Thursday, October 1, 2026
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CHERRYVILLE, NC (WNN) — In a year-long investigation by Wise News Network into the City of Cherryville's procurement process, the following was discovered. Records produced to Wise News Network for multiple City of Cherryville projects do not always clearly identify the work contractors were asked to price, the funding and purchase authorization for each expenditure, the quotes used to select vendors, or the permits obtained before work began.
The records do not, by themselves, establish that every project violated procurement law. They do, however, reveal repeated documentation gaps that make it difficult to determine whether City purchasing policy, North Carolina bidding law, and applicable grant requirements were consistently followed.
The nearly complete splash pad located beside the Cherryville Pool with a fence separating the two for safety. June 26, 2024 by Mason Beam (WNN)
Projects reviewed include the future police headquarters at 120 South Mountain Street, Community Building repairs, street paving, Fraley Field improvements, the City Hall Construction Manager-at-Risk project, Old City Hall museum renovations, the City splash pad, and the playground at the new gymnasium.
Cherryville's purchasing manual states that all departments must follow its procedures and maintain a complete audit trail. The manual generally requires purchase orders and three quotes beginning at $500, including written logs of verbal or telephone quotes. North Carolina law separately imposes informal and formal bidding requirements at higher statutory thresholds. Breakdowns for a few selected projects are as follows.
Future Cherryville Police Department Building - 120 S Mountain St, Cherryville, NC - June 18th, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
The most recent questions involve the City's future police headquarters at 120 South Mountain Street.
The City closed on the building on March 11, 2026, for approximately $1.125 million. During a February 24, 2026, City Council work session, council members were told funding would come from the City's General Fund and Electric Fund. Officials also discussed approximately $200,000 in renovations, bringing the estimated total project cost to about $1.3 million.
Police Chief Brandon Hunsucker later estimated the renovation was approximately 50 to 55 percent complete. However, records provided to WNN thus far do not include completed architectural drawings, engineered plans, or a full accessibility review showing the final scope and cost of converting the building into a police department.
Hunsucker said the project officially began when the City closed on the property. Work performed or planned includes construction of interior floor-to-ceiling partition walls; electrical installation; sheetrock installation and finishing; painting; flooring and carpeting; door-lock installation; internet and communications infrastructure; and generator installation upon delivery.
The current ground floor plan of the future Cherryville Police Department
Hunsucker said work resumed June 17 after a two- to three-week delay. He acknowledged that the project is behind his original schedule and said his original goal of moving into the building by mid-July is no longer achievable because the City is still awaiting architectural review.
City Manager Brian Dalton stated that a planned second-floor training room is not moving forward at this time and that the upstairs area will remain storage until an architect completes drawings.
"We have decided not to do the training room at this time," Dalton stated. "We are simply leaving this as storage at this point until the architect can get the drawings."
Dalton stated that an evidence-storage room does not require an elevator. WNN has not been provided with a written accessibility or code determination from the architect, engineer, or Gaston County confirming how the proposed second-floor use will be classified.
City officials have stated that the project has been needed for years and will serve the department and citizens for decades. However, the issue is whether the City completed sufficient architectural, engineering, accessibility, permitting, and cost review before purchasing the building and beginning substantial renovation work.
Without completed drawings, code review, and a finalized second-floor use, the full scope and final cost of the project remain unclear.
After receiving a news tip, WNN contacted Gaston County Inspections, even though renovation work had already begun. At that time, Gaston County Inspections had no permits on record for the project.
The City later provided a commercial electrical permit that was applied for and issued on June 16, 2026. The permit listed a project valuation of $21,000 and described the work as an "electrical permit request for 10 outlet/lighting locations."
The new generator pad at the new Cherryville Police Department - July 28, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
Gaston County confirmed that the June 16 electrical permit was the only permit issued for the police-building project as of publication, and that no building, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, generator-installation, or other permits were on record. The single-trade electrical permit STC-26-06-16-04337 lists the applicant as Keith Hoyle and the electrical contractor as Summey Garner. A new concrete generator pad and related conduit have already been installed at the property.
The timing raises questions about why work was underway before permitting and inspection requirements were fully documented and before complete design plans were finalized.
City officials maintain that three bids were obtained for the overall police department renovation project.
City Manager Brian Dalton during the City Manager's Report - Cherryville, NC City Council Regular Work Session - May 11, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
"I believe Chief Hunsucker sent you three bids for the project," Dalton stated.
Records reviewed by WNN show three overall pricing proposals associated with the renovation. However, the records do not appear to contain three quotes for every separately priced trade, purchase, or project component.
For example, records reviewed by WNN appear to show two generator quotes, one flooring proposal, and two pricing proposals associated with evidence lockers.
City officials have indicated that the project was treated as an overall renovation project rather than as separate bid packages for each trade. That may explain the City's position, but it does not resolve all questions regarding individual purchases, supporting documentation, permits, or final cost. Although the records include three overall pricing documents, WNN has not determined that all three contractors were pricing the same written scope. Without a common scope, specifications, or bid form, the documents cannot be readily compared as competing bids for the same renovation.
Questions have also been raised regarding the work performed at the Cherryville Community Building, located at 108 South Jacob Street.
Records and City responses reviewed by WNN indicate that Community Building work occurred during 2025 and involved upgrades and repair work. City officials previously described some pricing as verbal bids. They identified vendors, including Beam Co., Wright Painting, Steve Howell, and others.
Prior records reviewed by WNN included invoices for interior and exterior work, including those for H&M LLC and Beam Co. The work has also been discussed in connection with a $30,000 ABC Board distribution.
A city truck located outside of the Cherryville Community Building with debris from the remodel - October 13th, 2025
Mason Beam (WNN)
The kitchen of the Cherryville Community Building, partway through remodeling - October 13th, 2025
Mason Beam (WNN)
The main room of the Cherryville Community Building, partway through remodeling - October 13th, 2025
Mason Beam (WNN)
The central concern is documentation. Even if the City relied on verbal bids, the purchasing manual still requires that records be maintained. Verbal quotes can be part of an informal purchasing process. Still, without written quote logs, bid summaries, scopes of work, purchase orders, or other documentation, it becomes difficult for the public to verify how vendors were selected and whether City policy was followed.
The scope-of-work issue is also important. Without a written scope, it is difficult to determine whether vendors were asked to price the same work, whether quotes were comparable, or whether the City had a defined project budget before authorizing the work.
The City's explanation that the work was time-sensitive due to building rentals may explain the urgency, but it does not, by itself, answer whether the procurement file contains the documentation required by City policy.
The City's paving records appear to contain more documentation than those for some other projects reviewed. However, questions about scope and funding remain important.
Prior records reviewed by WNN indicate that paving work included Academy Street, Black Street, and West Carroll Street. The project was described as funded by Powell Bill funds. Records reviewed by WNN indicate that Custom Paving was awarded the paving work for approximately $237,730, with another bid from James Parker Construction and one contractor, Mike Still Grading, declining to bid. The final cost of the paving was approximately $365,000, according to City Manager Brian Dalton. The additional cost was for extending the paving on Academy Street to Mountain Street.
The newly paved portion of Black Street, where Cherryville's Recycling Center is located - December 12th, 2025
Mason Beam (WNN)
Paving on Academy Street in front of the First Presbyterian Church, Cherryville, NC. January 13th,2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
The records reviewed by WNN do not identify when the additional Academy Street work was authorized, who approved it, or how the added cost was calculated. Although the absence of those records does not establish that the work was unauthorized, it prevents the public from clearly tracing how the project increased from approximately $237,730 to approximately $365,000.
However, a complete paving file should also show the written scope and exact specifications: streets included, quantities, milling depth, asphalt type and thickness, patching, base repairs, striping, traffic control, drainage or manhole adjustments, completion deadlines, unit prices, and approval of any extra paving work.
Fraley Baseball Field raises different questions because public tourism funds, City involvement, American Legion Post 100, and field improvements overlap. Fraley Field is located next to the campus of Beam Intermediate School and is legally owned by Gaston County Schools.
Prior records reviewed by WNN indicate that, in 2025, Gaston County Tourism approved approximately $227,409 in funding for Fraley Field improvements.
Public records show the City of Cherryville received, administered, and helped direct public funds for construction and repair work.
Fraley Field also raised a specific permitting question involving an elevated covered deck, or wooden observation perch, in left field. The deck, as stated in public documents, will be used for dignitaries.
Fraley Field - Memorial Stadium - Cherryville, NC - June 26, 2026
The obsevation perch at the edge of the field - Fraley Field - Memorial Stadium - Cherryville, NC - June 26, 2026
Gaston County records show that permit number BLDC-25-12-01-02764 was issued on December 22, 2025, for the installation of three pre-engineered shade structures over existing bleachers at 212 North Pink Street. The permit listed Carolina Recreation and Design as the applicant and Caleb Mangum / Recreation and Design LLC as the contractor. The permit showed total fees of $1,206.47.
Inspection records show a footing inspection on January 21, 2026, required reinspection; additional footing inspections on January 22 and January 23 were partial passes; a January 29 footing inspection passed; and a February 18 framing inspection passed.
On April 9, 2026, a building final inspection required reinspection. The inspection comments stated that the canopies were okay, but that the deck in left field needed footing verification and clarification of use. The inspection also stated zoning was needed to show the elevated deck in left field.
A later April 17, 2026, building final inspection passed. Gaston County also issued a certificate of occupancy/compliance dated April 17, 2026, for the accessory structure permit (shade canopies).
The new shades over the seating - Fraley Field - Memorial Stadium - Cherryville, NC - June 26, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
However, an April 17 email in the county records stated that the covered wooden deck "came up once more," that the original solution had been to amend the shade permit to include the deck, and that the shade contractor said it was not responsible for the deck. County staff then described creating a separate permit for the deck.
The separate permit record listed BLDC-26-04-17-02934 for an "elevated, covered deck in left field," with the applicant listed as the City of Cherryville, with a back-dated issue date of 12-22-2025. The deck permit identifies no contractor and lists a project valuation of zero dollars. It is worth noting that a contractor, Drewery & Son Roofing, provided a $20,000 invoice dated January 14, 2026, for the wooden-covered deck.
The County email also stated: "However, I have no documentation regarding this structure as this was all discussed verbally."
The email indicates that County personnel did not have written documentation regarding the deck when the separate permit was issued. The zero-dollar valuation, the absence of a listed contractor, and the lack of written structural documentation raise questions about when the deck was built, who authorized it, and how the information entered on the permit was determined.
Records do not clearly show that the separate deck permit was independently inspected, finalized, or closed out with its own certificate of compliance. The records also do not identify any plans, footing documentation, or final approval specifically associated with permit BLDC-26-04-17-02934.
It is also unclear whether the Gaston County Board of Education approved the structures in accordance with the school-community agreement. WNN did not identify documentation showing how contractors were selected for the Tourism-funded work. The records produced do not include bid solicitations, requests for quotations, contractor evaluations, or other procurement records that document the contractor selection process.
The City Hall project involved a Construction Manager-at-Risk process, with an RFQ issued on April 9, 2025. City officials stated that two qualification packages were received: one from Beam Construction and one from Custom Building Systems.
In response to WNN's records requests, the City provided the qualification packages submitted by the two contractors. The City did not provide evaluation sheets, scoring records, ranking documents, interview notes, a written recommendation, a comparison of the competing firms, or documentation explaining why Beam Construction was selected over Custom Building Systems.
North Carolina law also requires the public owner to determine that using the Construction Manager-at-Risk method is in the project's best interest after comparing its advantages and disadvantages with separate-prime, single-prime, and dual-bidding construction methods. That determination belongs to the public owner and cannot be delegated.
Renovations on Cherryville, NC City Hall - July 31, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
Renovations on Cherryville, NC City Hall - July 31, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
WNN reviewed the City's published council minutes surrounding the April 9 RFQ and the selection of Beam Construction. WNN did not identify a council motion, resolution, vote, or recorded discussion that made the required best-interest determination or compared CM@R with the other statutory construction methods.
The May 12, 2025, City Council minutes state, under "Other Business," that City Manager Brian Dalton reported that Beam Construction had been awarded the CM@R contract for the City Hall improvements. The minutes do not record a motion, a second, a council vote, evaluation results, or council action approving the selection.
The absence of these materials from the records produced does not conclusively establish that the required evaluation or determination was never completed. However, City officials have stated that they provided all records responsive to WNN's requests. Based on that, WNN received only the two contractors' qualification packages and no City-generated documentation showing how the proposals were evaluated, how the contractor was selected, or how the City determined that CM@R was the most advantageous construction method.
The City Hall project has also been associated with approximately $810,000 in HUD funding. If federal grant funds are used for the project, the City's purchasing manual states that applicable federal procurement requirements must also be followed.
Once construction packages are issued, the CMAR must publicly advertise, prequalify and receive bids from first-tier subcontractors, publicly open the bids, and follow statutory award procedures. Because the project is still in progress, some subcontract-package records may not yet exist. The statutory best-interest determination had to occur before the City used the CM@R method. Although state law does not prescribe a particular document or resolution for recording that determination, WNN received no City-generated record showing when the determination was made, which delivery methods were compared, or how Beam Construction was evaluated and selected.
WNN has also identified permitting issues involving other City-related projects.
Those include 2025 renovations at the Old City Hall building, now associated with the Cherryville Historical Museum, at 109 East Main Street. Records reviewed by WNN indicate that demolition and renovation work began before the permit application(s) were reflected in Gaston County's records. The work reportedly included HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and demolition or disturbance of walls, ceilings, and other existing building materials.
WNN was informed by the construction manager that no asbestos or lead paint testing was performed before the demolition work began. One contractor reportedly refused to participate in the work because walls and ceilings were being demolished without prior environmental testing.
The Cherryville Historical Museum - Cherryville, NC - July 31, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
North Carolina guidance states that a North Carolina-accredited asbestos inspector must thoroughly inspect buildings before demolition or renovation activity begins. Federal asbestos regulations similarly require a thorough inspection of the affected area before renovation or demolition of institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings.
Questions have also been raised regarding the splash pad installed beside the City pool and the playground at the new gymnasium, including whether required permits were obtained and documented before work began. According to WNN research and Gaston County Code Enforcement, both projects were started without the necessary permitting.
The playground located at the Larry and Carolyn Summer Recreation Center - Cherryville, NC - August 6, 2026
Mason Beam (WNN)
Together, these projects raise a broader concern: whether the City of Cherryville consistently determines the code, inspection, environmental, and permitting requirements before work begins.
It is worth noting that the City of Cherryville's Policies and Procedures are somewhat dated. The City Purchasing & Procurement Manual is dated December 8, 2014, and the Employee Personnel Policy Manual is dated September 26, 2005. It is unclear whether these policies still comply with NC Statutes, given possible updates over the last 20-plus years. One example in the procurement manual states that the City elected to exempt architectural, engineering, and surveying projects under $300,000 from qualifications-based selection requirements. Current N.C.G.S. 143-64.32 permits a written exemption only when the estimated professional fee is less than $50,000.
City officials have stated that they provided all records responsive to WNN's requests. However, across the several projects WNN reviewed, several recurring issues appear: unclear or missing written scopes of work; incomplete quote logs or bid documentation; unclear funding-source and account records; work started before proper permits were obtained; uncertainty over whether contractors were pricing the same work; limited documentation showing how vendors were selected; and incomplete records showing project budgets, purchase orders, inspections, and final approvals.
These questions do not automatically prove that any specific project violated procurement law. However, they do show that the records provided to WNN do not always clearly document how public money was committed. Finally, based on the records produced, WNN could not verify that the City consistently obtained and documented the three price quotes called for by its purchasing manual.
This investigative article is just a sampling of city projects. WNN will continue to review City project records and request documentation related to scopes of work, funding sources, bid records, purchase orders, permits, inspections, and project approvals as necessary.
If you have any news tips or questions, please send them to newsdesk@wisenewsnetwork.com
See the record requests documents here.
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Contact WNN at newsdesk@wisenewsnetwork.com
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