Chatham County staff briefed commissioners Oct. 20 on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending, the first quarter of the FY26 operating budget and several grant and finance items; the board approved two administrative items: participation in North Carolina’s newly enabled CPACE commercial financing program and a state Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) of $350,000.

ARPA and capital updates: Assistant budget director Will Curvin said Chatham’s projects that are strictly subject to the U.S. Treasury 12/31/2026 expenditure deadline are about 80% spent overall. Notable projects in construction include a schools HVAC program (contracts were approved in September and the work is in the construction phase) and hydrant replacement activity where 20 of 60 hydrants have been completed to date with the contractor projecting completion by December. Curvin said DSS’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) has used roughly $444,000 on participant assistance through September and that the county has approved 251 applications to date.

Budget first quarter: Assistant County Manager and finance presenter Daryl Butts told commissioners the first quarter of FY26 is a "boring" snapshot because many transactions occur later in the year; he noted the county’s benefit transfers lag and will show up later. He also flagged that registered‑deeds excise collections were unusually strong in 1 month, raising general government revenue above seasonal norms, while building inspections activity remains down about 30% compared to prior years — a continuing sign of slower single‑family development activity.

CPACE adoption: The board unanimously approved a resolution opting Chatham County into North Carolina’s new Commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure (CPACE) enabling program, a 2024 state law that allows commercial property owners to take long‑term, property‑assessed financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy and resiliency improvements. County staff emphasized Chatham’s role is limited to opting in, executing lien documents for participating properties and not funding any loans; the program will be run and managed through the state Economic Development Partnership and private lenders.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG): Commissioners accepted an award from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for an EECBG grant of $350,000 to pay for energy audits and initial retrofits for up to 13 county‑owned facilities. The county plans to contract a consultant to perform audits for 11 buildings and will seek a nonprofit (Waste Reduction Partners) to provide two free audits; audit recommendations will be prioritized for implementation with grant funds, and unimplemented recommendations will inform future capital planning.

Sheriff staffing and vehicles: A separate presentation (Assistant County Manager Daryl Butts and the sheriff’s office) proposed reallocating funds originally budgeted for 10 replacement patrol vehicles to pay salaries for additional deputies by reusing 10 existing vehicles that the sheriff’s fleet currently has in service. The county manager reported board consensus in favor of the proposal: by repurposing three of the budgeted vehicle dollars the county could add four deputies in FY26 in addition to the six already approved earlier in the budget process, for a total of 10 new deputies in FY26. Commissioners asked for follow‑up details on vehicle longevity, staffing obligations and how the continuing personnel costs would be budgeted in FY27.

Staff said they will return to the board with the EECBG contract details and the CPACE implementation materials for file and called out that the county’s overall ARPA budget is close to fully allocated for intended projects. Commissioners asked staff to continue monitoring federal shutdown impacts on intergovernmental revenues and to return with more detailed cash‑flow and capital plans in November.