

Closing the local detention center and joining a regional jail would affect staffing, budgeting, transportation logistics and public safety operations countywide. At the same time, the 2026 property reappraisal will shape tax policy and county revenue discussions for years to come.

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Jail Decision Moves Toward Formal Action

For more than a decade — and with increasing urgency over the past two to three years — commissioners have revisited the future of the county’s detention center. Rising operational costs, staffing demands, and capital needs have prompted repeated evaluations of alternatives.

During February’s commission meeting, County Manager Kevin Howard presented commissioners with multiple pathways: constructing a new standalone county jail, building a new regional facility with neighboring counties, joining an existing regional jail, or maintaining the status quo.

During February’s retreat, discussions narrowed substantially. Commissioners are now being asked to authorize the county manager to begin negotiations with the Albemarle District Jail, a three-county detention facility located in Pasquotank County that serves Pasquotank, Perquimans and Camden counties. 

A final contract would return to the board for approval at a later meeting if negotiations move forward.

Financial comparisons presented earlier this year helped frame the debate. The current Chowan County jail operates on an annual budget of approximately $1.17 million. Had Chowan been a member of Albemarle District Jail during the current fiscal year, total costs — including operational expenses, debt service and a structured 15-year buy-in to reimburse existing member counties for prior capital investments — would have totaled approximately $1.49 million. That buy-in component would be spread over 15 years.

Other options appear to have lost viability.

A jointly constructed regional jail with Gates and Washington counties was explored but did not advance after those counties declined to proceed. Joining the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail remains uncertain and would depend on state capital funding to expand capacity.

Constructing a new Chowan-only jail was estimated to cost roughly $2.84 million annually — nearly three times the current operating cost — and was described earlier this year as economically unsustainable.

Operational considerations also factor heavily into the discussion. Under a district jail arrangement, Chowan County sheriff’s deputies would no longer be required to staff the local jail full-time, allowing more personnel to remain on patrol. Short-term holding cells would remain available locally, but inmates would be transported to Pasquotank County for longer detention.

The Albemarle District Jail operates within the same judicial district as Chowan County, a factor county leadership has identified as beneficial in terms of court coordination and administrative alignment.

If commissioners authorize negotiations Monday night, the action would represent a significant step toward ending local jail operations — a move that would reshape county public safety operations for decades.

Worth noting — I’ll say it — we need a new jail. Sometimes it feels like we have Mayberry’s jail; however, times have changed since Otis needed to sleep one off or when the goat ate all the dynamite were the biggest problems facing a rural jail.  

Reappraisal Update Signals Major Property Value Increases

Commissioners will also receive a status update on the 2026 countywide property reappraisal from Vincent Valuations, the Elizabeth City-based firm overseeing the process.

The reappraisal, which will affect approximately 13,000 properties and take effect January 1, 2026, is expected to significantly increase assessed property values across much of the county.

Earlier presentations to commissioners showed residential properties selling for between 25 percent and 161 percent more than their current assessed values.

Examples presented included older homes more than doubling in market sale price compared to prior tax assessments. Even moderate adjustments reflected increases of 30 to 60 percent in many cases.

The reappraisal process does not create market value but reflects documented sales activity between buyers and sellers in the open market. State law requires counties to adjust property values periodically to reflect those market conditions.

The coming revaluation follows a previous reappraisal in 2022. At that time, the county reduced its ad valorem tax rate from 75.5 cents per $100 valuation in fiscal year 2021-22 to 66.5 cents per $100 in fiscal year 2022-23. Much of that rate reduction was attributed to the increase in assessed property values following the revaluation.

Property taxes in Chowan County remained at the same rate in Fiscal Year 2024/2025 and Fiscal Year 2025/2026. $0.695 per $100 assessed value. The County Fire tax was also unchanged at $0.070 per $100 assessed value.  

Commissioners will again face decisions about revenue neutrality and tax rate adjustments as part of the fiscal year 2026-27 budget cycle after new values are certified.

State law also provides several relief mechanisms for qualifying property owners, including elderly and disabled homestead exclusions, disabled veteran exemptions and agricultural or forestry present-use value programs. Eligibility criteria and income thresholds are established by the North Carolina General Assembly rather than county government.

The reappraisal update Monday will provide commissioners and the public with the latest timeline and implementation details as the effective date approaches.

Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Extension

In land-use matters, commissioners are being asked to extend the county’s contract with Insight Consulting Group LLC to continue work on a comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite.

The proposed amendment would extend the contract term through October 1, 2026. The zoning overhaul has been a multi-year effort aimed at modernizing development standards, clarifying permitted uses and aligning county regulations with long-term growth goals.

Extending the contract would allow additional time for drafting, review and public input as the process continues.

School Facility Change Orders

Two separate change orders related to county-supported facilities are also on the agenda.

Commissioners will consider approval of a $16,162.42 change order connected to the John A. Holmes High School campus involving the Boy Scout Hut facility. The modification calls for installation of a new HVAC unit after project engineers determined that new power designated for the building is incompatible with the existing 28-year-old unit. Rather than reconfiguring electrical service to match outdated equipment, design professionals recommended replacing the HVAC unit entirely.

A second and substantially larger change order concerns athletic netting improvements at Hicks Field. Commissioners will review a proposed $63,472.84 adjustment related to extending netting poles by an additional 10 feet.

The original base bid contract allocated $70,000 for netting. However, increasing the pole height to 40 feet requires larger structural poles and expanded footings to support the additional load. The higher specifications drove increased subcontractor costs.

C&W Grading & Excavating Inc., along with subcontractors, would install two 30-foot by 120-foot sections of athletic netting beginning at the top of the existing chain-link fence. Disturbed areas would be restored and seeded following installation.

Total netting work, including base contract amounts and proposed adjustments, is estimated at $132,139.25. Project documentation indicates the additional cost can be absorbed within the broader contract without increasing the overall project total.

Probation Lease Renewal

Commissioners will also consider approval of a one-year lease agreement with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction for probation and parole office space at the Chowan County Public Safety Center.

The lease allows state probation services to continue operating locally within county facilities, maintaining accessibility for clients and coordination with local law enforcement.

Recreation Advisory Board Appointment

Finally, commissioners are expected to fill a long-standing vacancy on the Recreation Advisory Board. The position has been advertised for more than a year.

After reviewing applications, the Recreation Advisory Board has recommended the appointment of Maurice Bunch to fill the seat. Commissioners will vote on that recommendation during Monday’s meeting. Who is Maurice Bunch? He’s a retired postman – used to deliver mail up and down Broad Street – friendly guy.