NEW HANOVER COUNTY—The county has released its “state of the county” briefing, a five-minute long video that highlights its accomplishments.
Commissioner Woody White narrated the county’s 2017/18 highlight reel.
Major accomplishments, according to White, include increased school funding, addressing the opioid crisis and property tax cuts.
From 2010-2012, the county’s education budget remained stagnant, at or around $62 million. Every year since, the county has increased that budget and last year, it increased by 21 percent while the student population increased by 6 percent.
This means more funds have been allocated to both students and county staff, with $75.1 million to be shared among New Hanover County Schools. White says this increased funding has lead to “measurable success in our classrooms.”
The New Hanover County Library launched, “CLASS Project,” a program that connects students to area libraries. Through this program, over 20,000 students now have library cards
In December, New Hanover County filed a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors, seeking relief from the devastation the crisis has wreaked on the region.
Notably, the county imposed its first property tax cut for residents in 14 years. In addition to cutting property taxes, White promised taxpayers a break in the future.
“We’ll continue to meet our core obligations while also giving your pocket book another break and lower your taxes even more,” White said.
The New Hanover County State of the County video can be viewed below.
