Commissioners accept $5,000 library scholarship; finance director reports midyear revenues

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a $5,000 continuing-education scholarship from the State Library of North Carolina to send a library staff member to the Public Library Association conference in Minneapolis in April 2026.

"I am here to ask for permission to accept a $5,000 scholarship that we received from the State Library of North Carolina to attend the public library association conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota in April 2026," said Philip during the meeting. Commissioner Susina moved to accept the scholarship and the board approved the motion.

Separately, Deanna, the county finance representative, presented the December financial report as the mid-point of the fiscal year. She said investment earnings allocated to the general fund totaled just under $600,000 and there was nearly $2,000,000 in pooled interest revenue to distribute. She reported that property-tax revenue for the fiscal year was budgeted at $92,000,000 and the county had collected $88.6 million through December. Sales-tax receipts through November totaled slightly more than $8,000,000. "The audit is done," Deanna said, and staff expected to submit it to the Local Government Commission this week and present it to the board within 30 days.

The scholarship acceptance was a single-item motion; the finance report was received for information and will be brought forward with the finalized audit documents.