Commissioners to meet Monday; here's what's on the agenda

SMITHFIELD — The Johnston County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, June 15, at the Courthouse in Smithfield. On the agenda are:

• A presentation on the recently completed Cost of Community Services Study and Fiscal Impact Model. The study shows that most homes demand more in government services than they pay in property taxes. But it also shows that tax revenue from business and industry more than makes up for the deficit from housing. The County will use the Fiscal Impact Model to show what demands individual developments would have on public services. The study and impact model could aid Commissioners in deciding whether to approve or deny individual development plans.
  
  
• Possible adoption of the County’s 2026-27 budget. County Manager Rick Hester has proposed a roughly $420 million spending plan for the year ahead. But his proposal doesn’t give the Public Schools and Johnston Community College all they have requested. Board Chairman Patrick Harris said there is support among individual Commissioners for adding school, college and nonprofit funding to the budget.
  
  
• A proposed Utility Services Agreement between the County and the Town of Wilson’s Mills. In short, the agreement spells out where the town would provide water to new development.

• A request from Human Resources to add to Johnston’s roster of employee benefits. HR is proposing an eight-hour floating holiday for employees and up to 24 hours of bereavement leave. Also, HR will ask Commissioners to repeal a policy that forced married employees to share family leave.

• The annual report from the County’s Child Fatality Prevention Team. That report shows 24 child deaths in 2025, including seven from premature birth or prenatal conditions, six in motor vehicle accidents, and six from illnesses such as leukemia, cancer and diabetes.
  
  
• A request from the Fire Commission to allow six fire departments to purchase tanker trucks. Commissioners originally gave the go-ahead in May, but in that case, the low bidder soon told the County it could not produce the trucks without changing the specifications. The purchase contract will now go to Atlantic Coast Firetrucks. The tankers would go to the 50-210, Antioch, Bethany, Four Oaks, Micro and Princeton fire departments. The trucks would cost $621,411 to $651,411 a piece, depending on the engine available. That’s up from the $597,227 price quoted in May.

• A request from the N.C. Department of Transportation, which will ask Commissioners to concur with its plan to add the following streets to the roster of state-maintained roads: Little River Drive, Yellow Sun Place, Purple Mist Lane, Orange Sunset Lane, Silver Springs Way, Golden View Place and Dark Night Lane in Little River Plantation subdivision in O’Neals Township; and Ashpole Trail, Union City Court and Princess Anne Court in Ashley Heights subdivision, Cleveland Township.
  
  
• A staff request to approve a funding agreement with the Town of Kenly. In 2023, Commissioners awarded Kenly $500,000 for a water main project. That work is ready to begin, and the agreement spells out how Kenly may use the County dollars.
  
  
• A request from Emergency Services to accept a $25,000 Duke Energy Storm Preparedness Grant. The County would use the money to purchase 250 Preparedness Kits, which would go to vulnerable Johnstonians. Each kit would contain a weather radio, a fan for relief from heat, a cooler for storing medications, a fire- and water-resistant folder to protect important documents, and a thumb drive to hold backups of important documents and photos.
  
  
• A resolution spelling out how the Public Health Department plans to spend Johnston’s latest share of dollars from the national opioid settlements. In past years, the Health Department has used the money on a mix of strategies, including addiction treatment and recovery. In this coming year, the department plans to add early intervention and employment services to the mix.
  
  
• A Planning Department request to adopt a resolution formally denying an application to rezone 2.6 acres on Elevation Road for business use. Earlier this month, Commissioners voted not to allow a landowner to store RVs in buildings on the land. The resolution would formalize that decision.
  
  
• Applications from Will Letchworth and Jeff Holt to represent Johnston County on the U.S. 70 Corridor Commission. Letchworth is a former member and chairman of the Johnston County Planning Board. Holt is mayor of Pine Level. The commission advocates for improvements to the highway, which is becoming Interstate 42 from Johnston County to Morehead City.
  
  
• Three budget revisions. One would add $922.86 in miscellaneous revenue to the Jail budget. Two others would add a total of $38,439.34 in revenue to the Sheriff’s Office budget. That money is a mix of insurance proceeds, Controlled Substance Tax receipts, and miscellaneous revenue.

 

Page last updated on:  July 14, 2026