Richmond County’s top administrator relocated a set of county-owned mobile home trailers from public property to land owned by his family behind Rockingham Dragway, and commissioners say they were not told before it happened. The move has sparked fresh questions about who watches over county assets and where the line sits on potential conflicts of interest.
Documents and where the trailers landed
Channel 9 obtained the leasing agreement and reported that the mobile home trailers, previously kept on county property, were moved last year to land behind Rockingham Dragway that belongs to County Manager Bryan Land’s family. The contract, which runs from Feb. 1, 2023, through Jan. 31, 2025, shows the county agreed to lease space for $1,550 a month, allowing storage of up to 12 trailers at 190 Midway Road in Rockingham.
Commissioner Jamie Gathings told Channel 9 he asked Land why he shifted the trailers without first notifying the board. Land told the station he had consulted two attorneys and argued it “didn’t make financial sense” for the county to keep the trailers on county land, according to WSOC-TV.
Board meeting and official records
The issue surfaced around the Richmond County Board of Commissioners’ Feb. 3 meeting, which lists a “Monthly Report by County Manager Bryan Land” and a closed-session item in the agenda packet that is publicly available on the county’s website. The county’s administration page lists Land as the county manager and describes his job as carrying out board policies and overseeing county projects.
Those details are available in Richmond County’s Feb. 3 agenda documents and on the Richmond County administration page, which also includes contact and biographical information.
Why oversight critics say it matters
The trailer controversy is unfolding against the backdrop of broader scrutiny of county dealings tied to Rockingham Speedway and other motorsports-related projects. In August 2025 the board approved a $375,000 payment to a speedway vendor that later drew a State Bureau of Investigation review and public criticism, and some local officials say that history has only amplified calls for transparency in county decision-making. Coverage of that earlier vote and the SBI inquiry is detailed by the Richmond County Daily Journal.
What comes next
As of Feb. 26, 2026, there are no public records indicating whether Land or his family are receiving payment to store the trailers, and county officials have not released additional information beyond what is contained in the Feb. 3 meeting packet. The board’s agenda shows that meeting included a closed session under G.S. 143-318.11(a)(6), and those discussions are not open to the public.
Residents who want to request records or seek comment from officials can use the contact information listed on the county administration page and in the board agenda materials. This story will be updated if county leaders release further details about the trailer arrangement.
