What a year it was. And, more importantly, what a year lies ahead.

With the calendar turning from 2024 to 2025, it’s easy to look back fondly and recall all that our community accomplished in the previous year. And there is certainly no shortage of things to be proud of.

From the opening of Hanover Pines Nature Park to bringing a new community alerting system online, so much happened in the last 365 days that will enhance the lives of our residents and our overall community safety.

But, if there’s one thing we pride ourselves on as a county government, it’s a desire to keep our eyes focused forward on ways we can continue making improvements, rather than resting on the laurels of what has been done.

Which is what makes the coming year so exciting.

In December, we began conversations with our Board of Commissioners about the budget priorities we will focus on in planning for the next fiscal year. These are topics pulled directly from conversations with our Commissioners and residents about what they believe is important for our community as we move through this process.

Not surprisingly, public education remains atop that list. Continuing to invest in our children and their future is paramount to a thriving community. Our Commissioners have always held support for New Hanover County Schools, along with Cape Fear Community College, as the single biggest piece of our county’s yearly financial puzzle, a commitment which remains unchanged.

We will continue to collaborate with our local educational institutions to help them create the best learning environment for our students, laying a foundation for our community’s future.

While education is certainly crucial, there are other areas that you, our residents, have voiced your opinions on clearly. And make no mistake, they have been heard. One of the most frequently discussed is making sure we don’t lose the features or green spaces that make New Hanover County a unique and beautiful place to call home.

As part of the 2025-26 budget cycle, investments towards preserving and/or creating more green space is highlighted as a priority. It’s important to recognize that our population is growing. More people want to call New Hanover County home. But, we have an obligation to make sure this remains a special and unique place. Because of that, this will be a focal point as we build our financial plans for the coming year.

The final two priorities are to preserve capital and debt capacity, while also refining and perfecting the services our county manages. While these ideals are built into the fabric of the work we do each day, stating them as part of our mission in planning for the upcoming fiscal year is important.

Each day, the nearly 2,000 employees across our organization strive to meet the needs of those we serve while being responsible stewards of the resources entrusted to us. This is an unwavering commitment from our department leaders to our frontline workers. We do not take the trust you’ve placed in us for granted. And, as we work through the budgeting process for the next few months with our Commissioners, that fiscal responsibility to our stakeholders will be ever present in the planning process.

A new year brings new opportunities. Chances to enact change, create programming and collaborate proactively to keep ensuring our community remains the place we’ve come to love. And that is something to be excited about.