Winston-Salem Finance Committee Meeting – December 9, 2025
Winston-Salem Finance Committee Meeting – December 9, 2025
The Finance Committee of the City of Winston-Salem met on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 4:56 PM. Chair Robert C. Clark presided with all four members present (Council Member Clark, Mayor Pro Tempore Denise D. Adams via Zoom, Council Member Annette Scippio, and Council Member James Taylor Jr.). The committee approved the consent agenda unanimously, recommended approval of a federal grant for historic documentation in East Winston, received an update on the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) renewal process, and discussed the proposed Axon police technology contract and a firefighter compensation classification study—both items not on the formal agenda but raised by the chair due to their significant financial impact.
Consent Calendar
- C-1: Resolution authorizing a sole source contract for bomb robot refurbishment (Peraton-Remotec, $215,000). Unanimously recommended for approval to City Council.
- C-2: Resolution accepting the Certified Local Government Grant for the Distiller’s House Roof Restoration at Historic Bethabara Park. Unanimously recommended for approval.
- C-3: Consideration of items related to the Fairlawn Drive Sidewalks Project: resolution awarding construction contract to Atlantic Contracting Company, Inc. ($1,237,733) and ordinance amending the FY2025-2026 budget. Unanimously recommended for approval.
- C-4: Approval of the Finance Committee Summary of Minutes from October 14, 2025. Approved by consent vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the meeting.
Discussion Items
G-1: Resolution Accepting Underrepresented Communities Grant for East Winston Urban Renewal Documentation and Mars Hill Baptist Church National Register Update
- Kelly Bennett (Principal Planner) and Michelle McCullough (Historic Resources Officer) presented the grant, totaling $75,000 from the National Park Service with a 2.8-year timeline. The grant’s match is provided through staff time. McCullough explained that the project will survey approximately 629 properties within the East Winston General Neighborhood Renewal Plan area (1950s-1970s) and update the National Register nomination for Mars Hill Baptist Church (originally listed in 1999) to reflect its African American congregation history. Council Member Scippio expressed strong support, noting the importance of documenting African American history in the city, especially as living witnesses age. She offered to connect staff with surviving residents. The committee voted unanimously to recommend approval to City Council.
G-2: Update on Downtown Winston-Salem Business Improvement District (BID)
- Ben Rowe (Assistant City Manager) presented a status update on the BID, formally known as a Municipal Service District. The district’s additional property tax rate is 9 cents per $100 valuation (unchanged since creation in 2013), projected to generate approximately $765,000 in FY2025-2026. The current contract with the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership expires June 30, 2026. Rowe outlined the scope of enhanced services (cleaner environment, marketing, development, physical appearance) and the planned renewal timeline: public input begins December 10–early next week; a public hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2026; the RFP will be advertised January 12; proposals will be reviewed in February; and a recommendation will go to the General Government Committee in March, with council approval anticipated by July 1, 2026. No action was taken; the update was for information only.
Axon Police Technology Contract (Informational Discussion)
- City Manager Pate briefed the committee on a proposed 10-year, $4.3 million per year contract with Axon for police technology (body-worn cameras, in-vehicle cameras, drones, tasers, records management, real-time crime center integration, etc.). The city currently spends about $1.7 million annually on these services. Pate explained that the state requires evidence retrieval through Axon products, and a combined contract offers a discount of about $26 million off the “rack rate.” The city would need to sign a non-binding letter of intent with a non-appropriation clause to lock in prices before January 2026; the council retains budget authority. Chair Clark expressed frustration at the 150%+ cost increase, calling it “criminal” and questioning the lack of competition. Council Member Scippio asked if the contract includes a cost-decrease clause (it does not; it is flat for 10 years). Pate noted staff will explore a la carte alternatives and compare pricing with other cities. No formal action was taken; the item will be further considered during the FY2026-2027 budget process.
Firefighter Compensation Classification Study (Informational Discussion)
- City Manager Pate outlined the results of a market study (conducted by PTRC) for sworn firefighter positions. The study found that current pay ranges are 8–10% below market due to a hybrid pay structure. Proposed changes include eliminating subclassifications (e.g., associates/bachelor’s degrees) and setting a single pay range per title, with a minimum of $51,000 for Firefighter I (currently $46,978). The maximum is slightly above market at $79,905 versus $74,440. Implementation would require council to adopt new ranges and appropriate additional funds from fund balance. Pate noted that a full cost analysis is pending, including a benefits comparison and compression adjustments. Council Member Scippio urged a thorough, individual-based review to ensure fairness. The study also sets a precedent for other city positions (2,500 permanent employees). No action was taken; staff will return with specific funding requests.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda (C-1 through C-4): Approved unanimously (4-0) and recommended to City Council for January 5, 2026.
- G-1 (Underrepresented Communities Grant): Motion by Council Member Scippio, seconded by Council Member Taylor; recommended for approval to City Council (unanimous).
- G-2 (BID Update): Received as information; next steps will proceed per the outlined timeline.
- Axon Contract: No decision made. The city will proceed with signing a non-binding letter of intent with a non-appropriation clause to preserve pricing; final contract approval and funding will be part of the FY2026-2027 budget deliberation.
- Fire Classification Study: No vote. Staff will bring forward a formal proposal for new pay ranges and implementation costs (estimated to be substantial) for committee and council consideration in January–February 2026, with a goal to implement before the next firefighter academy class (March–April 2026).
The meeting adjourned at 4:56 PM.
Meeting Transcript
I lead the band to a good good old Creole beast and golly water spirit and you can only hear it a downtown face and see your kids will disappear and when you hear Hallelujah old Santa is there when it's Christmas time and new Yes when is Christmas time it's Christmas time in New Holly Oh holy night the stars are brightly shine it is the night of the dear saviors birth long lay the world in sin and air upon till he appeared and the soul felt his word a thrill the weary will rejoice for yonder place a new and glorious morning for me oh here the angel voice says oh now when Christ was born oh now oh night oh now when Christ was born oh night oh night you're watching WSTV digital media can you hear me better now I got a rough crowd in here today we have police here to get rough I'll call to order the December meeting of the finance committee of the city clerk will please call the roll chairman council member clerk here vice chair mayor pray Tim Adams here council member Sipio present and council member Taylor okay we're here as usual we will do the consent first are there any items anyone would want to be pulled off of consent Mr. We have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Didi, you go like this or that. Did you votes aye as well? That is approved. Thank you very much. We will now go to the general agenda. We have two items. The church city clerk will please approve G1. Item G1 resolution accepting the underrepresented communities grant for East Winston Herbal Renewal Documentation and Mars Hill Baptist Church National Register update. Okay. Mr. Bennett, are you gonna approve present this to us? Yes, I'm gonna go right ahead. Thank you. Um we recently received notice from the National Park Service that we would be receiving a 75,000 dollar uh grant under the underrepresented communities grant for the East Winston Urban Renewal Area and the Mars Hill Baptist Church for a national register update. Um this type of grant supports the survey, inventory, and designation of historic areas that are not on the national register yet. Um given them a 2.8 year timeline, and then the match is in the is in the form of staff time uh to manage the grant. Uh you can see the um grant area on the right, and this was the East Winston General Neighborhood Renewal Plan that was started in the 1950s and ended in the 1970s, and this is that urban renewal uh time period. Um I have Michelle McCullough, our one of our historic resources officers here with me. And she can tell you a little bit more why we applied for this and how the project will work. Ms. McCullough, you please come forward. Thank you. Councilmember Clark, Mayor Joyce, Councilmembers, thank you for letting me come here today. Um we are excited about receiving this. Um staff had gone to a conference in Florida and found out from the uh woman who runs the program, the underrepresented community grant. She says, I have millions of dollars sitting here. Will somebody please apply for some money for some projects? So we came back and we looked at our our needs, and as you know, we have a pragmatic agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office where our historic resources staff reviews all of our HUD-funded projects so that like our housing and neighborhood services department does. Instead of them having to send them to Raleigh and sit there for 30 days, we get to review those and we can expedite that process. Well, one of the issues we've been running into in the East and Northeast ward is um our survey is from the the late 70s, early 80s of our African American resources, and when we updated the Winston Salem survey, we we found some more things, but we really wanted to do look at a target look at at this area to make sure that we have things documented and that we're getting things um properly watched after that need to be. So that's why we use the um the urban renewal areas again. It's not an arbitrary back boundary, it is literally what they used back in the 50s and 60s for that area, and this is just the first step. Again, urban renewal was in many other areas, but for East Winston, this is the section, the first like actually three sections. Um that's why that area was chosen. The grant requires us that um a point that the final product, we can do some survey work, which is really what we wanted to do with this area, but it has to end in either a national register nomination or an amendment to an existing nomination. And here in North Carolina, the national register process is a two-step process. You have to get on the study list of North Carolina first, which can take a year or two, and then you do your national register. So, right there, we wouldn't be able to qualify for this funds because we wouldn't get to that end, that finishing line. We need to that we're required to. So we had to amend a nomination, and the nominations that we had, there were only three in this area, and Mars Hill was one of those, and again, this is one of those urban renewal maps with that outline there. Um, and Mars Hill was one of those areas and one of those national register applications that already was listed in 1999. There is another church, Golder Metropolitan, um, AME Zion, and then the Reynolds Town District, which had just been nominated in 2007-2008. So that was fairly new. In my world, that's fairly new. Um, but we chose Mars Hill because when it was documented in 1999, it had only been an African American congregation for four years.
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