[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6541903,"mediaKeyId","3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df","parentId",3847747,"title","Public commenters urge county protections for nondiscrimination and funding for SNAP double‑dollar farmers‑market program","audioSeconds",298,"startMs",346000,"endMs",644000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df&start=346&end=644","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df/thumbnail_346000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6541903/Johnston-County/North-Carolina/Public-commenters-urge-county-protections-for-nondiscrimination-and-funding-for-SNAP-doubledollar-farmersmarket-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6541903-7e31627299468839bc80b32ce530d0d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164266&Signature=mVK0eNm6Pfj3znkyKMpsQpMb42jjr0Od~Hamez80bhUxoDnoMn3sMfL2rYRbj4uBG1JXe4jn96vNPQGm90tBHcvXFR8FP~qLiXSNyx0MdIfOAncn0BwyFnkZ4bD2fhy1U1bnkrBVL5THn7f6rhMa3vkOxqT4bQj1WEX7auAuNTigdD6-xNGzCdzUbByvqsUVSOWoI6jBssMfYR90tC~T47VX25iF8nVTkVnNLVaMY~cTrGYa9NOr~Xc6gdyyoHlwRrFbU42CfP3tUITvgeuKDoKGp~zVBlIsgSqIuVz5JsxVZFYi~NFKrpyHkRLsH79G1uiwDw9zJk~2lqCzN8eLJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Johnston County, NC","date","2025-06-16T22:00:24Z","article","At the June 16 meeting, two members of the public addressed the board during the public‑comment period.

Ben Chapman of Clayton urged the commissioners to consider local nondiscrimination measures after the local school board sought to alter language on gender identity and sexual‑orientation protections in district policies. Chapman cited the U.S. Supreme Court decision Bostock v. Clayton County as precedent protecting employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and noted a state executive order referenced in a Clayton town proclamation that extends protections for state employment, services and contracts. He encouraged Johnston County to study a nondiscrimination ordinance (Wake County’s ordinance was offered as a model) and suggested the county consult legal resources, such as law‑school partnerships, to draft local measures.

Crystal Britton, representing Downhome North Carolina’s Johnston County chapter, described food‑security concerns and the county schools’ recent summer feeding launch. Britton said the county’s first summer feeding site served more than 33,500 meals on its first day and asked the board to reconsider a prior refusal to fund a local SNAP double‑dollar program intended to match SNAP purchases at farmers markets. She said Downhome is seeking less than $20,000 to help implement equipment and programming for a double‑dollar match to increase purchasing power for SNAP recipients and support local farms; the presenter asked the board to include that request in the adopted budget.

Neither public comment led to immediate board action during the meeting; commissioners acknowledged the comments and indicated staff follow‑up and research would be appropriate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","June 16, 2025: Johnston County Board of Commissioners Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","During public comment, speakers urged the county to consider local nondiscrimination protections aligned with federal precedent and asked commissioners to allocate under $20,000 to support a SNAP double‑dollar farmers‑market program to increase access to fresh food.","taxTitle","Johnston County, North Carolina","taxId",14192,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6541908,"Consultant recommends buying wholesale capacity from Raleigh to delay $700M water program and ease rate pressure",1194,4938000,6132000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df&start=4938&end=6132","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df/thumbnail_4938000.jpg","/articles/6541908/Johnston-County/North-Carolina/Consultant-recommends-buying-wholesale-capacity-from-Raleigh-to-delay-700M-water-program-and-ease-rate-pressure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6541908-e053de2336efb7eccef913f7dd061c00/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164266&Signature=idz2GnROyu7yUfLNiSqiILB6UuJyBu7pmCya60jGImkpGJdVJ9W-dihPVUt-sbXfjir3mb57~fhDr8vTB3AGSTmyvRu1X~~gkrzoY60TFHL4b4C2bis4Rua-0tbCwU3O7nrnMU6hGPZhJor~IUaxPJUUOQyAT8d~gWEK8KsXbHLanOo~8i6OL5nCZgcMrkGrzwiBVApgPDUDsft5ujKMi3fOnfRB9gZZYxktygZc7m8l~L53EFGMEYFvcy-FE~gtAVWZkY3cK~P1~fh1AIzrOpsh1aD43cTQ3aNlYZMAikbjFCfP74z2VK88EMwpGsnZacBuh0AyvcXuZCLU1MRlGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","JD Solomon, the county’s water‑supply consultant, presented findings and a recommendation on June 16 aimed at making Johnston County’s long‑term water program more affordable.

Solomon summarized the county’s existing plan — which engineers estimated at roughly $700 million in capital costs for a new intake, transmission and a 12 MGD plant near the quarry north of Princeton — and said his review focused on short‑ to intermediate‑term affordability and options. He recommended the county pursue acquisition of up to 6 MGD of wholesale capacity from the City of Raleigh to provide near‑term capacity and thereby defer portions of the large program to about 2033–35.

Solomon told commissioners that the original schedule (a 2030 in‑service target for the county’s full program) would likely create sharp rate increases for towns and customers; he cited a Clayton example in which completing the original 2030 plan would have raised combined water and sewer bills materially (the presentation used a hypothetical figure of $290/month under the 2030 program for an average Clayton connection, versus a much lower outcome if the program’s timeline is extended). Solomon said delaying main program expenditures to the 2033–35 window and acquiring interim wholesale capacity could reduce short‑term rate pressure while leaving the county positioned to build later as demand and financing conditions improve.

Solomon reviewed technical points: the long plan’s intake site at Richardson Bridge Road, a major raw‑water transmission line to the quarry/plant site north of Princeton, and the transmission and treatment components that would move treated water to western portions of the county. He said wholesale purchases would require capital and capacity charges (Clayton and Raleigh numbers were still being refined and would require further negotiation), but could buy several years of planning/delivery time and reduce project delivery and approval risk. He also noted regulatory and Local Government Commission (LGC) approvals would add months to any large financing package, increasing schedule risk if the program were rushed.

County staff and commissioners asked about next steps; Solomon and staff said they would continue detailed financial modeling with Clayton and begin discussions with Raleigh and neighboring jurisdictions to test wholesale‑capacity options and pricing. Staff said a final rate study and more detailed cost estimates would be presented in July.","A consultant hired to review the county’s long‑term water plan recommended acquiring up to 6 million gallons per day (MGD) of wholesale capacity from the City of Raleigh as a near‑term measure, delaying major capital expenditures to 2033–35 and reducing near‑term rate increases for customers.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6541912,"Brightspeed updates commissioners on fiber build, grant awards and remaining eligible addresses in Johnston County",530,691000,1221000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df&start=691&end=1221","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df/thumbnail_691000.jpg","/articles/6541912/Johnston-County/North-Carolina/Brightspeed-updates-commissioners-on-fiber-build-grant-awards-and-remaining-eligible-addresses-in-Johnston-County","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6541912-c28477d3b4bdac1a71d89def54155faf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164266&Signature=AqHieLgOspTTA040SpzLbHV3I0PbfkUhJTmm2egVUIMQjGbV5CK7Vw-uFU3qkAtVN-b~YgNk~ai7UToJ3KLpmKLwgONC~fcAV-XCp7GxqUl7HLMWIxfYpsEIaf7ukxkU7RNGctzyPN~qdoxkMvottAbzQwFdiAIQ2ZhFtuiTrrzkeLOm1Uygl~3zmtr7pPR-HunlKck7~vt~dYzESs0QTLpqsTV37Xm9hrSbkHwbN3ylfB36lwyI3-p187MYzWjVrfDoWmIv9p6ltDDDbwpP5Zu449PDipvi5RApg~J6RsBXj~-ku5jEJJle4OnMIVo3sV5wFi4iS1rcUbi4UfbiOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brightspeed government‑affairs director Steve Brewer briefed the Johnston County Board of Commissioners on June 16 about the company’s ongoing fiber build, recent grant awards and remaining grant‑eligible addresses in the county.

Brewer said Brightspeed has been awarded 3,925 locations under a state grant program funded by the American Rescue Plan (the presenter called this the “great grant”), and 574 of those locations are already open for sale. He said Brightspeed was also awarded 1,439 locations in the state’s CAB 2 round. Separately, Brewer described a private‑investment build of “just over 35,000” locations Brightspeed plans to serve using company dollars, of which roughly half are already open for sale.

Brewer told commissioners that, as of the most recent CAB 2 awards, there are approximately 4,300 locations in Johnston County that remain eligible for broadband grants because they lack service meeting the federal 100/20 Mbps benchmark. He described timeline expectations: the ARPA/state award locations are expected to be online by the end of the year or very early the following quarter, CAB 2 locations have project deadlines tied to NCDIT awards with a stated completion target of end‑of‑2026 and a typical 24‑month build window, and federal BEAD awards (administered through NCDIT in North Carolina) are expected to generate preliminary announcements in early September with NTIA review to follow.

Brewer said Brightspeed will participate in grant rounds and hopes to serve as many eligible locations as possible with fiber; he also acknowledged that some locations designated for BEAD may be served by fixed‑wireless or satellite depending on cost. He noted the company’s fiber is symmetrical and currently provisioned up to 2 Gbps (and technically capable of higher speeds in the future).

Commissioners asked how homeowners can check status for a particular address; Brewer directed residents to the NCDIT broadband status map, which allows address lookup to show whether a location is served, unserved or awarded under a grant program and notes the awarded provider and a project completion window when available.

The briefing contained no formal action items; commissioners asked staff to make the NCDIT status map link available for public reference.","Brightspeed told the county board it has privately funded fiber builds across thousands of locations in Johnston County, was awarded several grant rounds and that roughly 4,300 addresses remain eligible for federal/state grants under BEAD/CAB programs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6541916,"Commissioners approve purchase of Flowers Crossroads parcel for Northside Fire & Rescue station",2914,2005000,4919000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df&start=2005&end=4919","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df/thumbnail_2005000.jpg","/articles/6541916/Johnston-County/North-Carolina/Commissioners-approve-purchase-of-Flowers-Crossroads-parcel-for-Northside-Fire-Rescue-station","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6541916-35a9b6780a0eafcb6bc5d1ff3b89e27e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164266&Signature=Lps2p7VZk7nPHITA0gQrw-MRqIiEW~K0bSD8JrvDp1FG9hOpsPn7zAdlS5yizHojoMNPfmLb8lEsil0QDd5SoomeEn8KQqdyuPN7SBH8hjNFmEWlqRRw-3vASxricXC~I~FsLh2v7E5aw8gsPvEYfpQb6Zhh9~KqU5f2VPihj4zJs3fZ-Zll74sn9g8QbQG7z2itDvLxrMsdHhdjHwaC2OgR-3hY6j87ibgtw2xyM8VP2XnIGgaWIOnXgn0l6a~wPsW4U-n6dj2bexQkhFgdDnDpWyoM111wqE6Iac4MYRDluaVghXm8FNYWjfg70ucuMqDeGZ8TfrODh5ZyowAfmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Johnston County Board of Commissioners approved a request on June 16 for Northside Fire & Rescue to purchase a portion of a 9.6‑acre tract in the Flowers Crossroads/Flowers Plantation area for a future station.

Northside Fire and Rescue representatives told the board the department seeks a 2.2‑acre parcel that would be build‑ready with water and sewer already on site. Emergency‑services staff said the larger 9.6‑acre tract will be subdivided into four parcels and Northside would acquire one of those pieces when the board approves the request.

Chief Driver (Northside Fire & Rescue) and county emergency‑services staff presented response‑time heat maps and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) deployment overlays showing that high residential density and growing call volume in the Portofino/Tuscany/San Marino areas of Flowers Crossroads give rise to a documented need for an additional station. Northside reported about 1,871 incidents last year and said overlapping calls have increased; staff said call growth in the district has risen roughly 28% over four years.

The board discussed site cost and civic equity. County staff reported nearby commercial acre prices and said comparable commercial parcels in the Flowers area have been selling for about $1,000,000 per acre; the parcel under consideration was described in the meeting record as having an asking price of approximately $1,100,000 for the whole tract (board requested formal appraisal). A county official noted funds offered for the purchase came originally from residents within the fire district under the previous funding system and would be used for the district’s needs.

Commissioners asked for documentation before closing: commissioners requested environmental/phase‑1 reports, confirmation of site utilities, and a formal appraisal. County staff told the board the developer (Track West Development) planned to close on the tract around June 25 and the county’s purchase closing would follow in July (dates provided in meeting by the presenter). The board approved the request to proceed with the purchase by voice and hand vote; the meeting record does not list a roll‑call tally.

Several commissioners voiced concern about the high per‑acre cost, requested an appraisal be completed prior to final expenditure, and noted the long‑term need for the station given traffic and development patterns in that corridor. The board asked staff to supply the appraisal, environmental diligence, site‑development scope and final purchase terms before closing.","The board approved a request allowing Northside Fire & Rescue to buy a 2.2‑acre parcel for a future fire station in the Flowers Crossroads / Flowers Plantation area; commissioners pressed for appraisals and noted high per‑acre prices.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6541921,"Johnston County adopts FY 2025–26 budget, cuts property tax rate to $0.52 and reduces countywide fire rate",1500,6617000,8117000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df&start=6617&end=8117","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3847747-60102d559ce3edd2424391d33a6837df/thumbnail_6617000.jpg","/articles/6541921/Johnston-County/North-Carolina/Johnston-County-adopts-FY-202526-budget-cuts-property-tax-rate-to-052-and-reduces-countywide-fire-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6541921-322c1e7cb9d2e62c6f0018d84932b76b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164266&Signature=QRoUUqXheahQC55qmO-9~v17QivrYQjNBwLmeOkfRajVbkk-Adt9qHavVUI6JisFmvLlKTVciYyqGoVcsoGYZNVlUKrNeVqhD9kd-yNpCe9xthzVPgcaUZo6alkbfEFsqK~4w8srdIxA5YeKBJd1oOpWTfQ7Q1Y0QuO5bZH2Nlz5G5-OM0ggkBWdPHK8d-3cWsKS2~Askvrda3HualAQjy2m~gZbYZR5uCy3acmjeV4WilvO7qvHn~RMcmi4awOljjGtXMqVOhgi7xXLIl2htKI4dQ8GXXGeD8GGpnc6TbVTad39F-NYe2QJ1KUggBJq9NF0jW57P7cjh-zBULmHAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Johnston County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt the fiscal year 2025–26 budget on June 16, approving a county property tax rate of $0.52 per $100 valuation and a countywide fire tax rate of $0.115 per $100 valuation.

The motion to adopt the manager’s proposed budget with revisions was moved by Vice Chairman Harris and seconded (second not specified in the record). The board then conducted a voice vote; the motion carried and the budget was adopted (exact vote tally not recorded in the meeting minutes).

The board’s adopted package made several specified allocations and adjustments. Highlights included: a $110,000,000 allocation for supplemental current expense and $3,500,000 for capital outlay for Johnston County Public Schools; $9,290,303 for supplemental current expense and $4,570,504 for capital outlay for Johnston Community College; $500,000 allocated toward a new behavioral health urgent care facility; a 3% pay adjustment effective July 1 for county employees with the possibility of an additional up to 2% performance pay increase in October; $1,395,000 for Triangle Land Conservancy (to preserve farmland and open space, described by staff as matching/leverage funds); $100,000 for a Smithfield library site improvement project; and $100,000 for a transit-oriented development (TOD) study.

The motion as read into the record included several other programmatic allocations and service‑district tax rates recommended by advisory boards, including: an 8¢ per $100 valuation tax rate recommendation from the Research/Training Zone Board, and a 2.5¢ per $100 valuation proposal for the Moccasin Creek Service District (both included in the adopted package).

Commissioners and county staff described the budget as the product of weeks of work and compromise intended to balance competing goals: preserving financial stability and credit strength, funding capital and service needs, and limiting the immediate tax burden on residents. Commissioners noted constrained options given large county capital needs — notably public safety, DSS facilities and utilities — and stressed the goal of maintaining the county’s financial ratings to preserve favorable borrowing conditions.

Several commissioners and the manager thanked staff for extensive modeling and outreach. Multiple commissioners emphasized the longer-term context: rapid residential growth in unincorporated areas, demands on utilities and schools, and the county’s interest in increasing commercial and industrial tax base over time to reduce reliance on residential property taxes.

The board accepted the motion and the budget passed by voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the public transcript.","The Johnston County Board of Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2025–26 budget on June 16, adopting a reduced property tax rate and a set of targeted allocations for schools, community college and other programs after weeks of revisions and public input.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge county protections for nondiscrimination and funding for SNAP double‑dollar farmers‑market program

Consultant recommends buying wholesale capacity from Raleigh to delay $700M water program and ease rate pressure

Brightspeed updates commissioners on fiber build, grant awards and remaining eligible addresses in Johnston County

Commissioners approve purchase of Flowers Crossroads parcel for Northside Fire & Rescue station

Johnston County adopts FY 2025–26 budget, cuts property tax rate to $0.52 and reduces countywide fire rate