Focus Groups

In the fall of 2008, IEI conducted five focus groups across the state in order to better understand the unique challenges facing these communities. The insights, summarized below, were incorporated into IEI's growth and infrastructure program of work and helped set the stage for the 2009 Emerging Issues Forum.

Jackson:
Located in North Carolina’s southwestern-most corner, Jackson County prides itself on its spectacular natural asset: the Appalachian Mountains. The area is home to the Cherokee Boundary and Western Carolina University, which enrich the community with tourism and human capital, respectively. However, one of the most significant concerns of Focus Group participants was the rapid rate of development, which has been destroying the very natural beauty that has long brought tourists to the area. This development has also spurned a rise in property costs forcing teachers and WCU professors, among others, to live outside the county and endure long commutes to work. With proactive leadership and an understanding of the comprehensive nature of the challenges facing the community, Focus Group participants are confident their communities leaders can grow Jackson County in a way that preserves its greatest assets and enhances the quality of life for residents both new and old.

Brunswick:
Brunswick County, on the coastal border with South Carolina, has been slow to receive some of the growth and development that New Hanover County (home to Wilmington) has just to its north. However, the area is steadily growing, but of note is the type of growth the area is receiving. Over 40% of Brunswick County’s residents is retired. This trend significantly impacts the county’s tax base in terms of property and sales tax revenues. In the words of one Focus Group participant, “Growth in Brunswick County is not adding value.” One of the area’s primary goals is to attract a younger, educated population, which will in turn lure business and spur economic development, creating a more balanced and sustainable community.

Union/Anson:
Union and Anson counties are two neighboring counties just east of Mecklenburg with unique circumstances. Union County is the fastest growing county in the state, growing by nearly 50% since 2000. All of this growth is concentrated in the western part of the county as Charlotte steadily expands. Anson County, just east of Union, is experiencing population decline. In IEI’s Focus Group, representatives from Union County warned those from Anson County to use the time they have to plan carefully for the growth that is slowly making its way across eastern Union County and across the county line to Anson. Union County leaders regret not having the time necessary to think through how to plan for the “right” growth and how to proactively structure this growth in a way that will sustain the county’s long-term competitiveness and high quality of life, by ensuring its own economy—not one dependent on Charlotte’s commuters.

Granville/Vance/Warren:
Located north of the Triangle on the Virginia state line, Granville, Vance and Warren Counties are currently struggling to maintain their quality of life. With a collaborative vision for regional growth, perhaps these communities can overcome these challenges together. This Focus Group identified school performance, affordable homes, a declining tax base, workforce shortage, attaining federal funding, and repairing aging systems like water and transportation as their biggest concerns. However, they do have some assets in education, particularly one of the few technical high schools in the country along with several locally run education initiatives.

Pasquotank:
The strongest asset to the community has long been its location on North Carolina’s beautiful northeastern coast, which has drawn a considerable number of new in-state and out-of-state residents and retirees to the area. Residents are gravitating toward the waterfront and toward Elizabeth City’s downtown area, specifically, which has driven up property costs causing a lack of affordable housing and rental property for the community’s working class. IEI learned that the area has had success in working across county and even state lines to provide some of the core infrastructure its residents require. In fact, Pasquotank County and other northeastern counties are more closely aligned with Hampton Roads, VA than they are with our own state capital. Community leaders have adopted a “do-it-yourself” attitude as a reaction to a perceived lack of interest in their community from North Carolina’s state leadership.