
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Local Government Commission approved $387 million in funding for Mecklenburg County projects during State Treasurer Brad Briner’s first meeting as chairman Jan. 7.
The largest Mecklenburg allocation involves $252 million in limited obligation bonds for multiple municipal building projects. Plans include renovations to the sheriff’s office and detention center, improvements to Central Piedmont Community College and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library facilities, and upgrades to county parks and greenways.
County officials confirmed no tax increase would be required for this initiative.
Other counties whose funding items were approved are:
• $90 million: Mecklenburg, general obligation bond refinancing
• $45 million: Mecklenburg, solid waste facilities upgrades
• $200 million: Durham, street improvements and parks development
• $130 million: Randolph, water treatment plant expansion
• $68.5 million: Alamance (Burlington), parks, recreation, street improvements
• $45 million: Ashe, middle school replacement
• $20 million: Mecklenburg (Cornelius), parks and recreation expansions
• $9.1 million: Harnett (Dunn), sewer system upgrades
• $6.3 million: Guilford (Greensboro), bond refinancing
• $3.2 million: Davidson (Thomasville), pump station upgrade
• $2.7 million: Burke/Catawba, government building expansion
• $1.9 million: Person (Roxboro), vehicle purchases
• $891,000: Edgecombe, law enforcement camera systems
• $730,000: Edgecombe, emergency medical equipment
On the same day the Local Government Commission held its meeting, Briner announced four appointments to the state’s Investment Advisory Committee: Robert Durden, CEO/CIO at the University of Virginia; Michael Kennedy, former senior client partner with Korn Ferry; Jamey Spencer, managing director and shareholder at Pathstone; and Dan Ward, CIO at Greenhawk Family Office.
“North Carolina’s state employees, retirees, and taxpayers deserve to know that their pension fund is safe and performing at a level that will help them have a happy retirement,” said Briner in a statement.
“Our vision is to generate best-in-class long-term investment performance,” Briner said. “North Carolina’s pensions realized almost 1.4% lower annual performance than the average pension in the United States over the last 10 years. North Carolina deserves better, and this group of professionals will help ensure that we are maximizing returns at an appropriate level of risk.”
Earlier this month, Briner named Dr. Brian Miller to the North Carolina State Health Plan Board of Trustees. Per the Treasurer’s Office, the State Health Plan is projecting a more than $500 million shortfall in 2026 despite “record appropriations from the North Carolina General Assembly.”
“We are excited that Dr. Miller has agreed to join the board and work with us as we tackle some monumental challenges with the State Health Plan,” Briner said in a press release. “Those include a deficit and looming insolvency, as pharmaceutical, hospital and other costs accelerate in the ever-changing, complex landscape of health care coverage.”
Miller is a practicing hospitalist and associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is also an adjunct associate professor at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.