NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County Vice-Chair Deb Hays and Commissioners Jonathan Barfield, Jr. and Rob Zapple are scheduled to attend the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners’ County Assembly Day in Raleigh on June 14 to advocate for important issues impacting residents.
Commissioners are scheduled to hear from Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and other legislative leaders during the planned NCACC program and then are scheduled to advocate for local issues and legislative action during meetings with members of Governor Cooper’s senior staff and the New Hanover County delegation to the General Assembly, including Senator Bill Rabon, Senator Michael Lee, Representative Ted Davis, Representative Deb Butler and Representative Charlie Miller.
The Commissioners’ legislative and advocacy priorities include:
- Replacement of the state-owned Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
- Creating a stable and predictable source of state funding for beach nourishment
- Securing a state film incentive program with increased funding to entice new productions
- Developing a more diverse funding source (beyond just gas tax) to fund the state’s critical transportation infrastructure needs
- Receiving state support for infrastructure projects at the Wilmington International Airport
- Additional state funding and resources toward addressing the mental health needs of residents
“It’s so important that our state legislators hear directly from us on the needs and priorities in New Hanover County,” said Board of Commissioners Vice-Chair Deb Hays. “We do that consistently throughout the year through our legislative and advocacy efforts, but nothing can replace being face-to-face and having collaborative conversations to share real needs for now and into the future. Holding our legislators accountable and ensuring they are working for all citizens remains a focus for the Board of Commissioners.”