Commissioners set goals, strategies for the year ahead

County Commissioners chart their priorities and action steps during their 2026 planning retreat.

Each year during their planning retreat, Johnston County Commissioners identify priorities and outline “action steps” to achieve their goals.

Here’s a recap of the priorities and action steps from this year’s retreat.

Communications

• Implement the dashboard project to improve data transparency. The goal is to place various County data online in a single location.
  
  
• Enhance public interaction by developing new ways to communicate with the community.
  
  
• Receive staff recommendations on a formal communications plan.
  
  
• Partner with Leadership Johnston County to improve citizen education and engagement.
  
  
• Adopt innovative technology to modernize communication tools.
  
  
• Increase outreach to municipal governments and community volunteer organizations.
  
  
• Review policies regarding board appointments, including qualifications and compensation.
  
  

County facilities and infrastructure

• Finalize the Capital Improvement Plan and adopt it during the fiscal year 2027 budget process.
  
  
• Advance the Department of Social Services building project: Determine the construction-delivery method by the fourth quarter of this year and begin design in the first quarter of 2027.
  
  
• Assess existing buildings to determine whether they should be remodeled, reused or demolished.
  
  
• Launch the Judicial Building project. Designate a lead and convene a workgroup in the first quarter of this year; select an architect in the second quarter.
  
  
• Explore the possibility of a regional 911 center.
  
  
• Research additional sites for a potential firing range.
  
  

Education

• Streamline budget processes by coordinating with Johnston County Schools and Johnston Community College to define funding categories for their fiscal year 2027 budgets.
  
  
• Present findings: Staff will report defined funding needs to the Board in the third quarter of this year.
  
  
• Hold a joint meeting: Convene the Board, public schools and JCC in the fourth quarter of 2026 to review the proposed budget process.
  
  

Financial stewardship

• Complete the Cost of Community Services Study and use the data to guide development policies that support property tax revenue.
  
  
• Address court system funding by finalizing decisions regarding requests to fund state positions within the court system.
  
  
• Protect the County’s credit standing by maintaining its AAA bond rating.
  
  
• Improve forecasting by using population growth and data from the Cost of Community Services Study to develop measurable budget forecasts for departments and schools.
  
  
• Identify new revenue sources, including options such as sales taxes and fees.
  
  

Growth and land-use planning

• Complete and adopt the Unified Development Ordinance.
  
  
• Evaluate staffing needs for land-use and stormwater programs as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget.
  
  
• Develop farmland strategies by researching best practices and connecting with Buncombe County in early 2026 to learn about its farmland and open-space plans.
  
  
• Expand greenways by continuing to enhance parks and greenway programs through grants and other funding.
  
  

Human services

• Collaborate on senior services by engaging with Clayton leaders to explore partnership opportunities and assess financial investments.
  
  
• Update the Senior Services Aging Plan: Begin the update in the third quarter of this year and present recommendations by year’s end.
  
  
• Explore a mental health urgent care center: Meet with Alliance Health in the first quarter of this year and develop a cost-benefit analysis for a new facility by early summer.
  
  
• Adjust behavioral health plans by reconvening the working group to update the Behavioral Health Improvement Plan.
  
  

Public safety

• Assess long-term building and financial needs for volunteer fire departments.
  
  
• Present building-need projections to the Board in late 2026.
  
  

Transportation

• Investigate passenger rail by exploring funding for intercity rail service connecting Selma, Clayton and Raleigh.
  
  
• Provide updates: Commissioner Butch Lawter will update the Board on rail progress in the second half of 2026.
  
  

Water and sewer

• Present results of the I-40/I-95 feasibility study to the Board.
  
  
• Promote regional collaboration by coordinating a meeting with Cape Fear River Basin leaders to discuss water and sewer partnerships.
  
  
• Assess stormwater policy by reporting on the financial impacts of the adopted policy by year’s end.
  
  
• Advance negotiations with Clayton on the Sewer Service Agreement and report back to the Board in the second quarter of this year.
  
  
• Create a new regional intergovernmental position by year’s end to report on water-capacity options.
  
  

Organizational structure

• The County Manager will continue briefing the chairman on the Continuity of Operations Plan.