News Flash

Additional $75 million from hospital partnership proceeds distributed

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – An additional $75 million from the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) has been distributed equally between the New Hanover Community Endowment and the NHRMC Foundation, as outlined in the asset purchase ...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for May 15, 2023

Monday’s meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners was filled with important items for consideration including a development agreement that will create a new public library and Cape Fear Museum in Downtown Wilmington and a present...

Project Grace Update: New Development Agreement Proposed

[Update: The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the development agreement at its May 15 meeting] 

A new development agreement for the redevelopment of the county-owned block in Downtown Wilmington bounded by Chestnut, Grace, Second and No...

Public Notice of Change of Time for May 11 Agenda Review

Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Agenda Review meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 11, 2023 will begin at 3:00 p.m. instead of 4:00 p.m. The location will remain at the New Hanover County Government Center in Confe...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners is seeking interested citizens to apply for appointment to the following: 

• Airlie Gardens Foundation Board of Directors
• Cape Fe...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for May 1, 2023

The first Board of Commissioners meeting in May featured a plethora of proclamations, an infrastructure contract for Blue Clay Business Park and funding for projects throughout the county. Check out the highlights from the meeting below.

Proclamations aple...

New Hanover County holds ribbon cutting for new Government Center

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – After years of hard work and planning, Tuesday was an opportunity for celebration as officials with New Hanover County cut the ribbon on the recently opened Government Center complex.

The new building officially opened to...

Public Notice of Budget Work Session on April 27

Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will hold a Budget Work Session on April 27, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. to discuss budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. The meeting will be held at the New Hanover County Government ...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for April 17, 2023

Monday’s meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners featured the appointment of a new Commissioner, an update on workforce housing, info on the work by Port City United and much more. Check out the highlights below.

Welcome, Commiss...

Scalise appointed to serve as New Hanover County Commissioner

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – On Monday, Dane Scalise was unanimously approved by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners to serve as a County Commissioner through the 2024 election cycle.

Scalise was selected and unanimously recommended by the ...

Public Notice: Agenda Review for April 13 Canceled

Notice is hereby given that the Agenda Review meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners scheduled for Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. in Conference Room 138 of the New Hanover County Government Center has been canceled.

Awardees of County’s Nonprofit Capacity Building grants announced

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Twenty-four local nonprofit organizations have been awarded grants through New Hanover County’s newly-established Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant Program.

These grants are part of the county’s commun...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for April 3, 2023

Celebrating the life of a remarkable public servant opened Monday’s meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, followed by a look at how American Rescue Plan Funds are helping the community, a new revenue source at the landfill and more. Ch...

Workforce Housing Advisory Committee April 5 meeting canceled, rescheduled for April 12

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Notice is hereby given that the Joint New Hanover County/City of Wilmington Workforce Housing Advisory Committee regular meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. has been canceled.

The Workforce Housin...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

This notice has been updated as of April 14, 2023 to reflect additional appointment opportunities for the Tourism Development Authority.

To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioner...

Tree Planting Dedication & Community Gathering in Memory of Commissioner Hays

New Hanover County will host a tree planting dedication and community gathering at Airlie Gardens on Wednesday, April 5 at 1 p.m., to celebrate the life of Commissioner Deb Hays and honor her service to the citizens of New Hanover County.

“This w...

County mourns sudden passing of Commissioner Deb Hays

New Hanover County is saddened to share that Commissioner Deb Hays passed away suddenly on March 25.

“This is a shock for all of us and is a tremendous loss for this board and all of New Hanover County,” said Board of Commissioners Chai...

Revised Public Notice of Budget Work Session

Notice is hereby given that the March 30, 2023 Budget Work Session of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners to discuss budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 will not be streamed live, due to an equipment move. The meeting’s recordi...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for March 20, 2023

Monday’s meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners was a chance to help the community in the ongoing battle with opioid addiction, celebrate career milestones and finance important projects and purchases. Check out the highlights ...

Public Notice of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners

Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will hold a Closed Session Meeting pursuant to NC General Statute 143-318.11(a)(5) to instruct the public body’s staff concerning the position to be taken by or on behalf ...

Smith appointed by Commissioners to serve as New Hanover County Attorney

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Jordan Smith was appointed by the Board of Commissioners during Monday’s meeting to serve as the new Attorney for New Hanover County.

Smith will take over from Wanda Copley, who is retiring after 39 years of ser...

Public Notice of Strategic Planning Work Session

Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will hold a Strategic Planning Work Session on March 14, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the development of a new five-year strategic plan. The meeting will be held at the New Hanover...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners is seeking interested citizens to apply for appointment to the following: 

• New Hanover County Commission for Women
• New Hanover ...

Public Notice of Budget Work Sessions

Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will hold Budget Work Sessions on March 2, 16, and 30, 2023 at 3 p.m. to discuss budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. The meetings will be held at the New Hanover County Gov...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for February 20, 2023

Celebrating employee milestones, establishing a commission dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion for the Latin and Hispanic community, and reviewing health department objectives for the next three years – these were just some of the topics...

2023 State of the County Address to be held March 6

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Chair Bill Rivenbark, on behalf of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, will hold the 2023 State of the County address on Monday, March 6 at 4 p.m.

The address will take place at the beginning of the Commissione...

Public Notice: City of Wilmington/New Hanover County Joint Subcommittee to meet on February 20

Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County/City of Wilmington Joint Subcommittee (Elected Officials) and Staff Committee on Opioid Settlement Proceeds will meet on Monday, February 20, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. in the City of Wilmington - City Attorney&am...

Public Notice: Board of Commissioners to hold Special Meeting on February 17

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Friday, February 17, 2023, at 8:15 a.m. at the New Hanover County Government Center in the Harrell Conference Room,...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for February 6, 2023

A new Register of Deeds was sworn in, an ordinance against sleeping overnight on county property was passed and the first property sale in the county’s Blue Clay Business Park moved forward. All this and more took place during Monday’s...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

NEW HANOVER COUNTY – To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners is seeking interested citizens to apply for appointment to the following: 

• New Hanover County Special Boa...

Public Notice: Board of Commissioners to hold Closed Session on February 2

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC - Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will hold a closed session meeting pursuant to G.S.143-318.11(a)(5) to instruct the public body’s staff concerning the position to be taken by or ...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for January 23

During Monday’s regular meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners celebrated employee service milestones, finalized legislative priorities, heard updates on the Street Outreach Program and much more. A few of those highlights are below.

Welcom...

New Hanover County sees progress, successes at end of five-year strategic plan

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At Monday’s meeting, the Board of Commissioners received a report out of the county's 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, which has helped to guide the work of the county’s 2,000 employees over the pas...

Public Notice: January 19 Board of Commissioners Agenda Review Canceled

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC - Notice is hereby given that the Agenda Review Meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners scheduled for Thursday January 19, 2023 at 4 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room of the New Hanover County Government Center ha...

New Hanover County joins partners in dedication ceremony for The Healing Place

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – On Tuesday, officials with New Hanover County, Trillium Health Resources and The Healing Place came together with other community partners to hold a dedication and ribbon cutting for The Healing Place of New Hanover Coun...

Commissioner Meeting Recap for January 9

At Monday’s meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, the Commissioners were provided with the latest information on work being done by the Wilmington Housing Authority to help residents return home, informed of the county’s financial solv...

Public Notice: City of Wilmington/New Hanover County Joint Subcommittee to meet on January 10

Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County/ City of Wilmington Joint Subcommittee (Elected Officials) and Staff Committee on Opioid Settlement Proceeds will meet on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the City of Wilmington - City Attorney’...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

This notice has been updated as of January 5 to reflect additional appointment opportunities on the Special Board of Equalization & Review and the Parks Conservancy.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – To provide opportunities for citizens to participat...

Barfield selected to N.C. Institute of Political Leadership Board of Directors

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield Jr., has been appointed to serve on the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership’s Board of Directors for a three-year term. 

Barfield, who was ...

Nonprofits encouraged to apply for the county’s Capacity Building Grants, take part in info sessions

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – As part of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners ongoing community building and investment efforts, local nonprofit organizations with a focus on preventing violence and providing wrap-around services can apply f...

New Hanover County Board of Commissioners take oath of office, elect Chair, Vice-Chair

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC –?Re-elected Commissioner Rob Zapple and newly-elected Commissioner LeAnn Pierce took the oath of office during the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting on Mond...

Public Notice of New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Special Meeting

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Notice is hereby given that the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 8 a.m. to consider adopting the public officials bond resolution in advance of the Sher...

Public Notice: December 1 Board of Commissioners Agenda Review Canceled

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Notice is hereby given that the Agenda Review meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners scheduled for Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 4 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room of the New Hanover County ...

New Hanover County holds dedication ceremony for new Government Center facility

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – On Monday, New Hanover County officials, employees, site developers and the media gathered at the new Government Center building for a dedication ceremony of the complex to recognize the completion of the building largel...

Commissioner Hays selected to National Housing Task Force

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Deb Hays, Vice Chair for the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, has been appointed to the National Association of Counties (NACo) Housing Task Force by NACo President Denise Winfrey.

This new task force will bring...

PUBLIC NOTICE: Surplus property for sale to non-profits then general public

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At its November 14, 2022 meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution declaring certain personal property surplus to the county’s operations, allowing for the sale of the...

New Hanover County Attorney Wanda Copley retiring at end of June

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County’s long-time county attorney Wanda Copley has announced that she plans to retire on June 30, 2023. Copley has served as a county attorney for 38 years, starting in 1984 as an assistant county ...

Community Update: Next Steps for Library & Museum Downtown Facility

November 14, 2022: The Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of the design plans for the museum and library facility as well as a resolution for the continued use of the existing museum building, as outlined in the overview below.

November 9, 2022:&...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

This notice has been updated as of November 1 to reflect additional appointment opportunities for the Non-County Agency Funding Committee.

To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commission...

Public Notice: Agenda Review for October 13 canceled

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Notice is hereby given that the Agenda Review meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners scheduled for Thursday October 13, 2022 at 4 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room of the New Hanover County G...

Board of Commissioners approve funding to help create 152 new workforce housing units

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At Monday’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved the use of $3 million to help fund a pair of projects that will bring 152 new workforce housing units to the community. &...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners is seeking interested citizens to apply for appointment to the following:

• Cape Fear Community Colleg...

Project Grace lease agreement not approved by LGC, County plans to continue moving forward

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The Local Government Commission (LGC), which oversees local government’s finances, failed to approve New Hanover County’s lease agreement with Zimmer Development for Project Grace. The LGC st...

Joint partnership between county and city aims to connect homeless with resources

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At Monday’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a pilot program with the City of Wilmington to help connect individuals experiencing homelessness with much-neede...

Project Grace Update: MOU revisions & LGC meeting

Update, Monday, September 19:

The Board of Commissioners, at its regular meeting on September 19, approved the updates to the Memorandum of Understanding with Zimmer Development Company, as outlined below. The next step for the project is the Local Governm...

County Commissioners, Manager appointed to National Association of Counties committees

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County Commissioners Rob Zapple and Jonathan Barfield Jr., along with County Manager Chris Coudriet, have been appointed to multiple committees within the National Association of Counties (NACo).

Thro...

Commissioners approve Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategy

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – During Tuesday’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the county’s first Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategic Plan. This strategic...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

This notice has been updated as of September 16 to reflect additional appointment opportunities for the Cape Fear Museum Advisory Board.

To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioner...

New Hanover County & local officials remain focused on emergency preparedness

NEW HANOVER COUNTY – Proactively preparing for an emergency is something every citizen in New Hanover County should do. County officials are committed to leading in those efforts to be ready when any type of emergency occurs.

As part of the North...

Op-Ed: September vote from LGC is a must for Project Grace lease agreement

Below is an editorial from the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners:

It is a moment more than four years in the making and we, as a Board of Commissioners, are unanimous in our approval and support of Project Grace and our desire to move forw...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

NOTE: This has been updated as of Wednesday, August 10, 2022, to include two additional openings.

To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners is seeking interested citizens to appl...

New Hanover County recognized with 10 National Achievement Awards

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – For the seventh straight year, New Hanover County has been honored by the National Association of Counties (NACo) with Achievement Awards that recognize various programs and initiatives aimed at improving customer servic...

Public Notice: July 28 Board of Commissioners Agenda Review Canceled

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Notice is hereby given that the Agenda Review meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners scheduled for Thursday, July 28, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room of the New Hanover County Governme...

Scholarships focused on Early Childhood Mental Health available through Smart Start

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Through a partnership with New Hanover County Government, Smart Start of New Hanover County is offering scholarships for individuals interested in graduate level studies in Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (I/ECMH) a...

New Hanover County seeking applicants for boards and committees

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – To provide opportunities for citizens to participate in county government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners is seeking interested citizens to apply for appointment to the following:

• New Hanover County Board o...

New Hanover County launches Trails and Transit education website

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – A quarter-cent public transportation sales tax will be on the November 2022 ballot for New Hanover County citizens to vote on, and the county has created a website – TrailsTransitNHC.com – to...

Commissioners approve updates for Project Grace, will seek financial approval

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At today’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of Project Grace and, following ...

Commissioners to consider updates and next steps for Project Grace

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – At its meeting on Monday, June 20, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will consider an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of Project Grace and direct whether to move forward with appl...

New Hanover County Commissioners to attend County Assembly Day, advocate for local issues

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 J...

PUBLIC NOTICE: Surplus property for sale to non-profits then general public

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC –?At its Monday, June 6, 2022 meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution declaring certain personal property surplus to the county’s operations and allowing for ...

Adopted New Hanover County budget lowers property taxes, strengthens community investments

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – During Monday’s meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to adopt a $508 million balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (FY 22-23). The budget takes effect o...