Wilmington Wins from the NC State Budget

Published on July 10, 2026

On Tuesday, July 7, N.C. Gov. Josh Stein signed the $34B state budget into law. Along with many positive investments for the state, Wilmington will also benefit from many allocations and updates to the spending plan. 

Keeping Our River Water

  • Prevents new or expanded water transfer certificates from the Cape Fear River Basin
  • Appropriates funding to assess long-term water needs and help ensure the Cape Fear River remains sustainable for future generations

Bonuses for Police Officers

  • All Wilmington Police Department officers employed full-time as of June 30, 2026, will receive a $1,750 compensation bonus in mid-October.

Supporting Firefighters

  • Allocates $15 million for PFAS research and cleanup near fire stations, as well as addressing toxic chemicals in firefighters' protective gear and firefighting foam.

Strengthening Wilmington's Film Industry

  • Significantly expands state film production incentives, making North Carolina, and Wilmington, more competitive with major filming hubs
    • Increases the maximum state grant for feature films from $7 million to $20 million
    • Raises the maximum grant for television and scripted streaming series from $15 million to $25 million per season
  • Provides $150,000 for the Cucalorus Film Foundation

Addressing PFAS

  • Dedicates $45 million to help local utilities respond to PFAS and other emerging contaminants, including research on detection, public health impacts, filtration, remediation, and destruction technologies
  • Provides $3 million to the Department of Environmental Quality to advance PFAS and emerging contaminant initiatives benefiting the Cape Fear region

Healthcare, Recovery, and Victim Services

  • $6 million for Coastal Horizons Center to expand community care networks.
  • $4 million for Tree House Recovery NC to build a new recovery facility.
  • $1.25 million for The Healing Place of New Hanover County, including $250,000 for operations and an additional $1 million from the Opioid Abatement Fund
  • $3.5 million for Easterseals PORT Health in Wilmington, including $2.5 million for campus renovations and $500,000 for opioid response initiatives
  • $3 million for the Cape Fear Recovery & Resilience Foundation to expand community healing programs
  • $200,000 for the New Hanover County Community Justice Center to continue domestic violence victim services

More Local Funding

  • $12 million for ILM, including $5 million through Regional Aviation Grants and $7 million from the Commercial Service Airport Improvement Program
  • $150,000 for the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County
  • $500,000 for the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina at Midtown Wilmington
  • $100,000 for Communities In Schools of Cape Fear

Beach Storm Protection

  • Commits nearly $11.5 million to storm protection projects at Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach

Supporting UNCW

  • Provides more than $29 million to strengthen UNCW's campus and programs
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