ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Board of Commissioners approved more than $2 million in allocations following an hour-long closed session at the end of its monthly meeting on Tuesday.
In the first vote, the board approved $1.25 million to pay the city of Rockingham to provide wastewater services for the Energy Way Industrial Complex on Airport Road south of Hamlet.
Per the interlocal agreement approved by both parties earlier this year, that amount covers a one-time capacity charge for up to 200,000 gallons per day.
In future, the county will be able to ask for the city to take on up to 400,000 gallons, with charges determined in accordance with the state Public Water and Sewer System Development Fee Act.
Click here to read about the agreement.
“We appreciate the partnership we have with Rockingham,” Chairman Jeff Smart said following the unanimous vote. “We appreciate them signing this contract and as we move forward, I think this will put us in a good position to attract future industries and maybe put us in the right direction for many, many, many years to come.”
The board also OKed $1,009,000 for Rockingham Speedway for “various projects.”
Smart referenced a “detailed list” but did not mention any specific projects contained on said list.
However, the RO requested and was provided the list by County Manager Bryan Land.
Facility improvements include:
- Selective demolition
- New concrete
- Fencing along the future party decks
- Replacing the flashing along the center core ridgeline
- Replacing door handles and the blast partition glass in the control center
- Painting all handrails, staircases and suite access
- Upgrading the fire alarm system
- New toilets and other bathroom accessories
- Installing elevators to code compliance
- Additional lighting
The money comes from the $9 million allocated to the county from the 2021 state budget — via the N.C. Department of Commerce — for infrastructure improvements at the track.
A portion of the funding ($3 million) was used to help repave the track in late 2022. Lights have also been installed in the infield and throughout the parking lot.
Click here to read about the repave.
Unlike the first vote, this one wasn’t unified, with Commissioner Justin Dawkins signaling a nay.
Dawkins said he voted against the appropriation “based on my understanding that granting the request would violate the duties listed for Richmond County in the statute and grant contract.”
The vice chairman points to the language in the legislation and grant contract that states the funds are “for water and sewer and related infrastructure projects for service to the Rockingham Speedway.”
“I read this as ensuring we have the infrastructure to service the facility, not for the facility to use to service itself,” Dawkins said.
Another reason for his vote, according to Dawkins, is what he sees as an ethics violation.
“After reviewing the detailed budget provided by Rockingham Properties, I asked about the relationship with Carolina Design and Construction, which was the contractor awarded the requested work. Both entities fall under the same ownership,” Dawkins said.
Rockingham Properties and Carolina Design and Construction both are listed as companies on the website for Oak City Group — among others — with Dan (or Daniel) Lovenheim named manager or registered agent in records with the N.C. Secretary of State.
Records show Rockingham Properties LLC was formed in April of 2018, several months before the August purchase of the track for $2.8 million.
“I raised the question if this creates a conflict of interest under the Ethics Act,” Dawkins said. “This has still not been answered, and when the question was presented to Commerce, I was told that they did not directly answer the question and simply stated ‘Send it to us and we will either approve or deny it.’”
In August, commissioners approved an agreement for a $7.6 million sewer pump station project, with the funding coming from the $9 million allocation.
Click here to read more about the sewer project.
With that project, Dawkins said he thought the remaining funds were already appropriated.
Dawkins added that he was “not aware of nor approved” the $3 million for the repaving project: “I would have voted against it if it had been presented to the board as it should have been.”
“These funds may not have directly come out of Richmond County’s tax revenue, but Richmond County was granted these funds and assigned duties to be fiscally responsible for them,” Dawkins said. “As much as I want to see Rockingham Speedway be successful, I believe my vote was in alignment with the responsibilities I have been assigned. If the General Assembly or Commerce would have wanted these funds to go directly to Rockingham Properties, they would have awarded it to them or clearly defined it as such.”
The statute listed on the agenda for the closed session was regarding attorney-client privilege.
This year’s state budget allocated nearly $50 million for Richmond County, including $16 million to the county for water and wastewater projects and $2 million for a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 1 connecting Rockingham Speedway and Rockingham Dragway.
Click here to read more about local funding from the state budget.
The property was purchased by its current owners in August 2018 for $2.8 million and reopened for activities in 2021, hosting multiple motorsports and other events since.
It was hoped with the recent repaving that the Rock would fill a spot on NASCAR’s 2024 schedule — specifically the All-Star Race — for a Cup Series comeback after 20 years.
However, NASCAR announced earlier this month that the All-Star Race would return to North Wilkesboro Speedway, which re-opened last year; and Rockingham did not appear on the full schedule released by the sanctioning body.
