Why didn't Valdese pursue grant funding for its public safety building?

Years of changing plans and delays added an estimated $3.5 million to the cost of Valdese’s new public safety building, according to Town Manager Todd Herms, who said the town pursued multiple funding options before ultimately approving a $10 million loan.

The explanation comes as questions persist about why Valdese is borrowing millions for its new police and fire headquarters while nearby Granite Falls is constructing a fire station with state grant funding.

Former councilman Glenn Harvey is one such community member who is asking questions.

Granite Falls aims to start construction early next year on a new fire station estimated to cost less than $5 million — fully funded by a State Capital Infrastructure Fund grant. The town also finalized the purchase of two new fire trucks using a second state grant worth $3.65 million.

Valdese’s public safety facility has a price tag of about $11.5 million. It should be noted, though, that the public safety facility will house both the police and fire departments.

“Comparing the Town of Granite Falls’ fire station project to the Town of Valdese’s public safety building project is unfair and, frankly, misleading,” Herms said. “The two towns took very different paths. Granite Falls remained steadfast in its commitment to constructing a new facility, while Valdese changed direction several times over the course of several years trying to find the best possible solution.”

DISCUSSION DATING BACK TO 2018

The public safety facility project has been in the works since 2018 when a structural engineer completed a study of the building at 121 Faet St. SW. The council at the time then held a special called meeting to present the findings at the Old Rock School on Jan., 31 2019.

The council then consisted of Mayor John F. “Chip” Black Jr., J. Andrew Thompson (Ward 1), Susan Stevenson (Ward 2), Roy F. Sweezy (Ward 3), Frances Hildebran (Ward 4), and Keith Ogle (Ward 5).

CHANGING MINDS

Town managers, mayors, and councils have changed several times since then, and so has the direction of the project, with officials swinging between renovation and new construction.

But in December 2023, the town’s elected leaders voted to pause the project altogether, and reject a USDA loan funding a new building to pursue additional studies evaluating different locations and construction options, Herms said.

According to archived town minutes from Dec. 18, 2023, formal action was not required to back out of the USDA loan.

This happened during the newly elected council’s second meeting. Harvey, Gary Ogle, and Heather Ward had campaigned together as a slate called “WHO,” representing Ward, Harvey, and Ogle. All three won seats on the town council, while Mayor Charlie Watts and council members Paul Mears and Rexanna Lowman were reelected.

In Harvey’s Oct. 7, 2023 candidate questionnaire answers published in The Paper, he said the — at the time — $7.2 million project to construct a new building put Valdese on the path to financial disaster. Harvey called for hiring a third party architectural and engineering firm to reevaluate whether the old building could be renovated.

Between 2024 and 2026, engineering and architectural contracts were canceled, paused, rebidded, and restarted multiple times, Herms said, and as the project dragged out, costs continued to rise.

In the summer of 2024, the old public safety building on Faet Street was condemned, forcing both the fire and police departments into temporary locations. That created an even greater need for a new facility, Herms said.

“In the years that followed, Valdese continued to request state and federal funding for the construction of a public safety building. Unfortunately, following Hurricane Helene, the funding available through direct appropriations was nowhere near as substantial as it had been just a couple of years earlier,” Herms said.

By the end of 2025, Herms said Valdese had spent approximately $1.2 million on architectural, engineering, property and land acquisitions, feasibility studies, and other project-related costs “without ever putting a shovel in the ground.”

Finally, in August 2026, the town council voted 4-1 to take out a $10 million loan through the Local Government Commission (LGC) that would fund most of the $11.5 million project.

The current council — who made this final decision — consists of Mayor Keith Huffman, Shannon Radabaugh (Ward 1), Melinda Zimmerman (Ward 2), Lowman (Ward 3), Gary Ogle (Ward 4), and Heather Ward (Ward 5). Former council member Harvey did not run for reelection in 2025.

Huffman, Radabaugh, Zimmerman, and Lowman ran on a block and promised to complete the public safety facility project.

Ward was the dissenting vote due to ongoing concerns about the town’s debt load.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON NEW FACILITY

Ground broke on the project on Sept. 14, and it is expected to be complete by July 2028.

“This project has been a hot topic in the Valdese community for several years, and I certainly understand that people have different opinions about a project of this size,” Herms said. “Over the years, the town has thoroughly researched and explored virtually every possible path forward, including numerous alternatives, proposals, and suggestions brought forward by elected officials, members of the general public, different staff members, and other interested parties.

“Considerable time, effort, and resources have been devoted to evaluating these options in an effort to identify the most practical and financially responsible solution for the community.”

Herms said it is important to consider differing perspectives and fully evaluate options, but “there is also a cost associated with continued delays.”

Herms said the delays resulted in approximately $3.5 million in additional construction costs and a higher interest rate on financing. He said the comparison is between the original USDA financing proposed in 2023 and the amount ultimately borrowed in 2026.

“I firmly believe that we must recognize where we are today, learn from the decisions and actions of the past, and focus on moving forward together. We cannot change what has already happened, but we can certainly influence what happens next. Our focus should be on what lies ahead, not on what is behind us, and on working together to make the best possible decisions for the future of Valdese,” Herms said.

Herms said it is important to remember why the project is necessary.

“This is not simply about constructing a new building. It is about providing our police officers and firefighters with the facilities and resources they need to serve and protect our community,” Herms said.

Currently, the police department’s operations are split between Town Hall and the old public safety building. The fire department operates in the old building and a mobile trailer behind it. Neither is fully equipped with everything they need, but are as efficient as they can be with what they have, both chiefs have said.

“We are not going to agree on every decision, nor should we expect to,” Herms said. “But disagreement should not prevent us from working together for the good of the community. Valdese has far too much potential for us to spend our time continually fighting battles of the past.”