From Williamston’s proposed downtown transformation to new water systems, housing and restored historic buildings, local leaders are finding ways to finance projects their tax bases cannot support alone.

By Nicole Bowman-Layton

WILLIAMSTON — Jamesville has replaced a water treatment system that was about 50 years old. Bear Grass, with roughly 100 residents, has restored two historic buildings for public use. Robersonville is seeing new homes built after what its mayor described as decades of little residential construction.

And Williamston is looking ahead to a $33 million transformation of its downtown.

The projects vary in size and purpose, but they reflect a common challenge facing Martin County’s small municipalities: maintaining essential services and creating opportunities for growth without placing the entire financial burden on local taxpayers.

During an Oct. 29 community forum, seven of the county’s mayors described how grants, state appropriations and partnerships are helping them address longstanding infrastructure needs. Some projects are complete, others are under construction, and several remain proposals dependent on additional funding.

A related article on Martin County’s participation in the forum was published on Oct. 31.

For Williamston Mayor Dean McCall, finding outside money has become essential to balancing the town’s ambitions against what residents can afford.

“You can’t push taxation down and cut $1.6 million and do all this stuff with the taxpayer money,” McCall said. “What you have to do is you have to go find grant money.”

Williamston reduced its property tax rate from 89 cents to 68 cents per $100 of assessed valuation following property revaluation. The town also faced approximately $1.6 million in budget reductions as federal pandemic-related assistance ended.

That left officials trying to maintain a full range of municipal services for approximately 5,000 residents while pursuing projects intended to strengthen the town’s economy.

McCall said Williamston has approximately $10 million in grant funding associated with 18 projects, including infrastructure and public improvements.

The most ambitious proposal, however, is still ahead.

A new vision for downtown Williamston

Williamston’s Downtown on the Move initiative envisions a four-phase redevelopment spanning approximately 10 years, with an estimated cost of $33 million.

The proposal includes renovating Main Street, developing approximately seven acres of downtown property into an amphitheater, establishing a social district and creating opportunities for additional businesses.

The town is coordinating with Martin County on economic development efforts, including Project Piedmont, a prospective development that county officials said could create 120 to 150 jobs over five years.

McCall said Williamston is also working to address the less visible infrastructure that supports economic growth.

The town is assessing its water and sewer systems, pursuing sewer improvements and developing a maintenance plan for the older portion of its Roanoke River boardwalk.

“Every town, every city, big or small, is worried about infrastructure as far as water and sewers,” McCall said. “It is extremely expensive.”

Williamston’s annual budget is approximately $13.9 million, with police, fire, water and sewer operations consuming much of its resources.

The police department has added two canine officers, Alma and Enzo, while officials are considering a drone program. The town is also coordinating with the county on expanded paramedic services.

Other proposals include improvements to parks, pickleball facilities and disc golf opportunities.

McCall said the town’s ability to pursue multiple projects despite budget constraints reflects its emphasis on grants and project management.

For smaller municipalities, those outside funding sources can determine whether essential infrastructure improvements happen at all.

Replacing systems that have served generations

In Jamesville, Mayor Betty Moore Williams said approximately $16.9 million in fully grant-funded projects has allowed the town to make improvements that would otherwise be financially impossible.

The community of roughly 400 residents is in its second year of operating a reverse osmosis water treatment plant that replaced a system approximately five decades old.

The town is also renovating its wastewater infrastructure. Williams said its main sewer pumping station had recently been replaced and placed into operation, while additional rehabilitation of the sewer collection system is expected to continue through 2027.

The improvements address some of the most fundamental responsibilities of local government: providing safe, reliable water and wastewater service.

But those services are also among the town’s greatest expenses.

“Our challenges, that small tax base that we have, our finances are our handicap,” Williams said.

She explained that Jamesville must continually absorb rising costs while maintaining the services residents depend upon.

“Our taxpayer money is not spent lightly at all,” she said. “It is budgeted to cover our essential services.”

Jamesville hopes eventually to extend water service beyond its municipal limits to residents who depend on private wells, particularly in areas where dry conditions have affected water availability.

Williams said such an expansion would require full grant funding and remains a goal rather than an approved construction project.

Hamilton faces similar pressures.

Mayor Ervin Williams said the town secured two $1.2 million grants to replace water lines, one for the northern end of Front Street and another for Circle Drive.

When one of Hamilton’s wells failed, the town obtained an additional $1.4 million grant toward replacing it.

The town has also installed automated water meters and is pursuing improvements to its electric metering system.

Those projects are particularly significant for communities where the cost of replacing major utility infrastructure can exceed what local budgets could reasonably absorb.

Hamilton is also updating its municipal ordinances and placing them online, giving residents easier access to the rules governing their community.

While Jamesville and Hamilton are investing in utility systems, Oak City is confronting decades of deferred infrastructure needs.

Mayor Eddie Brown said some of the town’s infrastructure has seen little substantial work in approximately 40 years.

Utility poles need replacement, streets require repairs and athletic facilities need improved lighting.

“We’ve got some that’s pretty good, but we’ve got some that’s in pretty bad shape,” Brown said of Oak City’s streets.

The town is seeking grants to address those needs.

Oak City has also opened a local museum and made improvements at its ballpark, including playground swings, security lighting and security systems.

For Brown, however, infrastructure remains the priority.

Signs of growth in Robersonville

In Robersonville, Mayor Tina Brown sees new residential construction and downtown business activity as signs that years of effort are beginning to produce results.

Brown said the town has permitted 12 homes, with approximately eight already occupied and three recently built on Ash Street.

She estimated that Robersonville had gone about 30 years without significant new residential construction.

The arrival of new homes is particularly meaningful for a community seeking to retain residents and attract new families.

Downtown businesses are also opening.

Brown said three businesses had opened since summer, with another opening shortly before the forum. Among them are a coffee shop and The Tasty Palette restaurant.

Robersonville is also pursuing wastewater treatment improvements, street resurfacing and automated water meters through grant-supported projects.

Some of those improvements had been discussed long before the current administration took office.

“We’re excited about these projects because a lot of these projects were all way before we came here,” Brown said. “So seven years now, we’re finally doing some things.”

Another potential development could bring additional employment.

County officials identified a proposed Robersonville expansion that could create 120 to 150 jobs over three years. Brown said a more detailed announcement was expected later.

The jobs remain projected rather than realized.

Robersonville has also hired Jonathan Russell, formerly of Washington, as its new town manager.

Brown encouraged residents to contact town officials with questions rather than rely solely on social media discussions.

Preserving buildings, strengthening communities

For Bear Grass, growth is measured not only in new development but also in preserving buildings that serve as gathering places.

Mayor Charlotte Griffin said the town recently completed two significant restoration projects, financed largely through outside funding.

A $210,000 state appropriation helped renovate a historic house into Bear Grass’s first standalone town hall.

Previously, municipal operations were housed in a single room.

A separate $400,000 Community Development Block Grant supported rehabilitation of the historic Yucca House, a former teacher’s residence that had suffered extensive structural deterioration.

The restored building is once again available for community use.

Griffin said the projects represent substantial accomplishments for a town with approximately 100 residents and no paid municipal staff.

Bear Grass has also received $375,000 through the state’s Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program for drainage and street-related improvements.

School Drive has been paved, and additional improvements are anticipated.

The town’s annual Chicken Mull Festival, now in its 13th year, has become another way to bring residents together and attract visitors.

Griffin said the festival was conceived as a community event rather than simply an economic development activity, although the visitors it brings also benefit the area.

Bear Grass is considering satellite annexation to create additional opportunities for growth, but Griffin said state restrictions have complicated the process.

She has sought legislative assistance to give the small town more flexibility.

“We don’t have any industry out there, so we need to bring more people in,” Griffin said.

Her broader message was that communities cannot wait for improvement to happen on its own.

“You got something to be proud of here,” she said. “But you got to take care of it, and you got to grow it. It won’t happen by itself.”

Historic preservation is also part of Hamilton’s plans.

Ervin Williams said work has begun on the historic Hamilton Rosenwald School, with support from regional partners.

Griffin, who is involved in the effort, said the restoration is intended to create a community venue with outdoor amenities and recreational space.

She described the property as a potential attraction for visitors traveling through the area and a place for local residents to gather.

Hamilton has also installed a digital welcome sign through grant funding.

The town recently honored the late Commissioner Freeman, who died March 13, by rededicating a local athletic field in his memory on Oct. 3.

Finding resources when a town has no employees

Hassell Mayor Michelle Sledge described another challenge common to very small municipalities: carrying out municipal responsibilities without the staffing and revenue available to larger towns.

Hassell has been without a dedicated town hall since 2014.

Restoring that facility is a priority, not simply to provide office space but to give residents somewhere to gather and potentially restore a local voting location.

The town has worked with the North Carolina League of Municipalities to seek grant funding.

Several applications have been unsuccessful, but Sledge said officials intend to keep trying.

“We are a small town, but we are big at heart,” she said.

Hassell has found assistance through another partnership.

Working with NCWorks and its Hometown Talent Program, the town has provided employment opportunities for young people while obtaining help with clerical and media responsibilities.

That assistance matters because Hassell has no paid municipal employees.

The town has also completed its annual audit, organized community beautification and holiday assistance programs, and conducted its first automated external defibrillator and first-aid training for residents.

Sledge said emergency preparedness is particularly important because Hassell has no hospital, ambulance service or fire department of its own.

Training residents to respond during an emergency could help bridge the time before professional assistance arrives.

Hassell’s experience illustrates how smaller towns often depend on partnerships not only for construction projects but also for basic administrative and community services.

Cooperation becomes another resource

Throughout the presentations, the mayors returned to a theme that extended beyond grant applications: cooperation among towns that face many of the same financial and administrative pressures.

Jamesville’s Williams said the municipalities’ regular meetings have helped build relationships and encourage coordination.

She also stressed that residents should understand the decisions their local governments make.

“We want their ideas. We want their questions. We want their participation as citizens,” she said.

“Transparency is the key.”

Griffin described the mayors as a close-knit group — the “Martin County mafia” — that works together to advocate for resources in Raleigh.

County Manager Drew Batts offered an example of that cooperation, recalling how quickly the mayors responded when county officials needed representatives for a hospital-related board.

He said they organized a meeting and filled the necessary positions within days.

“These mayors work really hard, and it’s really a labor of love,” Batts said.

The municipalities’ projects demonstrate both the possibilities and limitations of outside funding. Grants have allowed towns to replace aging water systems, restore historic buildings and improve public facilities. But securing money can take years, applications are not always successful, and some of the most ambitious proposals remain dependent on future funding.

For the smallest communities, the challenge extends beyond financing. Maintaining facilities, recruiting volunteers, meeting state reporting requirements and finding people willing to serve in local government all require time and effort.

Williams said Jamesville’s small population makes it difficult to recruit residents for boards and community activities, even as the town tries to expand services and attract growth.

The goal, she said, is not simply to bring new people or businesses into Jamesville, but to improve life for those already there.