COUNTY MANAGER:

RON HUNT

Welcome to Wilson County NOW, or we could say Wilson County HOT. The summer’s very hot temperatures have defined the last several weeks. But alternatively, hot could mean “currently in demand” which describes Wilson County Government’s services and facilities. This edition showcases our public library’s public reading programs, Emergency Medical Services' expanding footprint, Wilson County 4-H youth’s activity day along with achievements, Health Department’s new mobile care unit, and our ribbon cuttings for Wilson County Government Center’s renovations and the opening of our new EMS North Central City Station. We most recently broke ground on the new Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Training Center.

The leadership of our Wilson County Board of Commissioners, along with that of our Department Leaders and staff, have made all of this possible. In fact, everything mentioned is in line with our continuous commitment to expand services and meet our residents where they are. Please take a moment to read and connect with our departments and services. The heat did not stop us, but it’s been a pretty cool way to spend the summer achieving great things for you.

If you have moved here this summer, welcome! And to all our amazing residents, thank you for your support and thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Have a great rest of your summer!

Ron Hunt

County Manager

DEPUTY COUNTY MANAGER:

LORI WINSTEAD

Wilson County Government partners with the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition (WCSPC) to provide recovery services and resources to the citizens of Wilson County. Wilson County Government supports this nonprofit annually while they provide evidence-based addiction treatment through in-patient and/or out-patient services. You can contact WCSPC at 252-991-7267. Learn more about North Carolina's Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan here.

COMMUNICATIONS:

STEPHEN MANN, DIRECTOR

It's been a busy quarter with ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings and enhancing the County's branding. You will continue to see our new W logo inside and out on Wilson County Government buildings, on water towers throughout the county, and on County-owned vehicles.

This Friday, we will reach the one-year mark of bringing you weekly episodes of Just A Minute. Thank you to those who tune in each Friday to learn about all of the great things happening in Wilson County. You can view each one on our YouTube channel.

As always, I encourage you to follow and interact with us on social media:

• Facebook- @wilsoncountygov

• Twitter/X- @wilsoncountygov

• LinkedIn- linkedin.com/company/wilson-county-government-nc

• YouTube- @wilsoncountygov

If there are items that you'd like to see covered in future editions of this newsletter, please feel free to reach out to me at smann@wilsoncountync.gov. 

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION:

NORMAN HARRELL, DIRECTOR

Twenty-one youth from Wilson County recently competed in the Southeast 4‑H District Activity Day, which brings together participants from 18 counties. This annual event gives youth the chance to develop important life skills like public speaking, confidence and time management.

In the presentation category, participants prepare and deliver a speech or demonstration on a topic they have researched, helping them build communication and organizational skills. The outdoor cooking competition challenges participants to prepare a meal on-site using charcoal grills, emphasizing food safety. 4-H Entertains showcases talents such as singing, dancing and other performing arts, allowing youth to express creativity and build confidence.

Wilson County 4‑H participants earned six gold, seven silver and three bronze medals. Thirteen youth who received gold or silver advanced to the 2025 North Carolina 4‑H State Presentation Finals on July 21. Wilson County 4‑H is incredibly proud of these young people for their dedication, preparation and poise. Their success reflects the strong support of parents, volunteers and our 4‑H community who helped prepare them.

COUNTY ENGINEERING:

BRAJESH TIWARI, COUNTY ENGINEER

Wilson County’s newly-formed Engineering Department is transforming the Board’s vision into tangible progress through rigorous planning and seamless collaboration across county government. In the past year, we teamed up with the Board of Commissioners, County Manager’s Office, Finance Department, and other county departments to establish the County’s first comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY 2026–2030—available to all residents in an interactive online format and as a downloadable PDF. These policies set clear, transparent standards for how projects are selected, funded and monitored, ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested where they generate the greatest public benefit.

On the ground, our collaboration is delivering results. Working hand‑in‑hand with Maintenance, EMS and the Sheriff’s Department, the Engineering Department steered the $1.5M North Central City EMS Station from construction to ribbon‑cutting on schedule and within budget, expanding coverage to roughly one‑third of county EMS calls. Additionally, we’re making steady progress on the $1M East EMS Station, with construction set to begin by the end of 2025, further strengthening emergency response capabilities. Another milestone is the Sheriff’s Office Training Facility, a $2M project now underway and expected to be completed within nine months, ensuring our law enforcement has the resources needed for excellence in public safety. In parallel, we are coordinating with Wilson County Water Services to advance two federally-funded ARPA infrastructure projects—tank recoating and the Town of Black Creek water‑line improvements—totaling $5.5M and targeted for completion by December 2026. Several additional CIP projects, including planning for renovations of the historic Wilson County Courthouse, will begin this fall.

Transparency, accountability and coordination remain at the core of our mission, and we invite you to explore our vision, ongoing projects, and the full CIP on the Wilson County Engineering Department website to see how these principles shape every decision we make as we work together to build a safer, healthier and more resilient Wilson County.

9-1-1 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS:

JEFF WILLIFORD, DIRECTOR

We continue to answer the call of our citizens in their most critical time of need. Here is a snapshot of how we are helping our residents. For the first half of the year, the 9-1-1 Center:

• Answered 77,901 calls

• Processed 87,003 calls for service

• Answered calls on average in 3.54 seconds

• 99.92% of the calls were answered within 15 seconds

• 100% of the calls were answered within 20 seconds

Additionally, our team completed 1,344 hours of training.

 In June, the 9-1-1 Center:

• Answered 14,193 calls

• Processed 14,369 calls for service

• Answered calls on average in 3.65 seconds

• 99.85% of the calls were answered within 15 seconds

• 100% of the calls were answered within 20 seconds

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:

GORDON DENO, DIRECTOR

June 1 marked the beginning of hurricane season in North Carolina. Preparedness is a personal responsibility. We urge all citizens to seriously evaluate their preparedness for incidents and events that can impact daily life in Wilson County. Families should have an Emergency Plan and an Emergency Supplies Kit to support their preparedness capabilities. A good resource for preparedness information can be found at: readync.gov

During this quarter, Wilson County Emergency Management once again worked with Civil Affairs personnel from Fort Bragg. We assist with training Civil Affairs students on how to work with local government entities in other countries when assisting with managing disaster situations or consequences resulting from terrorist attacks or war. We take this responsibility very seriously and are honored to have been involved in this process for over twenty years.

Our office works very closely with the fifteen volunteer fire departments that serve Wilson County. These departments are private, nonprofit corporations that are contracted to provide fire protection within the fire districts in Wilson County. It’s important to mention that while tax dollars pay for equipment and operating costs for the volunteer fire departments, personnel are volunteers. These men and women donate their time for training, station duties and response to emergencies, many times at risk to their own personal safety. All of the volunteer fire departments provide medical first responders to medical emergencies and many of them provide various technical rescue services such as vehicle extrication or agricultural rescue. We urge folks to support their volunteer fire departments and, if possible, to seek volunteer opportunities with the departments.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES:

MICHAEL COBB, DIRECTOR

We continue to expand our footprint for our growing population. This includes the recent ribbon cutting for the North Central City Station. And soon we will break ground on the EMS East Station. The Wilson County EMS System encompasses 373 miles within the county and consists of 90+ technicians responding to an average of more than 45 calls per day. Wilson County EMS operates eight ambulances and staffs six EMS stations 24 hours per day:

• Headquarters on Glendale Avenue in Wilson
• North Station on Parker Street in Elm City
• South Station on Church Street in Black Creek
• East Nash Volunteer Fire Department, US 264 Alt.
• Rock Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Rock Ridge School Road
• North Central City Station on Brentwood Drive in Wilson

HEALTH DEPARTMENT:

CINNAMON NARRON, DIRECTOR

The Wilson County Health Department is now utilizing a Mobile Care Unit. An official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Tuesday, July 1.

The Mobile Care Unit is designed to expand access to health services across the community. This incredible community partnership is made possible through the joint efforts of Trillium Health Resources, Wilson County Government and Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition. The unit offers a variety of essential healthcare services directly to our community, including:

✔️Harm reduction services

✔️STI/HIV services

✔️Health screenings

✔️Immunizations

✔️Counseling services

✔️WIC outreach

✔️Benefit enrollment assistance

✔️& MORE

Stay connected to find out when and where the Mobile Care Unit will be! For the most current schedule and locations, visit the calendar of services on our Wilson County Health Department website.

SENIOR CENTER:

DR. KESHA HOWELL, DIRECTOR

Over the past few months, the Senior Activity Center has been busy! In May, we celebrated Older Americans month with our annual Age My Way Festival and “A Night of Elegance.” Participants enjoyed a catered dinner from Marty’s, along with music, door prizes and fun!

We’re taking the Senior Center on the road with our residential outreach program to engage seniors in the community with activities for socialization, education and resources for those who are unable to visit the center. Staff have provided information on topics such as healthy eating, scam awareness and computer/smartphone tech talk sessions, as well as activities including arts/crafts and bingo.  

In June, we were off to New Orleans to explore all that it has to offer. Senior Center program associate staff and 50 participants experienced all of the history, festivals, music and food as they visited the famous Bourbon Street, antique shops, cafes and museums. 

You can keep up with the latest events and offerings at the Senior Center with our monthly newsletter on our website.

SHERIFF'S OFFICE:

SHERIFF CALVIN L. WOODARD, JR.

On Tuesday, June 8, we broke ground on the Wilson County Sheriff's Office Tactical Training Complex. The facility is located off Commerce Road in Wilson County and will feature a training center, including an indoor training area and an additional classroom space. This project is being funded by $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Once completed, the training center will provide a dedicated space to enhance the skills and preparedness of officers, ensuring they can continue to serve and protect our community effectively.

SOCIAL SERVICES:

KIMBERLY IRVINE, DIRECTOR

The Wilson County Department of Social Services recently received a $125,000 grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson to launch the Resilient Family Connections (RFC) Initiative. RFC is designed to support families facing complex challenges, such as trauma, mental health concerns and substance misuse, through evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies.

Wilson County DSS has long been committed to its mission of improving lives and strengthening families. The RFC Initiative builds on that foundation by offering targeted interventions to address the root causes of household conflict and instability. The initiative will implement two nationally recognized models, Alternatives for Families: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) and Alternatives for Professionals (AFP), to promote healing, resilience and family preservation. By investing in the health of families and strengthening caregiver-child relationships, RFC aims to create lasting change that ripples throughout Wilson County.

SOIL & WATER:

JOSH PATE, DIRECTOR

The Wilson County Soil & Water Conservation District is currently accepting applications for the NC Agriculture Cost Share Program, Agriculture Water Resources Program, Community Conservation Assistance Program and Environmental Quality Incentive Program. These programs are voluntary cost share programs designed to assist landowners with installation of various Best Management Practices that help protect or improve water quality in our state. For more information, contact (252) 237-5147 Ext. 3.

TAX ADMINISTRATION:

CRAWFORD BOLTON, TAX ADMINISTRATOR

The Tax Administration staff have been busy over the last quarter with the listing and assessing of all real and personal property, reviewing and processing all property tax applications, and finishing up the collection of 2024 property taxes prior to the end of the 2025 fiscal year. During this quarter, our staff have continued to be available to assist the public in-office, over the phone, through email, or at different community events throughout the county. As we wrapped up the second quarter of 2025, we look forward to the next quarter as we begin preparation for the 2025 billing cycle which takes place in the middle of August. If you, or someone you know, would like to learn more about the appraisal, billing or collection processes, please reach out to one of our staff members.

WATER SERVICES:

RONNIE FORD, DIRECTOR

Wilson County Water Services is undergoing two major water tank projects in both the southwest and southeast water districts.

Southwest District's Boswellville Rd. Tank:

• Taken out of service and drained on 4/10/25
• Disinfection process using sodium hypochlorite and refilling of the tank was performed 6/17/25
• Bacteriological sample were taken on 6/20/25. Results found absent of bacteria were confirmed on 6/21/25.
• The Boswellville tank returned to service on 7/02/25  

Southeast District's Hwy. 42 East Tank:

• Taken out of service and drained on 6/05/25
• Contractors are currently 50% through with the tank's recoating process.

In an effort to provide enhanced customer service, we have refurbished and relocated our payment drop box in front of the Wilson County Government Center. You can now make convenient drive-up payments by check or money orders only. Please do not deposit cash.