Gastonia City Council Meeting: June 3, 2025 Budget, Juneteenth, Stormwater Actions

The Gastonia City Council met on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Gaston County Courthouse Public Forum Room. The meeting included a presentation on the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, public comments on the FY2026 budget and Juneteenth equity, approval of a stormwater ordinance update, a contract for Juneteenth events, and a contentious debate that resulted in tabling the FY2026 annual budget vote to the June 17 meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously: minutes of May 20, 2025; agreement with HealthNet Gaston for Continuum of Care funding ($65,000 from CDBG); HOME Consortium renewal; contract with Schneider Electric for enterprise license ($96,000); contract amendment with KCI Associates for Hurricane Helene assessment ($29,659); cancellation of the July 1, 2025 council meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mark (budget critic): Argued the budget is not lean due to spending on apparel, meals, travel, and ballpark operations while local groups are denied support. Called for delaying the vote, reopening the public hearing, and adopting a budget that reflects community priorities. Referenced TriBridge Residential incentives and a developer’s comment about resident apathy.
• Mr. Tamborella: Questioned whether proposed changes (tax rate cut, utility rate freeze, salary hold) were reflected in the budget. Noted that a one-cent tax cut is only 0.25% of the budget and urged the council not to vote that night.
• Leonard Martin: Criticized the mayor’s language at a prior meeting and accused Councilwoman Barber of moving community events to her own ward for personal gain. Raised concerns about a street repair issue on Dauphin Lane in Ward 4 and alleged unfair contracting with Tasha White.
• Tasha White (Health Carolina founder): Thanked council for absorbing in-kind costs for Thursday, June 19 (Juneteenth), but noted Health Carolina still owes $9,270 in city staffing fees for the Saturday, June 14 parade and festival, plus $5,500 for fireworks. Argued that black-led nonprofits face barriers compared to city-sponsored events.
• Paul Lawrence: Urged the council to delay the budget vote, stating the process has been rushed and lacks clarity. Questioned whether the council has provided clear direction to staff on budget expectations.
• Highland Festival representative: Requested fair treatment and fewer required police officers for long-standing community events with no incident history.

Presentations

• E.1 – 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2026 Annual Action Plan (HUD): Presented by Zsuzsi Kadar and Jessica Fisch. Overview of needs assessment, community engagement (83 survey responses, 19 stakeholder interviews, 3 focus groups, 2 public hearings). Five-year goals include safe/affordable housing ($1.8M CDBG, $3.1M HOME), homeless assistance ($400K CDBG), demolition, public facilities, and services. Year 1 resources: ~$570K CDBG + program income, ~$690K HOME + program income. Councilmembers Gallagher and Littlejohn questioned outcomes, accountability, and youth funding. Councilman Walker raised concerns about administrative costs (20% of allocation) and ineffective homeless spending. The plan was approved 5-2.

Committee Reports

• G.1 – Arts Committee (Jennifer Stepp): Update on grant guideline revisions, completed public art projects, rotating showcase at Rotary Pavilion, and event budgets. No actionable items.
• G.2 – Recreation Advisory Commission (Donyel Barber): Report on maintenance operations covering 700+ acres of parks with 41 employees. Highlighted savings from in-house work. Encouraged resident partnership on litter control.

Discussion Items

• I.1 – Juneteenth Festival Contract (HELP Carolina): City Attorney Eric Edgerton sought direction on scope (one day vs. two days) and whether to cover only in-kind services or also expenses like fireworks. Councilwoman Littlejohn moved to cover both days and all expenses (including fireworks up to $5,500) this year, with future years as a single-day city event. Councilwoman Stepp seconded. After discussion (Councilman Gallagher preferred one day, in-kind only; compromise reached to cover in-kind for two days and fireworks up to $5,500), the motion carried unanimously.
• I.2 – Stormwater Ordinance Update (Chapter 14): Stormwater Administrator Danon Lawson presented amendments: redefining redevelopment credits (post-2008), clarifying low/high density, increasing detention requirements from 2/10-year to 2/25-year storm (27,000 gallons per impervious acre), allowing stormwater control measures in floodplains with conditions, and improving operation/maintenance guidance. Council members asked about enforcement (180-day compliance period, teeth via fee schedule), maintenance of retention ponds, and impact on future development. Approved unanimously.
• I.5 – Condemnation Proceedings at 2465 South New Hope Road: City Attorney Edgerton requested authorization to acquire right-of-way for a turn lane as part of a traffic impact analysis; developer will cover costs. Approved unanimously.
• I.3 & I.4 – FY2026 Annual Budget and Consolidated Fee Schedule: City Manager Michael Peoples presented the amended budget reflecting council’s May 20 direction: tax rate cut to 46 cents (lowest since 1994), suspension of 5% water/sewer rate increase. Reductions include $1.13M total (salary increase from 4% to 3% + 1% career development, cuts to planning, arts, travel, etc.). Multiple council members debated. Councilman Gallagher and Councilwoman Barber favored passing the budget that night, citing staff effort and due diligence since January. Councilman Casupius called for a delay to request line-item budgets and reopen the public hearing. Councilwoman Stepp and Councilwoman Littlejohn supported delaying, noting citizen concerns and need for more detail. A motion to table items I.3 and I.4 until the June 17 meeting, with council to submit specific questions to the budget officer by 5:00 PM June 4, passed 5-2.

Key Outcomes

• Consolidated Plan (E.1): Approved 5-2 (motion by ?, second by ?).
• Consent Agenda (H.1–H.5): Approved unanimously.
• Juneteenth Contract (I.1): Approved unanimously as amended: city covers in-kind services for both June 14 and June 19, plus fireworks up to $5,500; future years to be single-day city event.
• Stormwater Ordinance (I.2): Approved unanimously.
• Condemnation (I.5): Approved unanimously.
• FY2026 Budget & Fee Schedule (I.3 & I.4): Tabled to June 17, 2025. Motion to reopen public hearing and continue discussion passed 5-2. Councilmembers must submit specific information requests to the budget officer by 5:00 PM on June 4, 2025. A special meeting may be called if needed to approve the budget before July 1.

Other Reports

• City Attorney’s Report (J): Brief update on contracts for Juneteenth and senior advisory commission. Noted his family has moved into Gastonia.
• City Manager’s Report (K): Announced population estimate of 85,535, a 1.54% increase.
• Council Reports (L): Councilmembers shared community events, ride-alongs, and Mayor Pro Tem Curlin announced he will not seek re-election in fall 2025.
• Announcements (M): Upcoming meetings include a joint city-county meeting June 17, Citizens Academy graduation, and Juneteenth celebrations June 14 and 19.