PITTSBORO, NC At a Board of Commissioners meeting on May 3, the Chatham County Manager s Office unveiled the proposed fiscal year 2021-22 budget of $149.9 million. The proposed budget is based on an adjusted tax rate of 66.5 cents, down o.50 cents, and focuses on the county s school priorities and preparations for growth.
Chatham County Manager Dan LaMontagne said the department discussed the need for properly prepared growth over several years.
If you’re not a subscriber, please support local journalism and consider a subscription. As a county, we are now at the point that the rapid growth and development we have long expected is happening,” said Chatham County Manager Dan LaMontagne. “Throughout this budget, you will see that we are focused on ensuring that the development that is occurring is well monitored and aligns with the long-term vision that Plan Chatham has laid out for Chatham County.”
Chatham Commissioners Hear Water Utility Update, Discuss Sales Tax Revenue
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners considered sustainable water and wastewater utility services at its work session on Monday, following discussion by the town of Pittsboro re-addressing the issue of its notorious drinking water contamination.
The board heard a presentation from Charles Archer of Freese and Nichols, a privately-owned engineering, planning and consulting firm hired to explore Pittsboro’s and the county’s options in addressing water issues. Archer previously presented to Pittsboro and Sanford, as the presented study was commissioned by the municipalities.
“The purpose of this study was to look at opportunities for economies of scale to work together obviously it’s a lot more affordable when local governments can work together,” Archer said on Monday. “And we did know that Chatham County and Sanford have a history of working together on utility projects.”
Valuation Increases For 77% Of Chatham County’s Parcels, Combined Value Of All Properties Goes Up 18%
More than three-fourths of the nearly 46,000 Chatham properties assessed in the county’s state-mandated reappraisal process saw valuations increase, but so far officials say requests for appeals of those valuations has been “underwhelming.”
Meanwhile, Chatham County’s tax office is manning the phones and checking email to assuage concerns and fight misinformation arising from the revaluation notices, which were mailed out on March 26.
The total overall valuation of parcels in Chatham County, when finalized, may show an increase by as much as 18%, according to Tax Administrator Jenny Williams, with 77% of parcels having gone up in value and 23% having gone down.
Personal Info Posted Online After North Carolina County Ransomware Attack February 24, 2021
An investigation into a ransomware attack on a North Carolina county’s computer network showed personal information posted for sale on the “dark web,” the county said.
The Chatham County network was hit on Oct. 28 with ransomware that originated in a phishing email with a malicious attachment, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported last week. It encrypted much of the county’s network infrastructure and associated business systems, the county announced.
County spokeswoman Kara Dudley said the hacker sent a ransom note asking for 50 bitcoins, or about $2.4 million. The county refused to pay.
County Rejects Ransom Demand. Hackers Expose Sensitive Data An October cyberattack on Chatham County’s computer network tried to extort $2.4 million, but the North Carolina county refused to pay. An investigation found the hackers posted personal data for sale on the “dark Web.” Tammy Grubb, The Herald-Sun | February 17, 2021 | News
(TNS) An investigation into October s cyber attack on Chatham County, N.C., s computer network has uncovered personal information posted for sale on the dark web.
The network was hit Oct. 28 with a DoppelPaymer ransomware that originated in a phishing email with a malicious attachment, County Manager Dan LaMontagne said. It encrypted much of the county s network infrastructure and associated business systems, the county said in a news release. Staff was able to isolate the affected systems.