News Flash

StreetFest & Fireworks Announces Lineup for Oct 14 Festival

Downtown Sanford StreetFest & Fireworks is excited to share the lineup for this year’s celebration, which will be October 14 this year.

This festival held annually on the second Saturday of October offers a full day of music and performances, more than...

Notice of October 3 Special Called City Council Meeting

The public shall take notice that Sanford City Council will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, in Council Chambers of the Sanford Municipal Center beginning at 1:00 p.m.

The meeting is being held at 1:00 p.m. to allow members of Cou...

City Creates New Process for Engineering Submittals

The City of Sanford’s Engineering Division has a new process for developers and design consultants to submit construction and record drawings for review and approval.

The new process will make it easier for the division to receive and track plans...

Depot Park to Close Soon for Building Renovation

Depot Park will soon close to the public as the City of Sanford renovates the depot building to ensure the historic and beloved structure remains a focal point for the community.

The depot building was built in 1910 to service passengers of three rail comp...

Sanford Breaks Ground on New Fire Station

The City of Sanford, ADW Architects, and Carolina Commercial Contractors broke ground on the Sanford Fire Department’s newest fire station on August 29.

The station, which will be the City’s fourth, is the first new municipal station si...

Registration for Bradford Pear Bounty Program Now Open for Lee County

The City of Sanford and NC Cooperative Extension - Lee County Center encourage residents and businesses in Sanford and Lee County to participate in the Bradford Pear Bounty Program.

The program allows any North Carolina property owner to exchange up to fiv...

NCDOT Publishes Transit Oriented Development Study

This press release from NCDOT is shared as a courtesy to our residents.

Communities along the S-Line rail corridor in central North Carolina now have plans and strategies to prepare for Transit Oriented Development, thanks to a study released this week by ...

Sanford Fire Department Receives $338K FEMA Grant

The Sanford Fire Department has been awarded $338,176.19 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), which focuses on enhancing the safety of firefighters and the communities they serve.

AFG fu...

City Earns Excellence Award for Financial Reporting

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Sanford for its annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR).

The Certificate...

Sanford and Pittsboro Sign Historic Utility Merger Agreement

At its August 1, 2023 regular meeting, Sanford City Council signed an interlocal agreement with the Town of Pittsboro to become the utility provider for Pittsboro. 

“This historic decision for the City of Sanford and Town of Pittsboro se...

City Set to Expand Water Filtration Facility with Partners

For two years, the City of Sanford, the Town of Fuquay-Varina, the Town of Holly Springs and the Town of Pittsboro have been in discussions regarding a regional partnership to meet each municipality's water needs now and into the future.

At the July 18, 20...

City Credits Team Effort for Cleaning Up The Prince

After years of battling crime and blight at The Prince Downtown motel, the City of Sanford, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), and neighboring Sanford residents and businesses have worked together to close it down permanently.

The Prince Downtow...

City of Sanford Rescinds Boil Water Advisory

The boil water advisory issued on Monday, July 10, 2023, has been lifted, effective immediately.

Samples drawn throughout the water distribution system yesterday determined that there was no bacterial contamination to the water supply. 

The City of...

Downtown Sanford Inc Awarded MSD Management Contract

At its May 23 regular meeting, Sanford City Council awarded Downtown Sanford, Inc. (DSI) another 5-year contract to manage the Downtown Sanford Municipal Service District (MSD).

In September 2015, the General Assembly amended NCGS 160A Art. 23 subjecting m...

City Seeks Applicants for Several Board Vacancies

The City of Sanford seeks applicants for several municipal boards, commissions, and committees. Members help make recommendations and decisions that better the lives of all residents.

The current vacancies are:

• One position on the Americans with Disabilitie...

Utility Service Rate Increases to Take Effect July 1

At its June 6, 2023 meeting, Sanford City Council approved the City of Sanford’s budget for fiscal year 2023-2024, which includes rate increases for water and wastewater users.

The City’s water rate will increase by 6 percent and its wa...

Sanford and Pittsboro Consider Utility Merger

Sanford City Council is continuing its progress toward being a regional utility system by exploring a utility merger with the Town of Pittsboro to provide for their water and wastewater needs.  

Currently, Sanford supplies water and wastewater ser...

Proposed Municipal Budget for FY 2023-2024 Now Available

Update: The FY 2023-2024 budget was approved as a proposed at the June 6, 2023 meeting of Sanford City Council. View the budget ordinance here.

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At the May 23,...

Public Hearing for the Downtown Sanford MSD Management Contract

Sanford City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 23 at 4:00 p.m. in the Buggy Conference Room of the Buggy Company Building to receive public input prior to entering into a contract with an outside agency to manage the Downtown Sanford Muni...

Arbor Day Foundation Names Sanford a 2022 Tree City USA

Sanford was named a 2022 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the tenth consecutive year to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management.

Sanford achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements:...

Kiwanis Family Park Splash Pad to Open Saturday

The City of Sanford will open the Kiwanis Family Park splash pad for the season this Saturday.

To celebrate opening day, the Sanford Parks Department will have face painting, a live DJ, and prize giveaways from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Lazy J’s...

Celebrate Piedmont Blues on May 13 in Depot Park

The City of Sanford Appearance Commission will celebrate the Piedmont Blues mural and the blues legends it depicts on Saturday, May 13 in Depot Park from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Floyd Council and Pink Anderson are the main focus of the mural. The men wer...

City Seeks Proposals for Downtown Sanford MSD Management

The City of Sanford has published a request for qualifications (RFQ) from firms and organizations interested in partnering with City staff to provide enhanced services to the Downtown Sanford Municipal Service District (MSD).

The City of Sanford has had a ...

City Announces 2023 Summer Music Series

The City of Sanford’s parks department has scheduled another summer of music to help families get outside and enjoy our local parks.

Bring your chairs or blankets and a meal to share. Even better: Pick up dinner at one of the many downtown eateri...

City Residents Donate to Sanford Cares Utility Assistance Program

Members of the Sanford community have come together to make a monetary contribution to the Sanford Community Assistance & Relief Emergency Support (Cares) program.

Sanford Cares provides temporary assistance to help Lee County residents pay their water...

Jean Dabbs Sworn In to Represent Ward 5

At the March 21, 2023, regular meeting of the Sanford City Council, Jean Dabbs was sworn in to represent Ward 5.

Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon administered the oath of office, assisted by Father Matt Garrison. 

In introducing Dabbs, Mayor Salmon made ...

Former Mayor Recognized as 'Main Street Champion'

Last week, former Sanford Mayor Chet Mann joined a prestigious list of North Carolina Main Street Champions when he was recognized by the NC Department of Commerce for his contributions to the economic development of downtown Sanford. 

Mann was no...

Remembering the late Jackie Pearce

In celebration of Women's History Month, the late Jacqueline Howard “Jackie” Pearce has been highlighted on the City of Sanford’s website.

Jackie Pearce made history in 1973 when she became the first woman elected to Sanford City Council. Pearce represente...

City Launches Project Hub

The City of Sanford now has a project hub to inform residents about current and ongoing projects.

The hub is hosted by Zencity, a digital community engagement tool designed to help local governments provide up-to-date information about plans and initiative...

City Publishes Annual Water Quality Report

The City of Sanford water filtration facility has published its Annual Water Quality Report, which covers all water testing performed by the facility between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

This annual report is published in March each year. In addi...

Flag Ceremony to Honor Vietnam Veterans

Veterans, their families, and all members of the community are invited to the Veterans Memorial at the Sanford Municipal Center on March 29 for a special flag raising in honor of Vietnam Veterans Day.

The ceremony will begin at 12:00 p.m. and will include ...

New ‘From’ Address for Utility Bills, Purchase Orders, & EFTs

The City of Sanford has updated the email address from which utility bills, purchase orders, and EFT notifications are sent to customers and vendors. This change is to limit the amount of system-generated emails being marked as spam.

Effective immediately,...

Remembering the late Walter McNeil, Jr.

In celebration of Black History Month, the late Walter McNeil, Jr. has been highlighted on the City of Sanford’s website.

In 1981, McNeil became the first Black person elected to Sanford City Council. He served Ward 4 until his passing in 2014, including t...

Food Truck Ordinance Now in Effect

The City of Sanford has passed an ordinance to guide how food trucks operate within city limits.

The ordinance affects mobile food vendors, which includes any licensed, motorized vehicle or food unit that sells food, drink, or other consumable products. Th...

Public Works Service Center Open to the Public

The City of Sanford’s Public Works Service Center has reopened to the public after having closed on February 13, 2023. 

Those interested in purchasing wood chips from the City's compost facility may purchase directly from the Pu...

TJCOG Awarded $250k to Study Road Safety in Sanford

The Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan for Sanford, Broadway, Lee County, and ...

City Offers Options to Avoid Lengthy Mail Processing Times

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that its standard for prompt delivery has slowed. The new longer delivery standard has resulted in lengthy times-in-transit for utility bills and payments.

To prepare for slower delivery, the City of Sanford encourages...

Ting Internet Installing Fiber in Sanford

Residents in Sanford/Lee County will soon have another option for internet service, as Ting Internet is currently adding Sanford to its network of high-speed fiber service. 

What to expect: Ting crews use door hangers to alert residents that they ...

City Awarded $5.8 Million for Affordable Housing Initiatives

The City of Sanford has been awarded more than $5.8 million in Community Development Block Grant funds by the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division to support Brick Capital Community Development Corporation’...

City First Responders Host Christmas Toy Drives

The Sanford Fire Department and Sanford Police Department are hosting toy drives to provide Christmas gifts for families in need. 

The Sanford Fire Department has kicked off its annual 3-Alarm Toy Drive, which began in 1996 and benefits families a...

City Commits $4.2M for Affordable Housing, Downtown Transformation

Sanford City Council has committed to spending $4,268,444 for four transformative community initiatives, as defined by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Passed in 2021, ARPA Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds were designed to help local g...

City Joins Operation Green Light

The City of Sanford will light the Sanford Veterans Memorial green today through Sunday for Operation Green Light.

Operation Green Light is a national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties (NACo) to support military veterans, as ...

City of Sanford Celebrates Completion of 226 Linden Avenue

The City of Sanford welcomed members of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Greensboro Field Office, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Sanford Housing Authority (SHA), elected officials, and community leaders for a ribb...

Piedmont Blues Celebrates Sanford’s Musical Heritage

Sanford’s connection to the Piedmont Blues musical tradition will soon be on display in downtown, thanks to the City of Sanford Appearance Commission’s upcoming mural depicting local blues guitarist Floyd Council and regional blues musician Pink Anderson....

New Regular Meeting Time for Sanford City Council

Sanford City Council has changed its regular meeting time, effective immediately.

Council will now meet at 5:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Sanford Municipal Center on the first and third Tuesday of each month. 

Public hearings will be held on ...

$3.4M Grant Awarded to S-Line Mobility Hub Planning Project

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has received a $3.4 million RAISE grant for mobility hub planning along the future S-Line.

The grant was announced Tuesday at a media event held in Depot Park and attended by officials from across the state. ...

Sanford Launches Revamped Municipal Website

The City of Sanford launched its newly revamped website this week, following a comprehensive redesign process by CivicPlus, a leading government website provider.

The revamped website has a powerful search tool, a fresh web design, and most importantly, a ...

City Council Approves System Development Fees

At its August 2, 2022, regular meeting, Sanford City Council approved system development fees for all newly connecting water and wastewater customers, effective September 1, 2022.

System development fees are one-time charges assessed to residential or comm...

Sanford Hires New Fire Chief

The City of Sanford has hired Matthew Arnold to serve as Sanford Fire Chief, filling the vacancy left by Chief Wayne Barber in January. 

Arnold has 23 years of leadership experience with 14 of those in fire and emergency services. Most recently, h...

Sanford Ag Marketplace Awarded Rural Transformation Grant

The City of Sanford has been awarded $900,000 by the Rural Transformation Grant Fund to develop the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace in downtown Sanford.

The Rural Transformation Grant Fund is a new source of support for rural economic development projects...

Youth Council Donates 900+ Books to Local Schools

Members of the former Sanford/Lee County Youth Council donated more than 900 books to two local elementary schools this week.

Disbanded in 2018, the Youth Council hosted the Race to Read 5k annually from 2012 to 2017 to promote literacy and raise funds to ...

St Andrews Church Rd to Close Wednesday for 6 Months

The City of Sanford is sharing this information from NCDOT for the benefit of our residents. Note that the City of Sanford is not involved in this project.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has announced that a portion of St. Andrews ...

Proposed Budget for FY 2022-2023 Now Available

City staff presented the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year at the May 24, 2022 meeting of the Sanford City Council.

The proposed budget focuses on two major themes.  The first is delivering superior services, especially in the realm of ...

Sanford's Vision Leads to Historic Economic Development Deal

Sanford City Council’s vision to partner with Chatham County to develop a megasite in Moncure is paying off to the tune of thousands of new jobs and billions in investment.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced today that Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFa...

Service Offsite Solutions selects Sanford for New Facility

Service Offsite Solutions (SOS), a building products company headquartered in Raleigh, NC, will open a new facility in Lee County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company plans to occupy a newly constructed state-of-the art, 240,000 square foot m...

Public Works Department Recognized as Main Street Champion

The City of Sanford's Public Works Department was one of 33 North Carolina Main Street Champions recognized by the N.C. Department of Commerce at a virtual Recognition Ceremony today. 

Downtown Sanford, Inc. nominated the department for the Main S...

Housing-Related Assistance Available for NC Homeowners

The NC Homeowner Assistance Fund is now accepting applications from North Carolina homeowners whose finances were impacted by the pandemic and who need assistance with housing-related expenses. 

Established through the 2021 American Rescue Plan to...

City of Sanford Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

The Government Finance Officers Association has announced that City of Sanford, North Carolina, has received GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget. View the City of Sanford budget here.

The award represents a significant achievement...

City Releases Popular Annual Financial Report for FY 2020-21

The City of Sanford has published its Popular Annual Financial Report, which summarizes the City’s financial activities for the last fiscal year.

The purpose of the report is to provide a user-friendly and easy-to-understand the financial informa...

Appearance Commission Requests Proposals for Two Murals

The City of Sanford Appearance Commission is currently accepting proposals from artists interested in creating commissioned public art murals.

There are two murals in the works. One will commemorate local racing legend J.D. McDuffie with his pit crew as th...

Customer Service Department Gives Gifts to Nursing Center

The City of Sanford's customer service department partnered with a local nursing and rehabilitation center to provide Christmas gifts to residents who may not otherwise receive gifts this year.

Center staff selected three residents and provided wish lists ...

Emergency Assistance Available for Water Bills

Low-income households affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can apply for assistance paying water bills thanks to a new program administered by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

This program, called the Low-Income Household Water Assist...

City Projects Recognized for Excellence in Engineering

Two City of Sanford projects have received an Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina (ACEC/NC).

Each year, ACEC/NC recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate a high degree of achiev...

City of Sanford Fire Chief Recognized as Hometown Hero

Chief Wayne Barber of the Sanford Fire Department was honored on Tuesday, Nov. 16 for being a Hometown Hero by the NC Automobile Dealers Association.

Barber was nominated by John Hiester Automotive. The award ceremony was held at the dealer’s Fuquay-Varina...

Three Benches Donated to the City of Sanford

Shook Construction has donated three benches to the City of Sanford for use at Kiwanis Family Park.

The donation is part of the company’s initiative to give back to communities in which they work, notes Matthew Gilroy, project manager for the company. Shoo...

Street Pianos Coming to Downtown Sanford

The City of Sanford Appearance Commission is making music interactive for residents and visitors in downtown Sanford by adding two street pianos to the Public Art Program.

Works of art themselves, the pianos have been hand painted by local artists. Reggie ...

Free Wi-Fi Now Available in Downtown Sanford

Lee County Government, the City of Sanford, and Downtown Sanford, Inc. have partnered to provide free Wi-Fi access to a section of the downtown area.

Called “Open Sanford,” the Wi-Fi network is powered by Open Broadband, a hybrid fiber and fixed wireless I...

Pilgrim’s to Build Sanford Agricultural Marketplace with Hometown Strong Funds

In October, Pilgrim’s announced a $515,000 investment in Sanford, NC, to support the community’s future through the company’s Hometown Strong program. Pilgrim’s has been working with local leaders to determine where the funds can best help meet immediate ...

NCDOT Awarded Grant for Passenger Rail in Sanford

The N.C. Department of Transportation has been awarded a grant to help bring passenger rail to Sanford and other North Carolina communities between Virginia and South Carolina.

The Federal Transit Authority granted NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division $900...

SHA, City Collaborate to Offer Housing for Homeless Families

The City of Sanford and the Sanford Housing Authority have been granted funds to develop five units to house homeless families.

The NC Housing Finance Agency has provided the Sanford Housing Authority with a forgivable loan for $440,000 from the Supportive...