Pender County will receive $620,000 in the 2026 state budget for playground upgrades, community grants, and emergency services equipment.
Pender County is set to receive $620,000 in directed appropriations through North Carolina’s 2026 Appropriations Act, the state budget signed into law by Governor Josh Stein. The funding is designated for playground improvements, grants to local community organizations, and public safety equipment for Pender County Emergency Services.
What is the 2026 Appropriations Act?
The 2026 Appropriations Act is North Carolina’s first full biennial state budget since 2023. After passage by the General Assembly, the budget was signed by Governor Stein and includes local appropriations directed to counties and municipalities across the state.
Pender County’s appropriations were included with support from the county’s legislative delegation, Representative Carson Smith and Senator Brent Jackson.
Breakdown of Pender County’s $620,000 in directed appropriations
Playground equipment and improvements: $350,000
A total of $350,000 will fund site repairs and improvements at county-owned playgrounds. The appropriation also supports expanded recreational access by providing playgrounds in the Maple Hill and Long Creek communities, increasing safe outdoor space for children and families.
Community organization grants: $200,000
An additional $200,000 will be distributed as grants to organizations serving Pender County residents, including:
• WARM: $35,000
• Town of Wallace Airport: $50,000
• United Way of the Cape Fear: $20,000
• Willard Outreach: $12,000
• Pender County Historical Society: $8,350
• Cape Fear Resource Conservation & Development, Inc.: $9,000
• Town of Atkinson Library: $8,500
• Cape Fear River Program: $10,000
• Share the Table: $15,000
• Pender Arts Council: $10,000
• Pender County Christian Services: $10,000
• Penderlea Homestead Museum: $9,849.50
Public safety equipment: $70,000
The remaining $70,000 will fund a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) fill station, enabling Emergency Services personnel on the west side of Pender County to refill air tanks after structure fires and other extended operations.
How local appropriations work in North Carolina
North Carolina’s state budget includes a process that allows members of the General Assembly to direct funding to specific local projects within their districts. For the 2026 budget cycle, requests submitted through this process could not include K-12 public education funding or utility infrastructure funding. As a result, Pender County’s requests focused on recreation, community organizations, and public safety needs.
What happens next
County staff will coordinate with the appropriate state offices on the terms and timeline for receiving and administering each appropriation. Additional updates—such as the playground improvement timeline and the distribution of grant funding—are expected to be shared as more information becomes available.
