RALEIGH, N.C (WTVD) — Wake County leaders highlighted economic development, farmland preservation and public health investments Tuesday while acknowledging financial challenges tied to the county’s continued growth during the annual State of the County address.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Don Mial said the county’s rapid growth remains a defining issue, affecting schools, housing, health care and county finances.
Wake County is home to roughly 1.2 million residents, with leaders saying about 24,000 new people moving to the county each year, or about 66 people per day.
“I’ll be frank with you. This was a tough budget year,” Mial said. “We’ve all been affected by this growth here in the county.”
Among the accomplishments highlighted during the address were investments in Smart Start Pre-K programs, new parks, efforts to address homelessness and continued farmland preservation. County officials said Wake County has secured more than 407 acres of farmland to prevent redevelopment.
Diana Perry of RC Perry Farming Inc. said the preservation program helps farmers facing economic pressures.
“If you put it in farmland preservation, then you’re able to hold onto it for a little longer. And so, that money can help replace what you might get by selling it to a subdivision,” Perry said. “It’s just so important because they’re not making any more land. Once it’s gone from farmland, it’s gone.”
County leaders also pointed to economic benefits tied to tourism and hospitality. Representatives from Visit Raleigh said hotel occupancy has increased year over year following the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup championship run.
“Impact for hotels, impact for small businesses and restaurants, retailers, folks that work within the hospitality sector, almost 27,000 employees,” said Loren Gold, executive vice president of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Despite those gains, Mial said actions by the state have shifted some costs back onto counties, adding pressure during a difficult budget cycle.
One area cited was public school funding. Wake County provided more than $25 million in additional funding for operating expenses, according to county leaders.
“We are the 15th largest school district in the United States right now, and we continue to grow. But what we have to do is we have to try to backfill the things that the state is not doing, like teacher salary,” Mial said.
Leaders also discussed the county’s approval of a proposed merger between WakeMed and Atrium Health. Mial said the decision would bring additional investment to health care services in Wake County.
“We will be able to get an additional $150 million from Atrium that will help other healthcare facilities and things here in Wake County to help improve public health care,” Mial said.
Mial said housing remains the county’s most significant challenge as growth continues. County leaders said meeting the needs of a rapidly expanding population will require ongoing attention to housing, health care and other public services.
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