Shayne Frey, Republican  
Pender County Board of Commissioners, District 1
Career: Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel CH-53 D/E Helicopter Pilot; PCS ESS Substitute Teacher, PCS Bus Driver, and Dixon High School and former Topsail High School Baseball Coach; Volunteer Pender EMS and Fire Board Member 
Degree: Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice (Penn State); MS Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Science (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)

Q: What qualifies you to serve on the Pender County Board of Commissioners? 
A: My qualifications are rooted in mission-driven leadership, accountability, and direct community involvement. As a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel who served in combat six times supporting wars in Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, I spent decades making high-stakes decisions and executing complex logistics, multi-million dollar aircraft maintenance and fiscal responsibility under pressure. 

Beyond my military service, my time driving buses for Pender County Schools, substitute teaching, and coaching baseball at Topsail High School and Dixon has shown me the everyday realities our families, students, and teachers face. Additionally, volunteering on the Pender EMS and Fire Board gives me direct insight into our emergency infrastructure. I don’t just read reports; I live these challenges alongside my neighbors, and I bring the honor, courage, and discipline required to solve them.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing Pender County currently and what steps will you take to help correct it? 
A: The greatest challenge facing Pender County is unplanned, explosive growth outstripping our core infrastructure. Rapid development without adequate preparation has left our schools overcrowded, our roads congested, and our water and sewer systems strained. To correct this, I will push to require developers to invest in our community infrastructure (“impact tax 2.0”) before their projects move forward, ensuring growth pays its fair share. 

I also strongly advocate for a temporary pause on new residential developments that are not “by-right” so we can stop the chaos, catch up on decades of neglect, and implement long-term, proactive planning, putting all Pender County residents and our most important assets, our children, first.

Q: Controversy over citizen surveillance and Flock cameras have become a topic of concern for many in recent months. If elected 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?
A: As a conservative and a retired department of war military officer, I believe deeply in balancing public safety with the constitutional rights and privacy of our citizens. I support giving our law enforcement the tools they need to solve all levels of crimes and keep Pender County safe, but government surveillance must be strictly monitored. 

If elected, I will thoroughly review the current Flock camera contract to ensure absolute transparency. I am not inclined to cancel a tool that successfully aids our deputies in solving major crimes, bringing an abducted child home, or stopping human trafficking but I will demand strict data-retention limits, rigid oversight to prevent misuse, and clear policies ensuring these cameras are used exclusively for targeted law enforcement purposes, not for monitoring law-abiding citizens or generating revenue. Any violation will be punished immediately to the maximum extent possible.

Q: Many large-scale developments have been built in Pender County in the last five years and show no signs of slowing. What policy changes would you like to see to ensure infrastructure meets the needs of new residents, while also being mindful of the current population’s quality of life? 
A: Growth should benefit existing Pender County families, not just out-of-town developers. I support a temporary halt on residential development proposals that aren’t “by-right.” We must implement policy changes that tie project approvals directly to infrastructure milestones — meaning roads, turn lanes, water and sewer, and stormwater planning must be addressed prior to breaking ground. We cannot keep piling new developments onto outdated infrastructure and acting surprised when traffic and flooding problems follow. Developers must be required to mitigate their impact from day one so the financial burden does not fall on the current population including Pender County Schools.

Q: Employee recruitment and retention have been problematic in the county government. For instance, the Pender County Fire and EMS merger is complete but two months in has 52 vacancies, and the county attributed a missed deadline to submit its financial audit to the state in June because senior finance staff left late last year. How will you address recruitment and retention in all departments of Pender County? 
A: Whether it is fire, EMS, or our finance department, we must provide fair pay, strong benefits, safe working conditions, and transparent leadership to retain top talent. Regarding the EMS merger, establishing a centralized, county-run system is the correct structural step toward streamlining hiring, stabilizing pay, and increasing employee benefits. However, the current vacancies and audit issues point to a lack of proactive management and stability. 

I will demand greater accountability from department leadership, implement better succession planning, and ensure our county provides a well-resourced environment so employees view Pender County as a long-term career destination, are retained, and not a stepping stone.

Q: Are the county’s current water and sewer utilities being adequately funded and managed; why or why not? What will you do to make corrections and will you make it a county priority to connect people using well water to the county’s water and sewer; how, if so? 
A: Our utilities are currently strained due to decades of neglect and mismanagement, while housing approvals skyrocketed. We are relying on outdated septic systems and temporary fixes rather than comprehensive engineering. Clean, reliable water is non-negotiable. 

I will advocate for better PFAS monitoring, expanded infrastructure, and regional partnerships to modernize our wastewater and sewer solutions. Connecting residents to county water and sewer should absolutely be a priority — especially in the western part of the county and the rapidly growing Hampstead corridor — but this expansion must be funded through smart, conservative budgeting and developer contributions, not by hiking taxes on existing residents.

Q: The state legislature recently passed a temporary pause regarding the 2026 revaluation numbers being used in Pender County; however, it is only an interim fix to shield residents from escalating costs. In the last seven years (the revaluation timeline of the county), property values in Pender County have risen 115% on average, to much resident dismay. The pause lifts in January, but what do you see as a long-term solution when it comes to preventing sticker shock for residents and ensuring property taxes in Pender provide appropriate funding for county services? 
A: Government must live within its means, just as Pender County families do. My long-term solution to sticker shock is strict fiscal discipline and the adoption of a revenue-neutral tax rate. We cannot allow skyrocketing property values to become backdoor tax hikes. 

I will combat this by cutting wasteful spending, eliminating bloated budgets, and prioritizing core essentials like infrastructure and safety. By demanding transparency and managing spending wisely, we can fully support our county employees and essential services without penalizing homeowners for simply living in a desirable area.

Q: North Carolina voters will decide on a constitutional amendment in November 2026 that gives the state legislature the power to limit annual increases in local property taxes; do you support this move? Why or why not? 
A: I fully support this constitutional amendment. For too long, residents have lived in fear of being taxed out of their homes due to unchecked local government spending and massive revaluation spikes. Pender families work incredibly hard for every dollar, and the government must respect that. A constitutional limit on annual property tax increases provides predictable, stable financial expectations for families and forces county governments to do exactly what I am campaigning on: prioritize essential services, cut the bloat, and ensure that new growth pays for itself rather than continuously passing the burden onto existing taxpayers.

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. Since Pender County has representation on the WMPO, 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: Pender County residents cannot be treated as an open checkbook for regional infrastructure that does not directly benefit them. I do not support forcing Pender taxpayers — whether through a local option sales tax or a toll that burdens our commuters — to fund projects in neighboring counties without guaranteed, proportional investments in our own severely strained infrastructure. Our priority must be fixing Pender County’s roads and congestion first. 

While exploring the most cost-effective and enduring bridge design (such as a 135-foot option that eliminates long-term maintenance costs of a movable span) is important for the region, my stance on the WMPO will be to fiercely advocate for Pender County’s local needs before agreeing to drain our residents’ wallets for outside projects.

Q: Given the rapid growth in Pender County, schools recently faced a multi-million dollar operational funding gap just to maintain existing staffing and services. Moving forward, what is your specific strategy for collaborating with the board of education to ensure predictable, long-term funding for classroom teachers and student support? 
A: Overcrowded schools in areas like Hampstead have been obvious for a decade, yet the response has been reactive rather than strategic. I will replace this patchwork approach with a long-term, data-driven plan. My strategy involves active coordination between the board of commissioners and the board of education to prioritize land banking for future sites and utilizing realistic capacity modeling before new residential developments are approved. By managing our county budget conservatively and ending wasteful spending, we will ensure adequate, predictable funding is available to solve our transportation and classroom overcrowding issues without needing emergency funding gaps filled at the last minute.

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