Forum Onslow - Onslow County Board of Commissioners Candidates - October 2, 2026

This October 2, 2026, candidate forum for the three at-large seats on the Onslow County Board of Commissioners, hosted by the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce, focused on county growth, housing, schools and workforce development, public safety, economic development, and county management. Candidates discussed preparing roads, schools, and emergency services for population growth; expanding housing choices; and connecting education and technical training with local jobs. Royce Bennett said he would like the county to budget next year for a Hubert development plan and seek authority for impact fees. Candidates also cited current or planned projects, including the Camp Davis Industrial Park, a medical office building under construction at Burton Park, and a proposed technical building for Coastal Carolina Community College. Bennett described the industrial park as having up to one million square feet of shovel-ready space and said county funding for volunteer fire departments had grown from about $2 million in 2017 to about $20 million this year.

The discussion also referenced public-private partnerships for the YMCA aquatic center, Camp Davis, and the medical office building, as well as a county plan to build EMS stations at 17 locations. These were discussed as existing efforts, goals, or candidate priorities; the forum recorded no motions, votes, contract awards, or procurement approvals. No vendor selections or contract amounts were identified.