Johnston County commissioners ask staff to commission local fiscal study as UDO update proceeds

Johnston County commissioners agreed during a strategic planning session to seek a county-specific fiscal impact (cost-of-services) study to help set land-use policy and to complete the county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update.

Commissioners said the study would help them weigh the long-term fiscal tradeoffs among residential, commercial and industrial development as the county updates zoning and subdivision rules.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff said they want numbers tied to Johnston County conditions before adopting rules that steer growth. Several commissioners described last session presenter Dr. Dorfman's national examples as eye-opening but not strictly Johnston County–specific; they asked staff to commission localized analysis so the board can test changes to the UDO against projected service costs.

What the board directed: staff will contact the recommended consultant, discuss scope and timeline within 30 days, and return to the board with a proposed scope and cost for approval. Commissioners asked that municipal leaders be consulted about whether they should be participants in the study or recipients of the findings.

Board members emphasized two parallel tracks: complete the UDO stakeholder process and public hearings on the schedule already underway, and run the fiscal study concurrently so the county can adjust the UDO if the study shows material fiscal impacts. A majority of commissioners said they wanted the UDO adopted this year, but they also said the county should be prepared to revise the new code if the fiscal study recommends different mixes of uses or densities.

Discussion highlights: commissioners stressed the difference between general examples and local evidence. Several said they want the cost study to be broad enough to test multiple growth scenarios (different mixes of housing density, commercial and industrial development, and infrastructure costs). Staff noted the study's timeline will depend on scope and on whether municipalities participate and contribute data.

Next steps and timing: staff will (1) contact the consultant identified by the board for an initial scoping call, (2) draft a proposed scope and schedule for board review, (3) advise the board whether the study should be county-only or a regional/cooperative study with nearby jurisdictions. The board asked staff to bring a recommended procurement and budget allowance back for board action after the scope is settled.

By way of context: commissioners said the UDO completion and the fiscal study are interdependent — the UDO can be adopted as planned, but commissioners want the fiscal findings available so the code can be amended if necessary. Several commissioners also urged outreach to towns early in the process so municipal leaders can provide data and discuss shared impacts.

Ending note: Commissioners framed the work as a long-range exercise — they said the county needs the local data to make zoning and infrastructure decisions that will affect Johnston County for decades.