Cumberland County unveils Vision 2030, pledges major investments in water, schools and mental health

Cumberland County Chairman Kirk Devier outlined a multi-year plan he called Vision 2030 during a State of the County address at the historic Cumberland County Courthouse, saying the county will prioritize clean water, fully funded schools, expanded mental-health services and economic development that keeps military families and graduates in the community.

"If you can't trust the water coming from your tap, what can you trust?" Devier asked, recounting residents' discovery of GenX contamination in Grays Creek and crediting local organizers for pressing the county to act. He said the board directed installation of filtration systems at Grays Creek schools and accelerated construction of a water system in the most contaminated neighborhoods.

Devier and Vice Chair Veronica Jones highlighted investment figures and programs the board credited with recent progress: Jones said the board secured more than $334,000,000 in state and funnel funding for major water infrastructure projects; Devier referenced the board's commitment of more than $260,000,000 toward clean, state-regulated drinking water. Jones also said the board cut the property tax rate by 30¢ while fully funding the school system's request.

Officials emphasized workforce and education ties to retention and growth: Devier pointed to partnerships with Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville State University and Cape Fear Valley Health System to expand medical training locally. He cited the Soldiers-to-Agriculture program, which certifies 50 transitioning service members annually, and a student success story from Spring Lake Middle School as evidence of the pipeline working.

Addressing homelessness and behavioral health, Devier said the county expanded cold-weather shelter capacity with partners and added more than 70 permanent emergency beds, and he announced a county-supported plan to integrate mental-health professionals into 911 response. "Help, not handcuffs," he said, describing liaison teams in jails and a post-overdose response team created with Alliance Health and Cape Fear Valley.

On public safety operations, Devier described a plan developed by local fire and public-safety leaders to consolidate the county and city's 911 dispatches into a single center, pledging shared costs and "no job loss" while adding mental-health capacity to the response model. He named Fire Chief Freddie Johnson as among the public-safety leaders who helped craft the plan and said he and local mayors support the effort.

The address also covered quality-of-life and economic development projects: a proposed regional aquatic center for competitions and community use, upgrades at the Crown Complex for concerts and events, and an "innovation corridor" linking Fort Bragg, educational institutions and private partners for defense technology and cybersecurity. Devier announced an infrastructure summit later this month focused on coordinating waterlines, sewer extensions and road improvements along key corridors.

Devier framed the evening as a "mission brief" that calls for public engagement and transparency: he said the board posts every dollar on a public dashboard, posts meeting minutes and livestreams meetings. The address concluded with a celebration of the courthouse's 100th anniversary and a final call for community ownership of the county's objectives.

No formal votes or ordinance adoptions were recorded in the address itself; the presentation was delivered as the board's state-of-the-county remarks and a call to action for future agenda items and intergovernmental work.