State of Wake County: Rapid growth, livable wages, safety will be discussed

Wake County is growing quickly – and so are the concerns county leaders have about how to manage that growth.

On Monday evening at 6 p.m., local leaders will present the State of Wake County at PNC Arena, providing a glimpse into what's in store for the future of our county. The address will be livestreamed on WRAL.com.

In August, the Board of County Commissioners adopted hospitality tax to help upgrade and renovate PNC Arena. The board wants to capitalize on growth and economic development as they look ahead to the future.

Shinica Thomas, chair for the Wake County Board of Commissioners, tells WRAL News the county is growing at fast rate, adding 56 people a day. This rapid growth comes with some challenges, and she said county leaders must look at ways to address equitable growth.

Other priorities they plan to address include safety, homelessness, food security, jobs and more.

"We're going to talk about community safety and food security - we know that grocery prices are going up," she said. "Farmland preservation is also important to this board."

She says they'll also discuss the county's youngest residents and early childhood education.

Thomas says they'll also talk about local businesses, as well as how to ensure local residents have livable wages.

"Housing is always a challenge," she said. "Our homelessness population is growing. Economic development has not necessarily been a challenge, but making sure that people have livable wages, and that the companies that are coming here really do exemplify the values that we have here in Wake County."

This will be a panel-style discussion with other organizations, including the Wake County Sheriff's Office and the Chair of Wake's Board of Education.