In June of 2023, the city of Roanoke Rapids appealed a superior court ruling in favor of Halifax County on 911 funding to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Thus far there has been no ruling but attorneys on both sides continue to believe the matter will be addressed by the higher court.

“I can tell you once again (and) I can get tired of saying it — we still do not have a decision from the court of appeals in our matter with the city of Roanoke Rapids,” County Attorney Glynn Rollins told commissioners during their meeting Monday. “They just issued opinions last week. They’ll issue another round of opinions on January the 15th. We’ll keep hoping that we get a decision soon one way or another.”

Asked by board Chair Vernon Bryant whether the matter could have fallen through the cracks, Rollins said, “I highly, highly doubt that. I suspect that they’re just having a really hard time with a very original issue and I think that’s what it’s really about.”

Following Tuesday’s Roanoke Rapids City Council meeting City Attorney Geoffrey Davis said, “I’m not precisely sure. You’re kind of reading tea leaves to try to look at what the reasons behind things are.”

Davis does believe it is an issue “that would have a heavy impact regardless of how they decided. If they decide in the city’s favor it may have a big effect on other local governments. If they decide in the county’s favor it may have a big effect on other local governments. There could be a potential dramatic effect to come from it and I can understand they want to make sure they want to get it right or as close to right as they can.”

Taking the 911 funding matter to a higher court comes from a superior court ruling in January of 2023 that the city is obligated to pay a portion of the county’s personnel costs for operating the county 911 center.

At the time of the superior court ruling the county had invoiced the city in the amount of $203,431.50 for its share of the local cost of operating the central communications center, based upon the percentage of the calls taken and dispatched on behalf of the city in calendar year 2021. 

On June 29, 2021, the city gave a 12-month notice to the county that it would cease its financial support of the Halifax County Central Communications Center effective July 1, 2022.