Craven County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Craven County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Trillium Health Resources Annual Report
Trillium manages behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disability, and substance use services for Craven County residents — over 4,000 county members were served in the last fiscal year. The report covers service spending, the new Children and Families Specialty Plan, and how to access services.
NCDOI Grant Match for Fire Departments
Fire departments can tap a state Department of Insurance grant, but the county must put up a local match. A budget amendment would cover that cost, supporting local volunteer fire services.
Mayor Retirement
Trent Woods’ mayor is retiring after 19 years, so the town is about to get new leadership. Depending on local rules, that could mean a special election or an appointment to fill the seat. It’s a small-town change, but it affects who runs one of Craven County’s municipalities.
Election
Early voting is starting soon in Craven County, meaning it's time to check your local polling schedule and get your ballot cast. Make sure you know where and when to vote before heading out.
Animal Shelter Spay/Neuter and TNR Funding
Residents advocated for using recent animal shelter donations to establish a low-cost spay and neuter program for owned animals and dedicated trap-neuter-return funding for community cats. Commissioners noted the topic will be discussed at an upcoming work session.
ENC Tech Bridge Grant Rollover
The county approved a $225,000 grant rollover to keep the ENC Tech Bridge program running, supporting regional defense partnerships, university projects, and K-12 STEM education.
Sheriff's Office Forensic Van Purchase
The Sheriff's Office received a generous $20,000 donation from a private citizen to help buy a new forensic van for the crime lab. Existing vehicles were too small to carry all necessary equipment, and using donation money saves taxpayers cash.
Tax Foreclosure Property Dispositions
The county attorney presented three initial purchase offers for tax-foreclosed properties and one finalized conveyance after an upset bid period. These properties are co-owned with the City of New Bern.
On-Call Compensation Policies for County Staff
The county adopted a new IT on-call policy and updated maintenance on-call pay rates to match water department standards, providing structured after-hours compensation.
Juvenile Crime Prevention Council FY27 Funding Plan
The JCPC requested level funding of $320,335 for local youth programs, which the commissioners unanimously approved.
Highway 101 Land Purchase for Harlowe Park
The county bought a 50-acre Weyerhaeuser parcel on Highway 101 for $287,500 to build a new park with athletic fields and walking trails for the Harlowe community.
National Opioid Litigation Remnant Defendants Settlement
The board voted to join a nationwide settlement agreement with six remnant opioid distributor and dispenser defendants, securing potential additional abatement funding for the county.
Child Support Enforcement Services Renewal
The county approved a three-year contract extension with YoungWilliams, P.C. to continue managing child support enforcement. Officials noted the program performs above state averages and ensures vital financial support for children.
Water Department Administrative Officer Position and Workload
To address a 22% growth in water permits and heavy administrative workloads, the county created a new full-time Administrative Officer position funded from the Water Department's fund balance.
Storm Preparation
Craven County and New Bern are ramping up emergency prep for Tropical Storm Debby, using hard-learned lessons from past hurricanes to keep everyone safe. Local officials are already coordinating rapid responses so the community isn't caught off guard.
Convention Center Spending
Craven County residents are upset about public funds being spent on the local Convention Center. You'll want to keep an eye on this if you care about your tax dollars.
Disaster Response
Emergency crews in New Bern successfully rescued every single resident who was trapped by Hurricane Florence's dangerous floodwaters. City officials officially confirmed that this massive rescue operation is now fully complete.