County manager announces $2 million orphan-roads loan fund and new municipal service agreements

County Manager David Smitherman told commissioners Sept. 3 that the board has put forward $2 million to create a loan fund to help communities repair unmaintained “orphan” roads, and he reminded the public of an orphan-roads kickoff meeting set for Sept. 10.

Smitherman also briefed the board on new or pending intergovernmental service agreements: Onslow County will provide IT services to the town of Swansboro effective Oct. 1; the county is forwarding a contract to assume code- and building-code-enforcement activities for North Topsail Beach; the county is pursuing joint vehicle maintenance arrangements with the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (Anwasa); and it is working with the military base on an intergovernmental agreement for dust control.

Smitherman said the county’s fire-steering committee has awarded a contract to Mission CIT (as recorded in the meeting) to begin a fire-service master plan, and that work will begin in the coming weeks. He also said county staff have begun work on a four-year financial plan starting July 1, 2026; CFO Kevin Patterson produced the outline and department directors will review it.

Why it matters: The $2 million loan fund could provide a funding mechanism for small communities to repair and maintain roads not maintained by the state or municipalities. The new service agreements expand shared services between the county and towns, potentially affecting municipal operations and budgets.

Details: The manager framed the orphan-roads loan fund as a county loan program to be accessed by communities; staff did not present details about loan terms or the application process at the Sept. 3 meeting. The fire-service master-plan contract award to Mission CIT was presented as the next step in a countywide review of fire services.