Alexander County is preparing for a branding initiative in the coming months. At the January 6th meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners, Public Information Officer Gary Herman presented information about branding, website redesign, and a mobile app.
Herman said that County Manager Todd Herms had asked him to research the topics and work with county staff to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) to seek a marketing firm to assist with brand development and implementation.
“The right marketing firm will help us develop and implement a comprehensive branding strategy with the goal of establishing a distinct, strong, and resilient brand for Alexander County,” said Herman.
He said that branding can include a variety of things, including but not limited to, a mission statement, color palette, county logo, tagline, design standards, document templates, and more.
“It’s about crafting an identity that is representative of Alexander County while making a positive impression on our residents, visitors, and businesses,” he said.
Herman stated that community engagement would be a key part of the branding process to gather input from the public, county departments, businesses, and other stakeholders to ensure buy-in from the community.
In addition to the branding initiative, the county is also considering a website redesign and a mobile app. The app would allow the county to push information notifications to citizens in a quick and easy manner.
Herman related that the RFP could be issued in late January or early February. Once the responses are received, the county could then choose a firm and the desired scope of services.
“The selected firm would work with county staff and leadership throughout the process, which would require months of work to develop and implement,” said Herman.
Chairman Marty Pennell asked if the county has ever participated in a branding initiative. Herman said no formal branding has been completed for the county to his knowledge.
Commissioners gave the green light to proceed with the Request for Proposals. Herman said he will report back with cost estimates, which can be discussed during the 2025-2026 county budget process.
In other business:
• Commissioners approved two budget amendments as presented by County Manager Todd Herms. The first amendment increases general fund expenditures by a total of $89,200 in order to increase the Information Technology Department budget for federal Homeland Security grant funds for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, to increase the Register of Deeds budget to use restricted funds from the Automation Enhancement and Preservation funds, and to increase the Detention Center budget for estimated medical supplies and inmate medical bills. The second amendment increases general fund expenditures by a total of $81,941 to increase the Department of Social Services budget for state funding allocations related to Hurricane Helene recovery efforts and for donations for the DSS Angel Tree program that were higher than projected.
• During the public comment period, several Alexander Central High School students spoke in favor of having a swimming pool facility in Alexander County. They mentioned the need for swimming lessons and safety, the health benefits of exercising in a pool, the need for a pool for the high school swim team, economic benefits, and more.
• Commissioners approved four road names as presented by GIS Administrator Lisa Harrington. New road names include Grassy Creek Lane (off NC Hwy. 16 North), Lelyn Woods Lane (off Lelyn Drive), Tippy Drive (off Walter Street), and Tucker Mountain Road (off Carl Fox Road).
The next meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners is set for Monday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m. at the CVCC Alexander Center for Education (room #103). Regular meetings are recorded and can be viewed on the county’s Government Channel on Spectrum channel 192 or the county’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/alexandercountync. Meeting agendas, minutes, videos, and more are available on the county’s website at https://alexandercountync.gov/commissioners.