County manager proposes contract legislative liaison to track long session; commissioners seek conversations with state representatives

County management on Jan. 6 proposed contracting a legislative liaison for the 2025 state long session to keep Duplin County represented while the legislature focuses on other regions.

The county manager told commissioners that more than half of North Carolina counties contract legislative liaisons and said the county had negotiated a rate of $4,000 per month for the remainder of the calendar year. The manager described the role as keeping “an ear to the ground” so staff can be made aware of scheduled conversations and meetings that could affect Duplin County and to ensure county needs are on the table when funding and policy decisions are made.

Several commissioners said they would not want the county’s legislators to feel bypassed. One commissioner suggested the manager contact the county’s state senator and representative and report back; another commissioner said the idea could be useful if the representatives view it as an aid rather than a replacement. The manager said staff had not yet contacted local representatives about the proposal and suggested waiting up to two weeks to reach out before bringing the item back for board consent.

No formal board contract was approved at the meeting; commissioners indicated conditional support pending conversations with their state representatives.