City Manager's Office

Wilmington City Council voted unanimously to appoint Becky Hawke as Wilmington’s City Manager during its regular meeting on May 20, 2025. 

Hawke comes to the city from Matthews, North Carolina, where she has served as Town Manager and previously Assistant Town Manager since 2016. She brings more than 18 years of local government experience to the role, with broad executive experience in organizational leadership and community engagement.

Prior to Matthews, Hawke spent over nine years in local government in Virginia, serving in executive roles for the Town of Christiansburg and City of Radford.

Hawke is a Credentialed Manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA-CM). She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Hollins University, an M.S. in Corporate and Professional Communication from Radford University, and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a Master’s Certificate in Human Resources Management from Cornell University and is a graduate of the Public Executive Leadership Academy (PELA) through UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government.

Government

• Wilmington is governed by a non-partisan City Council consisting of a Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem and five Councilmembers.
• Elections are held every two years.
• The Mayor serves a two-year term and Councilmembers serve staggered four-year terms.
• Wilmington is governed by a Council-Manager form of government - City Council sets the policy and direction; the City Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization.

City Organization

• 16 departments
• Approximately 1,100 employees
• Public safety accounts for almost half of all city staff and 45% of the General Fund.
• City maintains:
  • 400 miles of roads
  • 370 miles of sidewalks
  • 744 acres of parks & athletic facilities
  • 32 Miles of trails

Wilmington's property tax rate for fiscal year 2025 is $0.4225 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Vision Statement

We aspire to be a culturally vibrant city, leading the region in economic vitality, safety, and resilience, so that all people can share in greater opportunity, prosperity, and quality of life.

Mission Statement

Through forward-thinking policies and responsible stewardship, we are creating a better city every day with excellent core services and quality of life for all.

Organizational Values

Through the core values of inclusion, creativity, collaboration, and accountability, our workforce pursues its mission to create a better city every day.

Inclusion
We believe that our work and our community are made stronger because of our differences and not in spite of them, and we realize our fullest potential when diverse perspectives pursue shared goals.

Creativity
We recognize that continuous improvement requires curiosity, original problem solving, and a willingness to change the way we’ve done things to deliver better service.

Collaboration
We understand that success is something we achieve together—not alone—and that working as teams across departments and with the community builds trust in our work and our organization.

Accountability
We feel a sense of personal responsibility for our shared work, striving for excellence in what we do and holding ourselves accountable for the results.