BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
An appeal for more money to finish up the Sampson City fire station was approved on the Bradford County Commission’s consent agenda Tuesday morning despite further warning about supporting every funding request.
Consent agendas typically list routine, noncontroversial business that the board approves with a single vote without need for discussion. For example, the Aug. 5 consent agenda included emergency medical services account write-offs, an inventory surplus deletion list, a road closure, and a grant application for mental health and substance abuse services. It also included planned purchase approvals, such as a $20,000 compact excavator and more than $80,000 for cardiac monitors, and retroactive approval of more than $58,000 for an emergency fire engine repair.
But the request for asphalt paving at Station 9 in Sampson City — where new grant-funded living quarters are nearly complete — delayed the routine vote for a deeper discussion that echoed multiple recent discussions over the county’s spending.
The commission is prepared to finally approve a new fire assessment fee later this month to fund the rising cost of fire rescue — including operating a future station in Brooker — but the special assessment is only expected to cover half of the firefighting budget.
Ultimately, Commissioner Chris Dougherty’s request to have the $33,110 paving expense removed from the consent agenda failed, with the rest of the board voting to fund it.
“The bottom line is, I just don’t think it’s a necessary expenditure,” Dougherty said.
“I just hate to see a brand-new fire station out there with a milled parking lot,” said Ben Carter, chief of Bradford County Fire Rescue “But I think we’ve got a great opportunity to do it once and do it right.” Currently, he explained, trucks returning from a fire must drive to Starke to rinse and decontaminate their hose because there’s no place to park and do that at the Sampson City station.
According to Carter, the department generated approximately $22,000 from surplus sales and standing by at events. The remaining amount would come from unencumbered contingency funds.
“Chief Carter, I think we do what we can with what we have,” Dougherty said, adding that only 50% of his budget will be covered by a fire assessment and the money he mentioned could be spent elsewhere.
Commissioner Diane Andrews disagreed. “In my opinion, too many times in the county we start projects, and we do them halfway and leave the other half undone and never go back,” she said. For a small amount of money, she said, they can complete the work and not have to look back. “We have the money, and let’s finish the project and do it right.”
Clerk of Court Denny Thompson, whose office has been drawing attention to spending as reserve funding is declining, asked if they should be planning to spend another $33,000 on a parking lot for the Brooker fire station.
Commissioner Carolyn Spooner asked Thompson if the Sampson City project is not something that could be completed within the county’s budget. Thompson said they are getting closer to eating into minimum reserve the board established last year, which is around $7 million to cover two months of operating costs during an emergency.
Carter said fire rescue has avoided spending from its fund balance, allowing it to grow, and adding that the county’s workforce would be competing the work. The legislative appropriation used to build the new station could not be stretched enough to cover the cost of paving.
Dougherty revisited Thompson’s question about whether the cost of paving would be included in the Brooker project or an additional expense. “I’m just saying, so these things don’t just come up three days before our meetings. I think that’s where we get blindsided,” he said.
Spooner said approval seemed reasonable if the paving cost could be covered by the equipment sales revenue and around $11,000 from contingency funding.
“It just always amazes me. Amazes me how we just find money,” Dougherty said.
Funding for football
Spooner’s request to restore $7,500 to the Bradford Cowboys failed in a second 4-1 vote. Money normally allocated to youth recreation groups was swept into the budget for Bradford Sports United, which is being formed by the county, city of Starke and Tourist Development Council, with each contributing $150,000 for operations and field improvements.
The Cowboys are entering their season now, but Bradford Sports United won’t be fully established and ready to play until early 2026. Spooner said the Cowboys must cover costs like equipment, field rental and insurance.
“They provide a community service, and without the county’s assistance, it would greatly negatively impact the ability to function in the community,” she said. At the time the board reallocated the funding to the new recreation department, it wasn’t clear that the Cowboys season was already underway, she said.
Thompson asked if the board was going to deduct the $7,500 request from rec department budget. Commission Chairman Danny Riddick said all three partners are already locked in at $150,000. Spooner said the county’s tentative recreation budget next year is $166,000, with $11,000 of that set aside as contingency funding. She suggested the Cowboys be funded from that amount. However, Chief Deputy Clerk Rachel Rhoden clarified that $11,800 was actually for care and maintenance of the county’s parks. There is only $5,000 in reserve funding.
Spooners motion to fund Cowboys failed for lack of support.
