Randy Thompson, Republican incumbent for District 1
Brunswick County Board of Commissioners
Career: Local government retiree, small business owner with my wife
Education: Associates in Fire Protection (Durham Technical Comm. College), Bachelor’s in public administration (Shaw University), certificate in nonprofit management (Duke University)

Q: What qualifies you to serve on the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners? 
A: I have served as the District 1 county commissioner for the past 11 years, four of which as vice chair and four years as chairman. At the state level, I served as a past member of the board of directors for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) (six-year period).  

In 2017, I was appointed to the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission. I am past president of the North Carolina Emergency Management Association and a past commissioner on the State of North Carolina Emergency Response Commission. I served on the State Legislative Joint Study Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management Recovery and served as the chairperson of North Carolina’s first Interoperability Executive Committee.  

At the national level, I served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Counties (NACo) representing members of the International Association of Emergency Managers. Currently, I’m co-chair on the NACo Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee for Homeland Security, where recommendations for national policies are developed that address county concerns.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing Brunswick County currently and what steps will you take to help correct it? 
A: Addressing the overdevelopment going on within Brunswick County should be everyone’s top concern. It will be my top item moving forward with a new board of commissioners.  

Our unified development ordinance — or land development ordinance — needs to be changed immediately. This can’t happen unless our state legislature removes the downzoning requirement placed on Brunswick County.  

Making the commissioners hear the development request was a good step in the right direction, but without legislative changes the outcome still could be the same. 

I feel overdevelopment is a public safety concern and for that reason I will not approve of any additional development.

Q: Controversy over citizen surveillance and Flock cameras have become a topic of concern for many in recent months. As a commissioner, do you plan to address the contract with the sheriff’s office and what will that look like exactly? Are you inclined to cancel the contract; why/why not? If not, how do you plan to address misuse of the Flock system?
A: We are still in the process of receiving data from the sheriff’s office to review. The data requested at this point has been slow in providing a clear understanding of the use and location of the units. I have been a strong supporter of law enforcement and had my career begin as an officer.  

Good police work uses cameras data provided mostly by citizens and businesses who themselves have installed cameras. We may not need the Flock system, which I will determine after the data review.  

As for misuse, if you didn’t have it, there would be no misuse. I disagree with spending additional tax dollars on policing the police. In the current case for Brunswick County, not only was time spent by investigators locally, but now the state must spend staff time reviewing the case.  

Q: The state legislature recently stripped the Brunswick County Planning Board of its development authority and handed it to the commissioners; do you support the move — why or why not? Do you think the state should have run interference; what’s the balance between elected officials being allowed to govern and the legislature stepping in?  
A: I think if our planning board would have been better advised by planning staff and legal, this might not have occurred. I see it clearly as a public safety concern, where infrastructure isn’t keeping pace.  

I’m fine with the legislature stepping in. I do feel that we will see additional legal challenges if the state doesn’t address the downzoning.

Q: The deadline for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge grant is approaching. WMPO Director Mike Kozlosky has been clear the only options to fund a new bridge at this point is the toll or the local options sales tax — which do you support? Additionally, do you support the 65-foot, the 135-foot bridge option, or do you think a third design option should be explored?
A: Maybe a third option might not be a bad thing. I am not in favor of the toll option or the sales tax option. 

It’s time that the state and federal government look closely at our region. Both New Hanover and Brunswick have evacuation concerns based on our location and critical facilities based in our counties. Many of the critical facilities we share you wouldn’t find anywhere in the country this close together. For that reason, we should be a top priority on transportation matters.

Q: Is PFAS contamination adequately being addressed in Brunswick County? What would you like to see happen to ensure everyone has access to clean water and how will you usher those ideas in? 
A: The PFAS contamination is being addressed with the RO system construction. We will continue to evaluate additional options moving forward as regulations require.  

We do need to focus on providing additional water to those who are not on the county water system currently. That doesn’t include new developments — they should pay 100 percent of the cost associated with their development in the future.

Q: Several local governments in Brunswick County have voted to establish 12-month moratoria on data centers until they develop ordinances with specific land use and environmental regulations. Do you support local government making these decisions or should these regulations be crafted at the state level? 
A: I feel that should be addressed locally. I would support a moratorium on data centers in Brunswick County.

Q: Brunswick County is the fastest growing county in the state, but residents and commissioners alike have pointed to utility and road infrastructure concerns. What needs to be addressed with infrastructure to match incoming development? What policy changes would you make to tackle these concerns? 
A: Developers need to pay more of the infrastructure cost. It should not be placed on existing residents to fund their development. The state manages most of our roadways — you can’t travel 3 miles in Brunswick County without identifying a route that either needs to be expanded or resurfacing needs to occur. The state is falling behind.

Q: Brunswick County Schools has found that all of its schools will reach 100% capacity in the next decade. The 2026 school bond will help alleviate this, if passed this November, but what is your view on supporting the school district’s increased capital needs as the county continues to grow?
A: Moving forward, there needs to be a better plan for providing capital facility funding. I like the Dare County model where the funding comes from taxes collected and not a special assessment. We have to determine the county’s future needs to properly address a funding structure.

Q: What is your view of the current board’s leadership? What are they succeeding at and what needs to be improved? 
A: The current board has several good leaders that are focused on the real needs of the county. With the upcoming election the makeup of the Board will change. I am looking forward to this change and maybe we can get Brunswick County back on the right path forward.  

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