TOPSAIL BEACH — Nancy Thomason, who is retired and formerly worked in the banking industry and as a CFO, is hoping to secure her seat on the Topsail Beach Board of Commissioners.
A Topsail Beach resident in youth but who moved back to the town permanently in 2015, Thomason is running for commissioner after being sworn in earlier this year to finish out Frank Braxton’s term. Braxton became mayor following the death of Mayor Morton Blanchard.
“It has been a challenging time as the town lost two mayors in five months, added two new commissioners and have faced many challenges,” Thomason said. “I feel I was able to get up to speed quickly and make a difference. The mayor and this group of commissioners have worked closely and while we do not agree on some issues, we debate respectfully and work hard to do what is right for the town and residents.”
Though the commissioner race is nonpartisan, Thomason is affiliated with the Republican party. Three seats are open, and she will face off against incumbents Tim Zizack (D) and John Best (R), as well as challenger Alex Arab (R).
Port City Daily asked all candidates a slate of questions about topics that are tracking high with voters and residents currently. Thomason’s answers have been edited only for clarity.
A few things to consider this election season:
- A valid ID is required to cast ballot in North Carolina
- Election Day is Nov. 4, 2025, with voters required to go to their assigned precinct locations
- Early voting opens Oct. 16 and closes Nov. 1, and voters can register and cast a ballot at the Cooperative Extension Auditorium, 801 S Walker St., or Surf City Community Center Gym, 201 Community Center Dr. Click here for hours.
The paywall has been dropped on candidate profiles to help voters make informed decisions ahead of the election. Candidate opinions and statements are not a reflection of Port City Daily.
Port City Daily: What makes you qualified for a seat and sets you apart from other candidates?
NT: I have a very strong financial and business background that has been helpful in the last seven months. I am a creative problem-solver and I verify facts so that decisions aren’t made solely because that is what was done in the past.
Most importantly, I have had a presence at Topsail Beach my entire life and I love this place. I worked tirelessly with the Coastal Land Trust to help secure the local funding needed to acquire the South End and preserve it in perpetuity. I have a commitment to our residents to maintain the family-friendly and unique culture and make sure it remains affordable and to listen to them as I have done in the last seven months. I represent the property owners and residents, not my own agenda.
PCD: The Beach, Inlet, and Sound fund is a large part of Topsail Beach’s budget for covering coastal projects. Given the long-term nature of these efforts, what is your strategy for ensuring the fund’s sustainability, and what measures would you support to enhance the town’s coastal resilience?
NT: Due to several factors, our BIS fund was underfunded and that needed to be changed. Our beach is incredible and we have a 30-year beach renourishment plan to keep it that way. Bear in mind that the fund is not just about the beach but also to keep our inlet navigable. The town needed to ensure we had the funds that are required by the plan. Absent the disappearance of FEMA and the Shallow Draft Fund, with the tax dollars we allocated starting this year we should be in good shape.
We need to maintain strong connections at the state and federal level to make sure our voice is heard on policy changes that impact those funds.
PCD: What is your vision for managing future growth? What specific actions would you support to ensure new projects align with the quality of life and values that are important to Topsail Beach residents?
NT: My vision for Topsail Beach is to preserve the small-town family culture and the natural beauty by thoughtfully managing growth. We are unique in that we are water and landlocked and there is limited growth opportunity, mostly redevelopment. We have around 500 residents, but we welcome close to 10,000 visitors in the summer and we must provide for our needs and theirs.
We need to encourage businesses that can serve both visitors and full-time residents, that are not redundant and enhance our community feel. We also need to anticipate and plan for sewer needs in the future and ensure we have a reliable water source.
Traffic has become a large problem in the last couple of years and we need a regional solution to improve it.
PCD: The Topsail Beach Board of Commissioners recently approved a 20% tax-rate increase to fund the general fund and coastal initiatives. With the county-wide property revaluation looming, what is your philosophy on fiscal responsibility for a municipality? What specific strategies would you implement to ensure the town’s long-term financial health and sustainability?
NT: I feel strongly that our town must take fiscal responsibility and accountability to our residents serious. I did vote for the 20% tax increase as it was necessary to get us on the right path to resiliency ad sustainable growth.
My background is finance and I, along with the other commissioners, spent hours going through the budget line by line and I did the same with the financial model prepared by our advisors, First Tryon. We have converted from a volunteer fire department to full time and we needed to make sure that was adequately funded. We also are required to get a new firetruck in 2030.
We needed to address the underfunding of our BIS fund as aforementioned.
We have no clue what the revaluation will be, our model contemplated a 20% revaluation. I do not see massive increases in our needs absent the impact of inflation. If the revaluation exceeds the 20% contemplated, I think our tax rate will need to be adjusted downward. I joined the board mid-budget process this year, but next year I intend to look at the budget with a ground-up approach: what do we need and what can we afford? We are already looking at possible grants to fund the firetruck.
PCD: The town’s proposed public safety building has been a significant point of contention for residents and officials, with an ongoing debate over its necessity, size, and cost. Where do you stand on the project’s current plans, and what do you believe is the most fiscally responsible way to meet the needs of the town’s police and fire departments?
NT: Our police and fire facilities are very outdated. We have top-notch fire and police departments and they deserve a good working environment. I did not feel any of the originally proposed options was appropriate and proposed a fixed-price alternative. The town received $8 million in state funding and with the interest accrued on that and the small loan contemplated in the current budget; the building cost is covered.
The building being the right size and price and looking like it belonged in our community were essential in my view. I feel like we arrived at the right place and our community will be proud of this new facility and it will serve our needs for years to come. The next challenge is to ensure it comes in on or under budget and our design/build team is on top of that.
PCD: The town is currently assessing its stormwater infrastructure to address street flooding and drainage issues. What is your top infrastructure priority for Topsail Beach, and how would you propose to fund and manage these improvements?
NT: The town is looking at the stormwater infrastructure but with rising sea level and continued development, stormwater is not the biggest challenge — it is flooding from sea water. We do have areas where standing water is an issue but sound side flooding from King Tides is more impactful. We know some of the possible solutions, but it will take grants to get that done. The town could not afford to fix all of the areas impacted on our own.
As well, we need to contemplate and prepare for the possible need for sewer in the future and be sure we have a potable water source. This island is fragile and maintaining this infrastructure and anticipating and preparing for future needs is critical, while understanding our tax dollars are limited.
PCD: What is one other issue not discussed above that you have a plan to address if elected and how would you do so?
NT: N/a
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