The Stanly County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved on Monday accepting grant funds, along with adding in some additional local money, earmarked for a new 911 and Emergency Operations Center.

E-911 Director Kyle Griffin said the grant from the state 911 board was for $2.4 million.

Griffin received an additional $30,000 in local funds for professional expenses not covered by the grant, specifically the grant administrators.

In a work session prior to the regular meeting, Commissioner Bill Lawhon asked if the grant money was for a building.

“It can be used for a building and the portion of the building that the 911 center is going to be in or staff of the 911 center will be using: training room, offices, break room,” County Manager Andy Lucas said.

Lucas said the county received an additional $1 million from the N.C. General Assembly last summer which will be used for 911 equipment and infrastructure.

When asked by Commissioner Trent Hatley what the overall costs of the project would be, Lucas said he would hopefully have the number before the board’s next meeting Jan. 20, but guessed it would be between $10 million and $12 million. He said with an additional warehouse at the new facility, the cost could rise to $15 million.

Lucas said the county will be able to pay $6.5 million of the project in cash in addition to the $2.4 million in grant money and the $1 million from the General Assembly.

“You won’t have to borrow the whole amount for that building,” Lucas said. “It’s got to be designed to be the last building standing in Stanly.”

Lucas said the $1 million from the state assembly had to be spent by Dec. 31, 2026, but the other money had a longer time because of construction. He noted the building will have to have a lot of information technology (IT) infrastructure.

When asked by Lawhon about the cash flow with the 911 center and the proposed expansion of the county jail, Lucas said he did not believe the county could stay revenue-neutral and build the jail.

“It’s not so much building the jail as it is staffing the jail,” Lucas said.

Items like the jail, the 911 center and other projects will likely be among the topics discussed for next year’s budget at the board’s upcoming budget retreat, set for Feb. 21.