The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted Monday to delay a planned public hearing on $40 million in proposed tax-free bonds to Cape Fear Valley Health to build a multimillion-dollar medical school with Methodist University.
The hearing had been set to take place during the board’s regular Monday meeting, but Chairperson Glenn Adams said commissioners had not been given information on the bond plan until Monday morning.
“I have absolutely, positively no information,” he said. “This got on the agenda with no information.”
According to an Aug. 2 memorandum from County Manager Clarence Grier, the health system requested the bonds to cover the construction costs for 78,000 square feet of the five-story, 120,000-square-foot medical school building. CityView previously reported the school plans to have 840 faculty and staff by 2030, with a goal of 480 students by 2032. Bond counsel for the health system reached out to Grier on July 24, according to county documents.
Since Cape Fear Valley Health is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation, bonds for its use must be issued by the governmental unit having jurisdiction in the area in which the facility to be financed is located.
Hershey Bell, the medical school’s dean, told commissioners Monday the school plans to recruit its first 80 students to begin in July 2026.
“This area is in dire need of physicians,” Bell said.
All seven county commissioners sit on the 20-person Cape Fear Valley Board of Trustees. Commissioner Jimmy Keefe said he was encouraged by what he’d heard in hospital board meetings about the bond plan.
“No, there’s not liability for us, but we probably should have that in writing,” Keefe said. “I will tell you that I was very comfortable with it.”
The public hearing on the $40 million in bonds will now be held Monday, Aug. 19, at the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners’ 6:45 p.m. regular meeting. A vote by the board will likely follow that hearing. The hearing provides an opportunity for the public to weigh in on whether the county should approve the bonds.
In other business:
- The board unanimously approved its consent agenda.
- The board unanimously agreed to sign onto a national settlement with the Kroger brand related to its role in the opioid crisis. According to Director of Public Health Dr. Jennifer Green, the county will receive almost $900,000 through fiscal year 2033-2034 as part of the settlement. The Washington Post reported last year the suit was tied to allegations Kroger overprescribed addictive opioids to customers.
- The board unanimously approved hiring Barr & Barr/McFarland as the construction manager at risk for the homeless support center project. Director of Engineering and Infrastructure Jermaine Walker said the center is scheduled to be complete by the end of July 2026.
- The board unanimously approved directing county staff to pursue an injunction against a Hope Mills property owner for his nuisance property. According to County Attorney Rick Moorefield, the owner of a home on South Main Street has not addressed multiple code enforcement violations, despite being in communication with county staff since February 2023. Photos of the property displayed at Monday’s meeting showed piles of broken-down cars, boats, propane tanks and more throughout the home’s backyard. Moorefield said the property is at risk of attracting rodents and insects.
- The board unanimously nominated Kiana Rivers, Michael Fiala, Swan Davis and Dr. Annette Skinner-Coleman to the Cumberland County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council; Debra Kinney and Taccarra Manuel to the Transportation Advisory Board; and Chris Bullard to the Cumberland County ABC Board.
- The board unanimously approved reappointing Lee Ward and appointing Sandra Reeves to the Animal Services Board.
- The board unanimously appointed Beth Maynard and Roni Winston to the Joint Fort Liberty & Cumberland County Food Policy Council.
The board went into closed session for matters of attorney-client privilege and real property acquisition for an hour but took no action upon returning.
The next regular meeting of the board of commissioners will take place at 6:45 p.m. on Aug. 19 in Room 118 of the Cumberland County courthouse at 117 Dick St.
Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com.
This story was made possible by contributions to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy.