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HarvestBeam and Brightspeed named as Washington County broadband providers; officials show referendum outreach
Summary
At its March 4 meeting the Washington County Board heard that HarvestBeam and Brightspeed will serve the county and was shown outreach materials for a proposed one-quarter cent sales tax referendum; commissioners also approved using county emergency communications to send a county-wide reminder to vote.
At the March 4, 2024 meeting of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Tracey A. Johnson said HarvestBeam and Brightspeed will be the two broadband providers serving Washington County, part of her North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) presidential initiative on broadband for unserved and underserved counties.
The update noted the county is trying to keep residents informed and transparent about broadband deployment. Commissioner Johnson described outreach and coordination work tied to her NCACC president’s initiative and staff said they are continuing site and project coordination with providers.
Asia Melton, representing LFNC, presented a campaign update on a proposed one-quarter cent sales tax referendum intended to fund county needs. Melton told the board she has run newspaper ads, radio spots, given a TV interview and produced videos posted on the county website; the videos were shown at the meeting.
Commissioner John C. Spruill asked whether the county could send a county-wide text message to remind residents to vote on the referendum; Emergency Management staff confirmed they can send county-wide messages. The board did not take a formal vote on the referendum materials or on provider agreements during the meeting.
Why it matters: Broadband provider selection and successful referendum outreach affect how quickly unserved and underserved households can access internet services and how the county funds local priorities. The board did not adopt a broadband contract at this meeting; further steps and public notices are expected as projects move forward.
Next steps: County staff will continue coordination with HarvestBeam and Brightspeed and maintain outreach materials on the county website; Emergency Management staff can send county-wide text reminders for the referendum.
