I am delighted to share the Onslow County 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan – The Board of Commissioners action agenda to prepare our County for the next decade. This is the first plan the County has created in more than a decade and reflects a tremendous amount of effort and input from residents, staff, and the Board of Commissioners. Because Onslow County is a growing and dynamic place, this plan will serve as a guide for the County to meet our collective current and future needs.
In January 2024, we kicked off our strategic planning journey with a board retreat at Jacksonville Station. Commissioners worked with staff to determine key areas of focus for the County as well as a list of initial projects that helped improve those areas at this day long offsite meeting. Our vision from that retreat was shared with the community through multiple engagement opportunities, and this plan incorporates community ideas about what is needed now and into the future to continue making Onslow County a great place to live.
Our strategic focus areas, outlined below, represent where the County will allocate resources, continue providing excellent services, and make enhancements to meet evolving needs:
• Community Vitality
• Focused and Sustainable Future
• Healthy and Safe Community
• High-Performing Government
• Fiscally Responsible
Together, these focus areas address themes we heard from the community about improving access to amenities, thoughtfully planning for Onslow’s future growth, preserving what makes our county unique, and working to ensure residents are healthy and have opportunities to thrive.
I want to extend a special thank you to all who contributed to this final plan, and I encourage you to stay engaged as we begin implementation and strive to achieve our collective goals.
Tim Foster, Chairman
Why a Strategic Plan?
Strategic planning is an important tool for local governments.
Strategic planning is an important tool for local governments. It helps elected officials and staff focus on what matters most, use resources wisely, and meet community needs in an organized way. A strong strategic plan acts like a roadmap. It helps the County make short- and long-term decisions, helping ensure actions align with community needs.
One major benefit of having this strategic plan is that it will guide the Board of Commissioners and staff into the future. This plan allows the County to handle challenges and capitalize on the many opportunities created by the dynamic growth in our community. As Onslow County continues to evolve, this plan will help ensure the right investments are made in the right places in order to maintain our high quality of life.
The performance measures in this plan help monitor progress, allowing the County to maintain accountability and flexibility as the plan is implemented over the next five years.
Having a plan also promotes transparency and community involvement. By including residents in the planning process through forums and surveys, the County can learn what the community wants to see in the future. Community input will be a vital, ongoing component of the plan implementation as well. As progress is made and the plan is updated, the County will continue to survey residents about how it is performing in relation to plan implementation. The County will also provide updates to the community about the plan and its goals, so everyone knows what steps are being taken and how progress is tracked.
DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS AND BOARD RETREATS
Clicks
Impressions
Mission, Vision, Values
OUR MISSION
We will ensure that Onslow County is a thriving community for all by delivering exceptional services with good governance and fiscal responsibility.
OUR VISION
The Community of Choice in Coastal North Carolina
CORE VALUES
Resilience
Excellence
Accountability
Customer Service
Honesty
Plan at a Glance
OUR GOAL
We will be the best place to live, work, play and grow by providing excellent educational, employment, recreational, and cultural opportunities.
OBJECTIVES
• Implement findings from suitability analysis for Hines Farm Park, Onslow Pines Park, and Recreation Master Plan to improve and enhance access to recreational amenities for County residents.
• Construct a new active community hub that will incorporate the library, museum, and other County and external service providers to improve access to programming, events, and cultural experiences in Onslow County.
• Design and construct an indoor recreational facility to provide increased opportunities for youth and adult sports, youth camps, and other indoor recreational activities.
• Convene community partners and formalize strategies to work collaboratively to expand capacity for youth programming and services to meet the community’s needs.
• Expand partnerships with Coastal Carolina Community College and Onslow County Schools to develop a skilled workforce for high-need jobs in the community and within the County organization.
• Explore opportunities to increase access to high-quality childcare to meet the needs of the local workforce.
• Collaborate and explore cooperative athletic programming activities with the County’s municipal partners.
MILESTONE MEASURES
• Approve funding model for the indoor recreation center by November 2026.
• Approve funding model for the community hub by November 2026.
• Be substantially complete in the design and construction of the indoor recreation center by December 2030.
• Be substantially complete in the design and construction of the community hub by December 2030.
• Memorandum(s) of understanding with municipal partners for athletic programming activities by December 2026.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
• Increase in youth participation in recreational activities offered through Parks and Recreation, the Museum, and Library.
• Increase in adult participation in programming offered through Parks and Recreation, the Museum, Library, Senior Services, and Cooperative Extension.
• Increase in number of cultural events throughout the County presented in collaboration with community partners.
• Decrease in waiting lists for youth programming year-over-year.
• Percentage of residents who rate Onslow County as a good or excellent place to live.
• Percentage of residents who rate the quality of parks and recreation opportunities as good or excellent.
• Percentage of residents who rate the overall opportunity for education, culture, and the arts as good or excellent.
• Percentage of residents who rate the availability of public spaces where people want to spend time as good or excellent.
Community Vitality
OUR GOAL
We will ensure our County’s future by providing a strategic and innovative approach to growth management, land use, and economic development.
OBJECTIVES
• Pursue public-private partnerships to create and incentivize diverse industry.
• Review the local regulatory environment to ensure services are provided efficiently to solidify the long-term capacity for County development and growth.
• In partnership with the Chamber, City, towns, and private-sector partners, implement the forthcoming JOED Strategic Plan to improve economic development collaboration, increase access to diverse job opportunities for County residents, and improve overall economic outcomes.
• As outlined in the Horizon 2040 Plan, proactively manage growth and guide new development to areas of the County with existing or planned infrastructure and services that have sufficient carrying capacity to minimize impacts to residents’ quality of life.
• As outlined in the Horizon 2040 Plan, preserve the rural landscape through the protection of farms, forests, and other working lands and by limiting suburban sprawl and large-scale development in rural areas through thoughtful growth management policies.
• Work with Onslow County Schools to adequately plan for school facilities by proactively acquiring real estate for school construction located in areas of future need to meet the needs of the growing community.
• Invest in the infrastructure at OAJ Ellis Airport to encourage growth for both aeronautical and non-aeronautical opportunities.
• Make consistent investments in product development to help ensure regional competitiveness in retaining and pursuing airline services.
MILESTONE MEASURES
• Develop a plan to create harmony with the JOED plan and Onslow Horizon 2040 through an amendment to Horizon 2040’s economic development future land use category by January 2027.
• Incorporate infrastructure and service impacts (transportation facilities, utilities, school capacity, public safety, stormwater) into the review of development proposals by FY2027.
• Explore synthetic transfer of development rights program by FY2027 as an option for rural land preservation.
• Complete OAJ Ellis General Aviation expansion and new entrance road by 2026.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
• Number of rural acres conserved annually.
• Number of jobs created annually in sectors other than retail, hospitality, and government.
• Percentage of residents who rate the overall quality of natural environment in Onslow County as good or excellent.
• Percentage of residents who rate the employment opportunities in Onslow County as good or excellent.
Focused and Sustainable Future
OUR GOAL
We will prioritize the health and safety of our diverse community by encouraging healthy choices, partnering to promote access to physical and mental health services, and investing in first responder services.
OBJECTIVES
• Develop and implement a plan to create community hubs at multiple locations across the County to improve access for all residents.
• Make necessary investments in facilities, fleet, training, and staffing to improve EMS service delivery and response times across the County.
• Use opioid settlement funds, in partnership with professional service providers, to improve access to services for those impacted by substance use disorder.
• Conduct facilities needs assessment and develop a capital investment plan for public safety services to ensure public safety needs are met as the County population increases.
• Evaluate the suite of services provided by County Veterans Services to determine if the evolving needs of the community are being met.
• Perform a comprehensive evaluation of senior services to ensure the growing and diverse population of older adults have access to the programs needed to age well in Onslow County.
• Partner with hospital authority to help improve local access to standard and specialized care.
• Conduct a fire study to explore service delivery models that are financially feasible, support adequate paid and volunteer staffing, and provide equitable coverage in non-incorporated areas of the County.
• Develop and implement programming to address chronic conditions including cancer, heart disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes.
• Work with the Department of Navy, other NC military communities, and stakeholders to mitigate the disproportionate mental health impacts on the community.
• Continue to provide a multi-discipline, all-hazards framework to emergency planning to help ensure the County is prepared and able to respond to significant events or incidents that impact the community.
• Expand the community paramedic model to supplement current services, increase efficiency, and improve EMS access.
MILESTONE MEASURES
• Complete public safety facility and community service hubs needs assessment by November 2026.
• Complete behavioral health needs assessment by December 2026.
• Complete fire study by December 2025.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
• 100% of sheriff’s deputies trained in Crisis Intervention Training.
• Decrease in teen pregnancy rate year-over-year.
• Maintain response time of less than nine minutes 90% of the time for EMS calls.
• Increase percentage of children who have achieved permanency within 24 months.
• Decrease in 911 super-utilizers.
• No tobacco, diet, and exercise indicators in bottom third on North Carolina counties per Robert Wood Johnson County health rankings.
• Increase the number of residents living in poverty receiving FNS.
Healthy and Safe Community
OUR GOAL
We will provide outstanding public service by being collaborative, innovative, accountable, and transparent.
OBJECTIVES
• Formalize methods to collect, analyze, and communicate data to improve data-driven decision-making.
• Find innovative and new ways to communicate to increase transparency and educate community members about County services.
• Develop opportunities for the community to engage with the County to provide more regular feedback about the County and its services.
• Provide ongoing education for employees and new hires on the core values so that employees will provide exceptional services that embody REACH.
• Modernize and streamline processes to ensure services are delivered in a timely and efficient manner.
• Create career development and advancement opportunities within job classifications to attract and retain top talent.
• Develop and implement short- and long-term operation plans in each department that regularly review service-level needs and create organizational alignment to the overall County Strategic Plan.
• Implement a leadership development program at every level to help improve culture, collaboration, and innovation within the organization.
• Train all County employees in Mental Health First Aid for adults and children, as well as hands free CPR, to support mental health and overall well-being in the community.
• Design internal education program to help all County employees understand the County’s services and programs.
MILESTONE MEASURES
• Design core value education by December 2025.
• Put Development and Career Enhancement Plan in place by July 2025.
• Publish public dashboards by December 2025.
• Develop data governance policy by December 2027.
• Establish Onslow County government employee course by December 2028.
• Develop formal County-wide communications plan by December 2025.
• Benchmark against other counties to identify needed resources to meet the community’s expectations for communication by December 2025.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
• Percentage of employees reporting that the County encourages professional growth.
• Percentage of employees who would recommend Onslow County as a good place to work.
• Percentage of employees who feel well-informed about important issues affecting the County.
• Percentage of County employees trained in Mental Health First Aid.
• Percentage of residents who rate their overall confidence in Onslow County government as good or excellent.
• Percentage of residents who rate the County as good or excellent in informing residents about issues facing the community.
Performing Government
High
OUR GOAL
We will be a fiscally responsible County by making data-driven decisions and utilizing our resources wisely.
OBJECTIVES
• Enhance the VIEW program to improve employee retention and reduce the financial impacts of turnover.
• Create a multiyear financial plan and align financial resources with the strategic focus areas and objectives in the strategic plan.
• Create replacement plans for technology, vehicles, and other capital equipment to maximize the useful life of County assets while proactively managing annual expenditures.
• Create a facilities maintenance plan to program preventative and capital maintenance priorities into the budget each year and avoid the increased cost burden of deferred maintenance.
• Identify opportunities to align financial resources and maximize efficiencies across the County in areas such as procurement, contracting, and other shared services.
• Use government debt financing tools appropriately to enhance investments in facilities and infrastructure to meet the needs of the growing community.
• Develop, adopt, and promote an annual legislative agenda that advocates for the highest needs of the County to create maximum collective impact for state and federal funding requests.
MILESTONE MEASURES
• Establish an annual appropriation for the VIEW program by June 2025.
• Develop a multiyear financial plan by FY2026 – 2027.
• Create replacement plans for technology, vehicles, and capital equipment by December 2025.
• Review contracts and service agreements to consolidate for the FY2026 – 2027 budget.
• Complete County facility assessment and space needs study by April 2025.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
• Decreased annual employee turnover rate.
• Maintained/improved County bond rating from S&P and Moody’s.
Fiscally Responsible
Timeline of Process
JANUARY2024
JUNE– SEPTEMBER
Board Retreat that establishes Strategic Focus Areas and initial project list
Phase 1 - Strategic Plan project development and community engagement planning
Phase 2 – Community Engagement and Strategic Analysis
SEPTEMBER-JANUARY
Community forums
APRIL – MAY
JANUARY2025
Phase 3 – Strategic Plan Development
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Plan development sessions
Present plan to the Board
Final adoption
FEBRUARY 2025
What’s Next?
IMPLEMENTATION
• Our community has high standards and aspirations. We enjoy a great quality of life and want to keep it that way. The plan’s five-year timeline allows us to clearly sequence projects that will help maintain our quality of life. With this strategic plan, the County is also creating an implementation plan that transforms strategic focus areas, goals, and objectives into specific actions with assigned responsibilities and deadlines. This approach helps County departments collaborate effectively.
• To help ensure we stay on track, regular monitoring and evaluation systems will be established. These will help us improve continuously and align with our vision. We are committed to directing resources toward areas that best serve the community’s needs, helping ensure our strategic plan aligns with the annual budget. If needs or opportunities change, we will adapt during the budget process. Having a strategic plan enables the alignment of County initiatives, guiding every decision and service delivered to the community.
KEEPING TRACK OF PROGRESS
Monitoring Progress
We will track progress toward strategic goals and share performance measures with the community. This helps ensure transparency and accountability, with an annual report and presentation to the Board of Commissioners. The community will be informed about our work and its benefits. We will also implement online performance dashboards where residents can view our progress.
Monthly County staff will discuss and evaluate focus area progress.
Quarterly County leadership will provide updates to the board regarding each focus area.
Twice a Year
The County Manager will present updates to the board regarding progress, successes, and challenges for each focus area.
Annually
The County Manager will create a year-end update on each strategic focus area and present it to the Board of Commissioners. This report will also be shared on the County’s website for the community.
Acknowledgements
This plan reflects the work of countless members from our collective community. We would like to express our gratitude to our community partners, residents, and staff for their time, energy, and commitment to this planning effort. Together, we have established a framework to help ensure a promising future, and we look forward to our continued partnership as we implement the plan.
