# Lee County Board of Commissioners Meeting - September 21, 2026

At its September 21, 2026 meeting, the Lee County Board of Commissioners approved a performance-based incentive agreement for Project Paragon, a proposed advanced-manufacturing facility. The agreement provides up to 12 annual grants equal to 80% of the company’s ad valorem taxes, estimated by staff at approximately $46 million, subject to the company meeting investment, wage, and employment requirements. The project is expected to involve at least approximately $1.2 billion in investment; public commenters raised questions about the incentive’s cost, performance guarantees, and accountability. The board also approved submission of FY28 transit grant applications and the associated local matches: $41,064 for administration and $17,175 for mobility management, with a capital application seeking replacement of two vehicles. Commissioner Davidson recused from the transit matter. The board approved Evergreen Solutions’ performance-audit proposal for a fee not to exceed $149,000, funded through a budget amendment from fund balance, and authorized the county manager to sign the contract and purchase order after legal review.

The board discussed a school capital grant application, but the transcript does not clearly capture a final vote or resolve whether the county would be obligated to accept an award; staff agreed to verify the grant terms. The county manager reported that a $9,150 proposal for courthouse foundation cleaning had received state historic-preservation approval, and that Equinox Environmental was selected to update the farmland protection plan using $74,000 in grant and private funds. Sanford Contractors’ general-services expansion project was scheduled to begin October 1, with an estimated one-year duration; library parking design work and other facility projects were also reported. Public commenters urged a temporary moratorium on data-center development and stronger rules addressing water, power, noise, and environmental impacts; no moratorium action was recorded. A pet-grooming text amendment and a subdivision matter were also heard, with the subdivision tabled for further discussion.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Professional Services, Construction & Infrastructure, Transportation
**Topics:** Grants & Funding, Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** September 21, 2026

### Sources
- [Lee County Board of Commissioners Meeting - September 21, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4-QTPWNMfc) - Lee County, NC Government