JACKSONVILLE N.C.- (WNCT) The public got to voice their opinions on HB1038 during Jacksonville’s city council meeting Tuesday night.
The packed, roughly four-hour long meeting, heard support both for and against the bill, which proposes getting rid of Jacksonville’s ward system and instead making every seat at-large.
“Is discrimination on race okay if your tribe or your side is on the benefitting side of it? We all know the answer to that question,” one person said during public comment.
Another said, “‘The present ward system ensures that each neighborhood has representation tailored to the unique needs and concerns of its constituency.”
Councilwoman Mickey Smith played audio from the state legislature’s recent committee hearing on the bill where it was later pulled to look over additional information and solutions.
“I want municipal authority,” Smith said during the meeting. “Preserve ward-based representation of voter equity and ensure this council represents Jacksonville’s brand as the all-American city caring community. Our city. One city. My city.”
Chairman of the Onslow County Republican Party Laura Deptola argues that having wards that include Marine Corps bases Camp Lejeune and Air Station New River creates an unfair advantage since most people living on those bases do not vote in municipal elections.
“You only need around 100 votes to win, where in the other two wards you need over a thousand votes to win,” Deptola said. “Onslow County has proven that we can and do elect minorities, which is clear with Bill Lanier, Robin Knapp, Louis Rogers. It’s not about not electing minorities. It’s about setting the playing field even.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.