Recap of March 2, 2026, Board of Commissioners Meetings
At its meetings on March 2, the Johnston County Board of Commissioners:
- Heard an update from Brightspeed, the company using a mix of private and public dollars to run high-speed fiber internet to homes and businesses in Johnston. The company hoped to complete the work last December but is some 10 months behind schedule. A spokesman explained the delay. Brightspeed prefers to put its fiber underground but sometimes needs to string it along utility poles, said Steve Brewer. For that, the company needs both permission and help from the power companies that own the poles. But with so many fiber companies building networks across North Carolina, the utilities haven’t been able to keep up with requests for utility pole access, Brewer said. Commissioners are concerned because the County supported Brightspeed’s work with $500,000 in federal COVID-relief dollars. By law, the County has to spend that money by December 2026.
- Heard the Fire Commission’s proposal to increase minimum staffing levels within Johnston County fire departments. Specifically, the proposal calls for eventually increasing minimum staffing from two part-timers Monday through Friday to three personnel seven days a week. Also, the Fire Commission is proposing a minimum pay scale for part-time firefighters. The pay would range from $18 to $22 per hour depending on certification and role. For now, the staffing and pay recommendations are just proposals, said Chris Ellington, chairman of the Fire Commission. Their implementation will depend on available dollars, he said. The Board took the matter under advisement.
- Awarded a $522,900 contract to Talon Construction to renovate the offices of the District Attorney. The work, including demolition and new construction, will add eight offices, a dedicated lobby, a conference room and victims’ lounge. Talon, the low bidder for the contract, is a Smithfield firm.
- Proclaimed April 4-10 as the Week of the Young Child in Johnston County. The proclamation notes that a child’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development are built on a foundation of positive interactions with adults, peers and their environment. And it argues that early childhood education “saves taxpayer dollars, makes working families more economically secure, and prepares children to succeed in school, earn higher wages and live healthier lives.” But that early childhood education depends on high-quality teachers, the proclamation says. And it calls for those teachers to “earn wages that are comparable with the required education and skills they bring to the complex and valuable work they do.”
- Asked the N.C. Department of Transportation to add the following street to its maintenance list: Hewitt Woods Drive in Hewitt Woods subdivision, Clayton Township.
- Granted the Tax Office’s request to advertise liens for delinquent 2025 tax bills. Those bills total $8.7 million.
- Reappointed Michelle McLaughlin of Four Oaks, and Brent Jennings of Kenly, to the Livestock Arena Management Board.
- Added the following dollars to the budgets of the departments listed: Jail, $449.44 in miscellaneous revenue; Sheriff’s Office, $13,191.20 in miscellaneous revenue; and Veterans Services Office, a $20,000 grant from the state to provide services to veterans.
- Declared the following surplus: 2015 Dodge Charger with 130,129 miles; 2016 Dodge Charger, 130,416; 2020 Dodge Charger, 130,243; 2020 Dodge Charger, 131,272; 2020 Dodge Charger, 132,041; 2020 Dodge Charger, 131,547; 2020 Dodge Charger, 126,120; 2020 Dodge Charger, 131,230; 2021 Dodge Charger, 132,230; 2023 Dodge Charger, 138,005; 2022 Ford Mustang, 85,102; 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe, 163,619; a 2020 PJ gooseneck trailer; and a dump trailer. An online auction of the cars and trailers is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, May 3, through Wester Auction Co.
- OK’d the rezoning that Duke Energy needs to build an electrical substation on 24.05 acres in the 400 block of Cleveland Road in Cleveland Township. Neighbors told Commissioners they didn’t want to live next to a subdivision and they were concerned about their property values and health. But Commissioners signed off on the rezoning after Duke promised more screening between the substation and neighboring homes.
- Tabled a developer’s request for heavy industrial zoning. Prologis Inc. wants to construct two buildings on 28.38 acres near the intersection of Cleveland and Pierce roads in Cleveland Township. During a lengthy public hearing, residential neighbors objected, saying the buildings would be eyesores that would make traffic worse. Also, they were wary of some of the many uses allowed in Johnston’s heavy industry zoning category. Prologis hasn’t said what type of tenants it wants to attract. Commissioners said they needed time to study the many objections that neighbors had raised.
Page last updated on: March 13, 2026