County Government

Local Government cont.

Pitt County Government

Pitt County Government provides services ranging from law enforcement and social services to education, health, recreation and more to more than 175,000 county residents. County leadership operates with a $235.6 million budget with revenues from local, state and federal sources. The 201819 property tax rate is 67.97 cents per $100 valuation. The county’s main website is pittcountync.gov. It provides details and links to most county operations.

f County Manager:Janis Gallagher, 9022950. Email: janis.gallagher@pittcountync. gov. The county manager is responsible for managing and coordinating the implementation of board policies and directives. She also serves as budget officer and oversees the budget, which supports more than 20 departments and agencies.

f Clerk to the Board: Kimberly Hines, 9022950. The clerk is responsible for creating, coordinating and maintaining a permanent record of commissioners’ actions. She advertises and processes citizen applications to serve on county-appointed boards and committees.

f Public Information: Dawn Jones. The phone number is 902-2955. Email: pittinfo@pittcountync.gov. The public information office serves as a communications liaison between residents, county staff, elected officials and the media by disseminating information about county programs, services and activities. Public Information also operates Pitt-TV, Pitt County’s governmental and educational access television channel (Channel 13 on Suddenlink Cable).

Departments

If no address is listed, the office is housed in the Pitt County Administrative Office Building, 1717 W. Fifth St. Most departmental websites are accessible through pittcountync.gov and can be contacted through the “Contact Us” option on each webpage.

f Animal Services: Chad Singleton, director, 902-1725. 4550 County Home Road. Website:www.pittcountync.gov/PCAS. Pitt County Animal Services provides protection of the County’s animals from cruelty and neglect, administers rabies control, and operates the Pitt County Animal Shelter, which serves to house, care, place, or provide humane resolution for animals in its care.

f Building and Grounds: Mike Rogers, superintendent, 902-2625. Pitt County Office Park, 121 New Hope Road. Provides repair and maintenance services to all county properties.

f Clerk of Superior Court: Sara Beth Fulford Rhodes, 695-7100. P.O. Box 6067. Fax: 830-3144. Manages records for civil and criminal court and estate proceedings. Cooperative Extension Service:Andy Burlingham, interim director, 902-1700. 403 Government Circle. Website: www.ces. ncsu.edu/pitt. Email: andy_burlingham@ ncsu.edu. The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service is funded and managed by the county, state and federal governments. It provides information on agriculture, home economics, youth and community and rural development. The Pitt County Arboretum is an educational program of N.C. Cooperative Extension in Pitt County. The Arboretum is open from dawn to dusk seven days a week free of charge. Guided walking tours are given at 10 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month except from June to August when tours begin at 9 a.m. For more information call 902-1705, email pittcomgv@hotmail.com, or visit pitt.ces. ncsu.edu. f Detention Center: Limuel Capehart, chief of detention services, 902-2850. 124 New Hope Road. Fax: 830-4628. A division of the Sheriff’s Office, the center houses federal, state and county inmates who are awaiting trial or have been sentenced to brief periods of incarceration.

f Economic Development: Kelly Andrews, director. Phone: 902-2075. P.O. Box 837 /111 S. Washington Street, Greenville, NC 27835. Email: pittedc@pittcountync.gov. Website: www.locateincarolina.com. The economic development office recruits new industry to Greenville and Pitt County while supporting existing industry. It aims to promote job growth, industrial diversity and an expansion of the local tax base.

f Elections Office: David Davis, director, Phone: 902-3300. Fax: 830-1157. Email: pittelections@pittcountync.gov. This office is responsible for conducting all national, state, county and municipal elections in Pitt County and special referendums along with maintaining voter registration roles and election boundaries.

f Engineering: Tim Corley, assistant county manager/county engineer, 9023150. Email: tim.corley@pittcountync. gov. The engineering department manages solid waste and recycling, buildings and grounds, inspections, permitting and the planning & Development department.

f Environmental Health: Angela Manning, director. General number: 902-3200. A division of Pitt County Public Health, the office is responsible for protecting public health through education and enforcement. Environmental health specialists act as agents of the state in conducting regular inspections of restaurants, meat markets, schools and other businesses. The division is also responsible for permitting septic tanks.*

f Financial Services: Sam Croom, deputy county manager/chief financial officer. General number: 902-3000. Financial Services is responsible for managing the financial operations of the county, including formulating an annual budget, conducting the annual audit process and coordinating borrowing as necessary for capital construction.

f Emergency Management: Randy Gentry, director, 902-3950. Emergency management contains the following divisions: fire marshal, 911 communications, and emergency medical services. Emergency management coordinates responses to disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, nuclear accidents, winter storms and other threats. The 911 communications division receives emergency-response calls for all municipal and unincorporated parts of Pitt County, 24 hours a day and directs the appropriate agencies to respond.

f Health Department: Dr. John Silvernail, director, 902-2300 (general information and appointments). Earl Trevathan Jr., M.D. Public Health Center, 201 Government Circle. Website: www.pittcountync.gov/PCHD. The health department offers a wide array of clinical and community health services that focus on the prevention of communicable diseases and the promotion of wellness. Examples of services include immunizations, communicable disease screening, family planning, prenatal care, case management services for pregnant women and children, WIC, public health preparedness planning, and community health education programs.

f Human Resources: Florida Hardy, assistant county m manager people & community/HR director, 902-3050. Website: www. pittcountync.gov/HREmail. The human resources department is responsible for recruitment and screening, new employee orientation, maintenance of the county’s classification and pay plan, interpretation of personnel policies, development and implementation of employee benefits programs and employee training program. The department also maintains a listing of job vacancies available in county government. Information on current job vacancies and the application process are available by calling the county job line at 902-1001 or online at www.pittcountync.gov/JOBS.

f Legal: Jordan Smith, county attorney 902-3100. The legal department provides legal advice, consultation, defense and representation to the Board of County Commissioners and all county departments and agencies. f Management Information Systems: Mike Taylor, deputy county manager/chief information officer, 902-3800. Website: www.pittcountync.gov/MIS. The department works with county agencies to provide technology support for county computer operations.

f Pitt Area Transit System: Cam Coburn, director, 902-2010. Website: www.pittcountync.gov/PATS. PATS provides transportation services to the human service agencies and Pitt County residents living outside the Greenville city limits. Transportation is available Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. within Greenville only. To schedule transportation call 902-2002 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

f Planning & Development: James Rhodes, assistant county manager/planning director, 902-3250. Website: www.pittcountync. gov/PLANNING. The Planning Department develops and implements land use, transportation, and recreation plans for the unincorporated portions of Pitt County. Staff members administer various development-related regulations, including zoning, land subdivision, flood damage prevention and soil erosion and sedimentation control. The department also provides community development programs, mapping services and census information.

f Inspections: Mike Brown, chief code enforcement officer, 902-3150. Website: www.pittcountync.gov/INSPECTIONS. The inspections division enforces all building code regulations and performs inspections in the unincorporated areas of the county and for all municipalities with the exception of Greenville, 329-4466, and Farmville, 753-5921 and Winterville, 215-2419. *

f Recreation: Community Schools and Recreation, Ron Butler, director; Jennifer Lanier-Coward, associate director; Alice Keene, special projects coordinator. Phone: 902-1975. 4561 County Home Road. Website: www.pittcsr.com. Community Schools & Recreation provides an array of recreation programs including teen programs, youth and adult sports, summer programs and camps, after-school programs, adult exercise and dance classes, and programs for seniors. Programs are held in the Community Schools & Recreation Center, and at school facilities across Pitt County. The department also coordinates the use of school facilities being used by organizations, agencies and individuals.

f Register of Deeds: Lisa Nichols, 9021650. Website: www.pittcountync.gov/ROD. 100 W. Third St. Office processes records, property transfers, birth and death certificates and other vital records. f Sheriff: Paula Dance, 902-2800, 100 W. Third St. Fax: 830-4166. Website: www. pittcountysheriff.com. Office provides law enforcement and other protective services for unincorporated areas of Pitt County and several small municipalities. Also serves criminal and civil court summons.

f Social Services: Augustine Frazer, deputy director, 902-1110. 1717 W. Fifth St. and 203 Government Circle. Website: www. pittcountync.gov/DSS. Pitt County DSS provides financial assistance and social services to all county residents who meet eligibility criteria. Its purpose is to enable individuals to become self-sufficient, to improve their standard of living, to learn to cope adequately with their problems, and to provide preventive services that will avoid family breakup and enable individuals to remain in their own homes. The two main program areas providing services are Income Maintenance Programs and the Services/Social Work Programs.

f Solid Waste & Recycling: John Demary, director, 902-3350. 3025 Landfill Road. Pitt County operates 14 collection and recycling centers. It operates the Solid Waste Transfer Station located on Allen Road. The site is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. A fee is charged for non-residential waste.

f Tax Administration: Reginald Hill, tax administrator: 902-3400. 110 S. Evans St. Fax: 830-0753. Website: www.pittcountync. gov/TAX. The assessment division appraises, lists, and assesses all taxable real and personal property each year and furnishes tax base figures to the county, municipalities and fire departments for budget purposes.

f Collection division: 902-3425. 111 S. Washington St. Fax: 830-1935. The collection division is in charge of collecting tax payments on real estate and personal property. It also collects on short-term lease or rental of motor vehicles, beer and wine licenses and motel and hotel occupancy taxes. Residents can pay taxes online and check due balances at www.pittcountync.gov/TaxCollector.

f Veterans Services: Channing Ford, office manager, 902-3090. Website: www.pittcountync.gov/VS. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and serves to assist veterans and their dependents with applying for and coordinating benefits they are eligible to receive. These benefits include: burial, compensation, education, home improvements and loans, life and health insurance, medical, pension, rehabilitation, and others.

ReferenceQuick

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Pitt County Board of Commissioners is a nine-person elected body that governs the county, sets priorities and makes spending decisions. Members are elected to staggered four-year terms. The board meets the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. and the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Eugene James Commissioners’ Auditorium in the Pitt County Office Building: 1717 W. Fifth St., Greenville, NC 27834. Phone: 902-1000. Website: www.pittcountync.gov

Mike Fitzpatrick District 5

county commissioners

Alex Albright

District 4

Tom Coulson

District B

Ann Floyd Huggins

District 1

Melvin McLawhorn,

District A

Chris Nunnally

District 3

Beth Ward

District C

Mary Perkins-Williams

District 2

Lauren White

District 6

f Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick, District 5, lawyer, Kings Road, Greenville, NC, 27858, Email: mike.fitzpatrick@pittcountync.gov. Phone: 252-689-6699. Term expires 2022. Not Seeking re-election.

f Vice Chairman Alex Albright, District 4, retired professor, Eason St., Fountain, NC 27829. Phone: 252-749-7974. Email: alex. albright@pittcountync.gov. Term expires 2022. Not Seeking re-election.

f Tom Coulson, District B (Districts 3&6 combined), senior engineer of Urethane Innovators, 506 Eleanor St., Greenville, NC 27858. Phone: 252-321-2942. Fax: 252637-2077. Email: tcoulson@urethaneusa. com. Term expires 2024.

f Ann Floyd Huggins, District 1, retired, 1500 Spruce St., Greenville, NC 27834, Phone: 252-757-1144. Email: ann.floydhuggins@pittcountync.gov. Term expires 2022.

f Melvin McLawhorn, District A (Districts 1 and 2 combined), retired probation/parole administrator, Allendale Drive, Greenville, NC 27834. Phone: 252-355-7290. Fax: 252-353-0469. Email: king2006mac@ yahoo.com. Term expires 2024. f Chris Nunnally, District 3, lawyer, educator, East Fifth St., Greenville, NC, 27858. Phone: 252-917-7374. Email: chris.nunnally@pittcountync.gov. Term expires 2022.

f Beth Ward, District C (Districts 4 and 5 combined), retired East Carolina University lecturer and public school principal, Lakewood Drive, Greenville, NC 27834. Phone: 252-355-7724. Email: bwardelizabeth@ gmail.com. Term expires 2024.

f Mary Perkins-Williams, District 2, retired educator, Old River Road, Greenville, NC 27834. Phone: 252-215-3064. Email: pittcounty.commissionerd2@gmail.com. Term expires 2022.

f Lauren White, District 6, stay-home parent, family farm partner, Black Jack-Simpson Road, Greenville, 27858. Phone: 252-341-5522. Email: lauren.white@ pittcountync.gov. Term expires 2022.

court systems

f Pitt County Superior and District Courts are part of the North Carolina court system. Operations are largely funded through state appropriations and facilities through county funds. State judges, prosecutors and public defenders along with private attorneys conduct civil and criminal matters daily with assistance from the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement.

f Superior Court: Criminal Superior Court hears felony cases and cases appealed from District Court. Civil Superior Court handles cases involving disputes in excess of $10,000 and other matters as provided by law.

f District Court: Criminal court meets every day in Greenville; Ayden and Farmville courts are held every other week on Thursdays. The court handles traffic cases, misdemeanors, probable-cause hearings on felony cases, criminal domestic violence cases and all first-appearance hearings. First appearances are usually held in a courtroom at the Pitt County Detention Center each morning at 8 a.m.