Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Lobbying topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nags Head hires Ward and Smith to press state for infrastructure funds, will press for fix to SB 382
Summary
The Nags Head Board of Commissioners authorized Town Manager Andy to execute a contract with Ward and Smith to pursue state appropriations and legislative advocacy, citing the town’s water‑line and stormwater needs and concerns about the recent Senate Bill 382 changes to municipal zoning authority.
The Nags Head Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 18 to authorize Town Manager Andy to execute an agreement with Ward and Smith, a Raleigh‑based state government relations team, to pursue direct appropriations and legislative advocacy on behalf of the town.
Ward and Smith representatives told the board the firm focuses on municipal appropriations, agency advocacy and policy defense. “We lobby at the North Carolina General Assembly on behalf of all sorts of clients, but our largest client subset are cities and towns,” Whitney Christiansen of Ward and Smith said during a virtual presentation. She described the firm’s track record securing water‑system appropriations and other infrastructure funding.
Mayor and commissioners said the contract would give the town a dedicated advocate in Raleigh as lawmakers consider funding priorities and legislation that affects local authority. Town Manager Andy said the town has infrastructure needs — particularly water‑line replacements in several neighborhoods and areas of North Nags Head Cove — that the board hopes to advance with state help.
Board members also pressed the firm on Senate Bill 382, a recently enacted measure that the town and other municipalities say limits local zoning initiation and may have a look‑back period that affects planning actions taken in the prior 180 days. Ward and Smith said they are already engaged with the League of Municipalities and other local governments and will pursue technical corrections or legislative modifications in 2025, but they cautioned there are no guarantees. “We expect to see amendment modification, if not complete elimination of this now statute,” a Ward and Smith presenter said; the firm recommended coalition building with other affected towns.
The board approved the authorization by voice vote after a motion to allow the town manager to sign the agreement. Commissioners who spoke in favor cited the firm’s retention record and prior appropriations successes. The agreement includes a 15‑day written termination provision, which the mayor noted makes the contract flexible for the town.
Next steps: Andy and the firm will develop a legislative strategy, report back to the board on proposed appropriations and outreach to local delegation members, and monitor the General Assembly when it reconvenes in January.
