Pender County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Pender County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
DSS funding for federal H.R. 1 implementation
The county was slated to accept $254,546.89 to cover extra social services administrative costs tied to federal Medicaid eligibility changes under H.R. 1.
County fund balance use
The county has $68.6 million in fund balance, which drops to about $48 million after planned uses. Commissioners discussed whether to use some of it — one time — to help the schools.
2026 Personnel Policy changes
New policy folds volunteer, bereavement, and mental health leave into PTO, ends banking holidays worked, and incorporates Fire/EMS shifts — with on-call pay and EMS pay to be revisited.
Child Care Assistance Prioritization
The county adopted a policy setting the order in which families get subsidized child care funds; it passed 3-1.
Outside agency and nonprofit funding requests
A dozen-plus agencies and nonprofits — from Pender Adult Services ($422,455) to the Arts Council ($10,000) — pitched the county for next year's funding. Collectively these dollars support seniors, veterans, food assistance, arts, history, and youth programs countywide.