The board approved the request from the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District to release $100,000 of the system's lottery funds.

That money, according to documents in the agenda packet, will be used for the relocation of overhead power lines at the Patterson site to build a track, soccer field and tennis courts.

Robbie Clements, facilities director for the school system, said the lines will be relocated to the back alley off school property.

Forest Service requests

In another matter today, the board approved a $4,000 appropriation to the state Forest Service, which will go along with a $6,000 state appropriation to help the county ranger station outside Scotland Neck get through the remainder of its fiscal year.

“Over the past seven years the North Carolina Forest Service Halifax County budget has remained essentially the same,” county Ranger Jim Short and District 5 Forester Robert Lipford wrote in documents laying the groundwork for the request.

Costs, however, have continued to increase in nearly every category. “In three of the past seven years, we have not been able to stay within the budget. In the other four years we have only been able to meet budget due to vacancies.”

Now at full staff, the report says, the fiscal year 2013-2014 forced the agency to subsidize the Halifax County operation out of other budgets. “A $1,000 cost of living raise mandated by the state legislature in July 2014 put us in an even worse position for the 2014-2015 budget year.”

As a result, according to the report, the adjustment shifted about $5,000 — $2,000 from the county budget — from the operating budget to salary and benefits. “We have cut spending to the bone and still project that we will have zero operating budget by April 1.”

Lipford said the money approved will cover gas and utilities costs.