From the Mound to the Manager’s Office: My Journey with Rick Hester in Johnston County

Jonathan Breeden: [00:00:00] On this week’s episode of The Best of Johnston County Podcast, our guest is Johnston County Manager Rick Hester. On this episode, we talked to him about what it was like to grow up in Elizabethtown in the White Lake area. He was the son of a county commissioner. His time playing baseball at NC State and Clemson University.

He was drafted by multiple major League baseball teams and eventually signed with the Texas Rangers and spent three years playing Minor league baseball and the Texas Rangers organization. We also talked to him about when he first came to Johnston County, working in the planning and land use department in 1987, and how he stayed there for 11 years, eventually becoming the county manager in 1999.

We also talked to him a little bit about. The county reevaluation process and how he goes about crafting the $350 million county budget every year. Listen in, I think you will learn a lot.

Welcome to another episode of Best of Johnston County, brought to [00:01:00] you by Breeden Law Office. Our host, Jonathan Breeden, an experienced family lawyer with a deep connection to the community, is ready to take you on a journey through the area that he has called home for over 20 years. Whether it’s a deep dive into the love locals have for the county or unraveling the complexities of family law, Best of Johnston County presents an authentic slice of this unique community.

Jonathan Breeden: Hello and welcome to another edition of The Best of Johnston County Podcast. I’m your host, Jonathan Breeden. And on today’s episode we have County man, Johnston County Manager Rick Hester, and we’re gonna do two separate episodes of him.

And this first episode we’re gonna talk to him about. His time growing up in Elizabethtown, his playing semi-pro baseball, how he became the Johnston County manager, what his goals were when he became the county manager, 26 or 27 years ago. Why he has stayed, I. What a county manager does and a little bit about the budgeting process, and then we’re gonna do a second [00:02:00] episode where we’re gonna talk to him a little bit about the different departments that make up Johnston County that he’s in charge of.

There’s over 20 of them and they affect your life every day and you might not even realize it. But before we do that, we’re going to ask you to like follow up, subscribe to this podcast wherever you’re seeing it on Spotify, apple. Uh, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, all of our different social media channels so that you’ll be aware.

Aware of future episodes of The Best of Johnston County Podcast. The Best of Johnston County Podcast has comes out every single Monday and has now for well over a year. We’re well into over 70 episodes, so go back and listen to some of our previous episodes with some of our county commissioners. Patrick Harris, Butch Lawter.

Johnston County Economic Development Group Director Chris Johnson. All of, a lot of great guests, business leaders, Tim Sims, Chris Key these have all been very interesting things. You’ll learn a lot. Look Willard Donald Lumira. And I think you’ll, if you love Johnston County as much as I do, you will enjoy, go back and listening to these [00:03:00] past episodes.

They’re all somewhat timeless, so it’s never too late to go back and listen to some of your neighbors and friends on this podcast. Welcome, Rick.

Rick Hester: Thank you. Appreciate you having me today, right?

Jonathan Breeden: I think you, my wife, I got one neighbor and one of my son’s best friend’s Moms are the only people that routinely listen to this podcast every single week, so I want to thank you for that.

Rick Hester: Well, it’s great you do. I told you earlier today after your law career. I think you should go nationwide with this.

Jonathan Breeden: I love doing it. Like I said, I started this to, and I remember talking to you when I was coming up with this idea Yep. And I was like, I wanna put something positive out there. Yes. You know, positive for the county.

Sure. At the time we start this, we’ve got an indicted county commissioner. We’ve got an indicted school board member. They’re both currently in prison, which is very sad. I was like, we need something positive for Johnston County to be out there. And and that’s what we’ve tried to do. Yep. So tell the audience who you are, what you do.

Rick Hester: Yeah. Rick Hester and I grew up, as you said, in Bladen County, Elizabethtown, North Carolina. I found [00:04:00] that so many people from Johnston County, I. Spent time at White Lake uh, growing up and then as adults. And then when you and I met, well, I realized we both had moved here from other places. You were in Scotland County and Laurinburg and uh, Bladen County was a wonderful place to grow up.

My parents are still there. I. Still got family there and just love going back. I, I really, I feel like I’ve had it the best of both worlds. I got Bladen County and Johnston County, so yeah. A special place and, and Johnston County is a special place to me too. Well, and you growing up there.

Jonathan Breeden: I think your dad was a county commissioner.

Rick Hester: He was. My dad was a county commissioner as I was a teenager. And I never thought about it until later on. Sunday night, he’d get a phone call, somebody complaining about something, you know, with a ne with an animal or something. And him dealing with it and, and, so I always was intrigued with local government, but you know, as you mentioned earlier, when I was growing up, my lifelong dream was to be a major league baseball player.

And I did play [00:05:00] professional ball for three years, but I didn’t play in the major leagues I, three years I decided might be time to try something different and I had always been intrigued with local government, so. That kinda led me into this field.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. And you, you, at one point you played baseball at Clemson.

Rick Hester: Yes. Right. I did. I played in college. I actually went to, you’ll like this, I went to NC State as a freshman to play baseball and go to school. Oh, I didn’t know that. And yep. Played for Coach Esposito and I stayed there a year and a half and it wasn’t, I was going through some challenges where I, well, you know, when you’re 18 or 19, you always think you should be playing every minute, right.

I look back about how silly I was, but anyway, I just felt like I wasn’t growing there and I transferred back home to a community college, Southeastern Community College in Whiteville. And then Clemson recruited me out of there. So I actually go, went back and played against my buddies from State. Oh, that was a lot of fun.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, how about that? Yep. How about that? Yep. So, which uh, organizations you played pro baseball with?

Rick Hester: I was in the Texas Rangers [00:06:00] organization, so it was kind of neat. I had three or four chances to go play professional ball before then. Because back then you could get drafted outta high school. I did not get drafted in high school, but you could.

I got drafted outta community college. I was at Southeastern by the Giants San Francisco. And then. But you know, I mean, they were like, Hey, we, we’ll give you a thousand dollars signing bonus if you’re ready to go to Idaho or something, you know? So I said, well, I might better go to school and keep signing, get my degree.

And so after my junior year at Clemson, I got drafted by the Cleveland Indians. And you know, not a lot of bonus money, but it was fun. I mean, it was kind of cool to get drafted, you know, nowadays it’s a live show, you know, back then you got a telegram, you know, so it’s different, you know. So after my senior year, I got drafted by Texas Rangers and had spent three years with them.

And man, it was so much fun. I got to travel all over the country on a bus and it was great. And, I missed it so bad when I got out of it. I [00:07:00] couldn’t even go to a game for two or three years. But you know, it’s just, it was just, I, it was just nothing like, and athletics helped me so much in my life.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, I’m sure. I’m sure it did. so did you play single a double A.

Rick Hester: I played my first year. I was in the Rookie League in Sarasota, Florida. Okay. All of our games were right there in the Sarasota Tampa area. It’s called the Gulf Coast League. I stayed there that summer and played, then I went back to Tampa in the fall for, they called it instructionally.

It’s where they thought you might be a prospect, they want you to come back in the fall. So I was doing well and then my second year I spent it in Burlington, Iowa. Okay. I drove to Iowa and spent the whole season there. And I’ll tell you a cool story. I don’t wanna dominate the time on this, but, when I started in Burlington, I was doing very well that year. I was a starting pitcher. And so, the Rangers back in the day, the major league teams would go play their triple A affiliates during the season,

Jonathan Breeden: correct? Correct.

Rick Hester: One night, [00:08:00] you know, so Texas triple A affiliate is Oklahoma City. Well, that they called me up to come up for that game because they didn’t want to use their pitchers that, ’cause they were going on to Boston the next day.

Jonathan Breeden: So the big league club did

Rick Hester: the big league club was going to Oklahoma City play and then they would be Boston the next night. So I was just going up for one night. I mean, I was, I was on a. Quick two-way ticket back home. Okay, back to Burlington.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay,

Rick Hester: so I got to pitch that night. But the funny thing is there was a guy that Knuckle Baller named Charlie Hough Back in the day, he was with the Rangers and he, was going on to Boston. They didn’t, he was going pitch the next night, right? Well, I had his uniform. So I had everybody, all these people go, Hey Charlie, can I, will you sign this? So it was a lot of fun, but I got the experience that went back and then. My third finished the season there, and then my third year I spent it between Daytona Beach and uh, Salem, Virginia, in the Carolina League.

That’s when the bulls were playing at the old [00:09:00] stadium. Right. But they were in our league. Yeah. So it was really ni neat for me because we come back and played Durham. My parents and family could go and we played Kinston. Yep. They were in our league and most of the teams were in Virginia, but.

Pitching in that part at the old Durham Bowl stadium was the, while I’ll never forget, warming up and warming up in the bullpen with a chain link. Three feet away with somebody with a big old tub of beer calling you names. I mean, that was just, that was just, you know, so I’ll never forget that. That’s why I love Bull Durham, you know?

Jonathan Breeden: No, that’s a great movie. No, and, and I, you know, I guess that stadium closed in like maybe 94. The new one opened, I believe in 95, and so I was a freshman in NC State in 93, and I did get to go oh, to a couple games at the old stadium. Yes. And, that was quite the experience. Yes. And yes. I’m glad I did because they built the new one and while I, I liked the new one, it’s not quite like the old one.

Wow. The old one is sort of a [00:10:00] throwback uh, throwback. The lighting wasn’t great. The sight lines weren’t good. Right. It was really small, you know, anyway, that was a lot of fun. And when I first got there. The movie had come out, like, whatever, and I was like, this is not nearly as big as I imagined in my head.

It’s basically a city block or less than that. It was very small and,

Rick Hester: and that stadium I went by there a couple years ago. It’s still going there. I think that the university there I. Used to play there. NC Central, I think. Okay. I think they, I think it’s still there, right? They, at one time were playing their home games there, but I don’t know if they still are, but that stadium is special.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, that, that’s awesome. And that’s a, that was a great movie. And they, they’re trying to revive the play and so, a couple months ago they were doing it. At Duke University, there is a musical based on the book, written by the same man, and they’re trying to get that musical to Broadway and they did it at, they ran two weeks at Duke.

Yeah. And it was a ton of fun and, really hilarious musical. I. About baseball and all of that stuff and the minor leagues and hopefully they’ll [00:11:00] get it to Broadway or get it on a tour or something, because I think people would really enjoy it. I know I enjoyed the cast they had there at Duke University a few weeks ago,

Rick Hester: but I’ll tell you a quick story.

It Easter Sunday of 1986. I was in spring training. You’re playing every day. You know, you know. So it was Easter Sunday and I was supposed to pitch that day in a spring training game, you know, a minor league spring training. My dad drove up all night to see me pitch well. I got the next morning. The Rangers, the guy that was head pitching coach, he came and talked to me.

He said, Rick, you know, we’ve, we’ve gotta make some decisions. And you know, I just wanna be honest with you, you know, it doesn’t look bright for your future here as a pitcher, but we’ll send you, we could send you back to Daytona Beach if you want to. We could. If you want a release, we’ll give you that and we’ll help you find another team.

Or if you want to, there may be an opportunity with an organization in a non-playing role. I’ve always wondered, you know, if I’d have taken that, where would that have gone? But I don’t [00:12:00] regret what I did. so my dad and I, we stuck around two days and what’s a couple of Major League Spring training games?

So. But it was a, I mean, I could write a book about that whole experience.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, I, well, I mean, well, and the things you learn, right? Yeah. I mean, sports, the things you teach, you know, having to, to work hard and, and earn what you get, that’s important. Yeah. Nobody’s giving you anything. Yep. Nobody, you know, it teaches you that. How to fail.

Rick Hester: Oh, failure is huge in baseball,

Jonathan Breeden: right? You’re gonna fail. I mean, the best players in the world get out seven outta 10 times.

Rick Hester: Well, the toughest thing I had to deal with was I was a player in college primarily. This pitching thing was kind of came as a last minute court thing. Yeah. But as a player, you have a bad day.

Well, generally you can come back the next day and you can kind of, as a starting pitcher, that’s a four or five days of just, you know.

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Rick Hester: you just wanna get back out there, but you can’t, you know?

Jonathan Breeden: Right.

Rick Hester: So that was an adjustment, so,

Jonathan Breeden: right.

So what degree did you end up with at Clemson?

Rick Hester: Well, [00:13:00] here’s what happened.

when I went off to play pro ball, I still had some credits left. When I got outta pro ball, I was like, you know what? I hate it for this registrar, this college to have to sort through all this stuff. But I’m, I think I’ll go back to UFC Pembroke.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh,

Rick Hester: close to home. See if I can get all that stuff transferred there.

That’s where I finished.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh. Okay

Rick Hester: From my undergrad. Then later I wheeled back around and got my master’s at NC State.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. What was that?

Rick Hester: Master’s in Public Administration. Public Administration. Yep. That’s right.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay. And I tell everybody that I took, a couple of public administration classes in undergrad.

And when I applied to law school, if I didn’t get in, I was gonna go get a Master’s in public administration because I absolutely love those classes. Yep. How it’s structured. Who answers to who? Sure. Building out a team, which is exactly what I’m doing here now. Sure. And so that was my fallback plan.

And now Campbell actually has a joint juris doctor law degree and MPA program That’s. With NC State that you can [00:14:00] do in four years. Yeah. And there are several kids that do that every year. So that’s kind of,

Rick Hester: yeah, kind of interesting. And I went full circle with NC State, go as a freshman, probably not ready, you know what I’m saying?

As a freshman that go to a big college like that and go full circle, round end up getting my master’s there.

Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. Well, so why are you such a big Clemson Tiger fan?

Rick Hester: I spent two years of my life there and it just I have to say, man, when I first, I went to the first football game there when they were recruiting me, I was like, I’m done.

I’m a tiger. You know? Oh, it, my goodness. Just amazing. But now state is very close to my heart too. But you, they’re my second team.

Jonathan Breeden: You give me such a hard time when the tigers beat the wolf pack. So, anyway. Alright, so, So you get this MP Master’s, I mean, this wasn’t your first job.

Rick Hester: No, I was, I got my Master’s at State while I was working in Johnston County.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, you already, okay.

Rick Hester: I drove there a couple nights a week for six and a half years.

Jonathan Breeden: Oh, geez.

Rick Hester: No, online back then, right? Yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: So you got this job without a master’s.

Rick Hester: No, I [00:15:00] got my master’s while I was an assistant manager.

Jonathan Breeden: Assistant manager. Okay. Yes, that’s right. Because usually you have to have, at least to be the county manager, you don’t have to, at least now it’s kind of a thing.

Rick Hester: Yeah, it’s

Jonathan Breeden: maybe not 25 years ago. Right,

Rick Hester: right. But so anyway, so I’m glad I did it. but I was thinking back as it would’ve been nice to have online classes back then, but they didn’t exist.

Jonathan Breeden: They didn’t exist. So you came to, to Johnston County, you became the assistant county manager.

Rick Hester: Well, when I came to Johnston County in 1987, I was in the planning and land use section in the department.

Oh, I didn’t know you’ve been here since 1987. Oh, yeah. I, I came in 87, so,

Jonathan Breeden: oh man. Okay.

Rick Hester: So for 12 years I was in that office and then I moved into the county manager’s office in 91 Richards with Richard Self, who was there.

Jonathan Breeden: Okay.

Rick Hester: Spent eight, seven or eight years there. And then when Richard left in 99, then I was named interim.

In January of 99. Okay. While they decided what the board wanted to do, they went out on a search and all that. And then I had decided if [00:16:00] I wanted to apply or not, you know? And so I did and it worked out and. You know, here we are 25 years later.

Jonathan Breeden: Golly. Well, I got here in 2000 and you were, you’re the only county manager I know.

Yeah. So I didn’t know the first part. I just knew you were Yeah, you were my county manager when I got here. And uh, yeah, in, in the summer of 2000 when I moved to Clayton. Yeah. I’ve been here 30 probably, what, 37 years or so? Man, I didn’t realize you’ve been here that long. Yeah. So anyway. Well, goy, I mean, you’ve seen a lot.

I mean, oh

Rick Hester: yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: You saw a board that was all Democrat to a board that’s now all republican.

Rick Hester: I think when I first, yeah, when I first moved here in 87, I think it was all the Democrat board. Right. and then it slowly. Over the years. Well, Cookie Pope, I think was the first, I think so

Jonathan Breeden: Republican in this Yes.

Era to get elected to county commissioners. I think that was 94. Yes. And then Steve Bizzell becomes sheriff in 98, both of which were somewhat landslide earthquake. Elections in Johnston County, [00:17:00] you know, as a county that had been primarily Democrat County. Yeah. But conservative. Right. Very conserv. He’s North Carolina Democrats very conserv.

We’re not gonna get conservative into how the Democratic party and publican party changed. Yeah. Most of y’all understand that. But this county started to change with Cookie Pope and then with Steve Bizzell and JH Langdon. JH Langdon. Correct. And, and then it just kept going. Then you end up getting Alan Mims and DeVan Barber. DeVan, the his father was on there

Rick Hester: and Fred Smith.

Jonathan Breeden: Fred Smith, yeah. And it just kept going. And now, you know, all seven, all county commissioners are, are Republicans and have been for golly, at least 21 years. I think the last Democrat came off in maybe 2004.

Rick Hester: Yeah,

Jonathan Breeden: if I’m right about that. I could be wrong.

It was right about that time. Yeah.

Rick Hester: So there maybe a little later, but I’m not sure.

Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. So it was so yeah, so it’s, it’s been an interesting. Shift. But one of the reasons I came to Johnston County was that it appeared from the outside reading the newspaper, ’cause the internet was new. I got a subscription to the Clayton News [00:18:00] Star and I was reading the news observer that this county had a plan for the growth that was inevitable.

And Wake County and particularly Garner, did not, and I guess you get some credit for that, but like, when did it dawn on you or did it become clear to you since you’ve been here, this through this entire thing? Mm-hmm. That this was going to be like a tsunami and we better start getting ready.

Rick Hester: I knew when 40 came into play and I don’t remember the exact year.

I was like, you know what, here we are with I 95, you know, and then I 40 and really now we got three interstates with I 42. That was when I really knew, when that I 40 was starting to come through. I said this, this is going to be, this is gonna be a big deal, you know?

Jonathan Breeden: Right. And I 40 is completed in about 1992.

Okay. And that’s, and this was the last stretch. From California to Wilmington, North Carolina was the last stretch to be finished. It was around 92, I think. for some reason, I have memories Yeah. Of Jim Martin cutting the [00:19:00] ribbon mm-hmm. In the middle of the interstate. And his last year as governor was 92 before Jim Hunt came back and was governor from, yeah, 92 to 2000 for his second.

Eight year term. Jim Hunt was also governor from 76 to 84. Sure. So that’s why I think it was 92. And I remember right. My first experiences with the 40 42 interchange was there was a McDonald’s and a bp and there was a payphone. and you know, if you were going to the beach, you could get gas, you could get McDonald’s, and if you need to call somebody, you could use the payphone.

And I’m not that old. I mean, but like, that’s kind of what it was. You know, my kids listen to this and I talk about this kind of stuff. Oh yeah. They’re, and they’re like. What? No, no real internet, a payphone, a BP station, and a McDonald’s. that’s what was here and where my office sits now, I had some cows.

Yep. And so, and that’s kind of what it was. I mean, so, so you really started to think, okay, we got these two major interstates that are meeting here, this is gonna be something. Mm-hmm. Did you have any idea that it would be [00:20:00] what it is now then?

Rick Hester: Well, it is hard to predict the future, you know? Right. It’s probably been even bigger than I thought. And I think, you know, we certainly have the Raleigh influence here too. I mean, right. Oh’s huge. The Raleigh influence is huge. But, and I’ve said this and I know everybody would probably say that about where they are, but I think Johnston County is the most dynamic county in North Carolina.

And when you look at what we have with the interstates and the roads. And the proximity to Raleigh and Wake County. And then we still have a strong agricultural base here. We do, we do. It’s huge. And that’s a good thing. So we’ve got a little bit of everything here.

Jonathan Breeden: No, we absolutely, we absolutely do.

And you know, I’m fortunate to be asked to go on a lot of different podcasts you know, some of the national podcasts around the country. Sure. And people always say, you know, where are you? I said, I’m in the suburbs of Raleigh, but I’m 13 miles from I 40 and I 95 beat. And no matter who I’m talking to, the, and the podcast host has been through here because these are the two [00:21:00] biggest interstates in the country, I believe.

And then when I tell people where I grew up, I say, I grew up 30 miles from south of the border. Everybody seems to know where south of the border is going down I 95. So it’s like, kind of interesting that way.

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Jonathan Breeden: So what are, I mean, what have some have been some of the bigger challenges?

I mean, the growth has been unbelievable. Like what challenges has that brought for you having steered this ship through 26 years of it?

Rick Hester: Well, I think, one of the big things is infrastructure. And to me, infrastructure includes a lot of things. Water, wastewater, school construction.

We’ve done some things as you know, with the community college, with the previous bonds [00:22:00] and even things like broadband. I think I consider infrastructure. I’m not sure it meets the definition, but that’s what I, that’s what I think anyway. So, and then there’s county facilities and things that, that we need to do because as you said earlier, the county in North Carolina are responsible for the court facilities, judicial related expenses, you know, and to make sure, and you know, as you well know, there’s a lot of challenges there too. I mean, you know, with the crowded being crowded. So I think it’s a constant thing, but we certainly have to continue to plan for that.

We are, and the board’s very locked in on infrastructure and I think that is the key.

Jonathan Breeden: well, and, you know, we, I mean we’ve built so many schools Yes. In the last 25 years. Yes. And we have a, a new wastewater treatment plant that just came online Yes. In the last three or four months as well.

So I mean, I do think we’ve done a pretty good job staying in front of it, but some people would say that we’re still maybe five to 10 years behind what we should be. What do you say to that?

Rick Hester: I say there’s always [00:23:00] a natural lag. I. Okay. Um, Because it’s just the, it’s like with roads and I, you know, I think DOT does a great job and Johnston County’s had tremendous road projects lately.

And even just outside of our county, you know, the extra lanes on I 40 now, which you really notice when you get on there, drive to Raleigh, the new I five 40, which is outside of Johnston County, but it impacts Johnston County. So, I think there is a natural lag. You certainly wanna make sure that the numbers are at a certain place.

There’s enough homes and people there before you build a school, you know, versus let’s go ahead and build one now and hope people. Come in around it, you know, but, so there is a natural act.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, and as far as the schools are concerned, I don’t know if people realize this, but the county continues to grow, but the school population has been largely flat the last two or three years.

Yeah. Four years. Because there are so many more alternatives we now have. Yes. the a LA charter school, we have dailies, we have more homeschoolers. Sure. You know, so. So I [00:24:00] do think that has allowed us to start to catch up. Yes. And, and start, I know with the new. I dunno, they’re calling it Swift Creek Elementary School, I guess down there.

It’s the first two story elementary school in Johnston County. Mm-hmm. On Cleveland School Road near Smithfield in the Wilson’s Mills area. I mean, I think that that is gonna allow us to possibly catch up where we’ve sort of been chasing ourselves and we’ve had so many trailers Sure. Outside these schools for the last 20 years.

Rick Hester: Sure, sure. Absolutely. And I think, like I said, I think there’s a natural lag there. But there’s a lot of things that are happening to reduce those mobile units, those numbers too, so, yeah.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, let’s talk a little bit about the budget. Yeah. You know, the budget is passed in June of every year.

Yes. The county’s fiscal year is July one to June 30th. Yeah. Your number one job in my mind. Is to write and propose a budget Yes. For your commissioners. That’s right. Tell the people a little bit about the process. I know we’re recording this at the end of January of [00:25:00] 2025, right? You’re already working on this budget.

Oh, yeah. I mean, you, you really never stop, but you’re really starting to work on it now. Right? Tell the people about how the process and how the budget comes to be.

Rick Hester: Yeah. So we start in uh, usually in in the February timeframe. I mean, we’re starting now, so. And it is a, for two or three months is, is pretty intense process because my goal is to always present a budget, which I usually do in May.

I provide that budget in May that is responsible. Some people call me conservative with the numbers and I try to be that way just to try to. Provide everything that the, and listen to the board, because at the end of the day, I, wanna present a budget that’s somewhat in, that’s in line with the things that they think are important because they’re the ones that are the elected officials.

And you know how it is. I mean, it’s just natural thing that when the budget’s presented, then the commissioners, once they get that budget, they make changes. They may take things out or they may add to it, and that’s, [00:26:00] that’s great. But for the, for February to the end of April, it’s pretty intense. On the staff side because we’re constantly in communication with our tax administrator to find out, okay, what are things looking like with the recent listings that people do?

And then every year people can appeal their values. Are there any appeals that might impact those revenues? What is the sales tax looking like? All, just a lot of different variables there. And so It’s like a big pot of vegetable soup and you just putting certain different vegetables in there and pulling some out and hopefully present a very good budget to the commissioners and uh, that we all feel good about.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, and and you wanna make sure, you know, being a conservative county, you wanna make sure that, you know, we have, we have a huge fund balance. Yes. We have AAA bond rating. That’s right. Which is almost impossible to get as a county government.

Rick Hester: It’s, it’s hard to get

Jonathan Breeden: I mean, and they worked on it for. 20 years a long time. I mean, at least 20 years. Where that was the goal.

Rick Hester: The only, the only [00:27:00] reason we didn’t have it earlier, in my opinion, is the feedback we were getting from our bond rating. The bond rating agencies, was the income, personal income levels. And that started to grow in Johnston County, which is a great thing anyway by itself.

And, and that enabled to help get us to that AAA rating. And why that is so important is there’s not many counties that have it. Also it just about assures you of the best interest rates with all the money that the county borrows, you know, for schools and things. That half percent on the interest on a rate for a hundred million dollars is adds up, you know?

Well, right.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, and a high school is more than a hundred million dollars. Now we’re building one right now in Wilsons Mills, and it’s gonna be way more than a hundred million dollars. So you’re right.

Rick Hester: I think, I think about 105.

Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. So I mean, it’s, it’s a lot. I mean, so, and I remember

Rick Hester: when we, when the, I say we, we all collectively working together had West Johnston was built and it was 32 million and people were just going, oh my God, I can’t believe this.

I’m like, wow. It’s just [00:28:00] amazing how that’s changed. Right. Well, west

Jonathan Breeden: Johnston’s only what opened like 2004, something like that. So in 20 years it’s going from 32 million to a hundred million. Right. I mean that’s, that’s absolutely wild. So how much is the budget for Johnston County?

Rick Hester: It’s about $350 million.

And if you break that down I would say about 50% of that is for education support, operating expense support for the school system. The community college and also the debt, our debt service. Most of the debt service the county has has been for rock bond referendums and things of that nature.

We’ve had a few county projects like the Ag Center when it was built. That note has probably already been paid off, but, so that’s probably about 50% of it. Obviously with the number of employees we have, that’s a big, you know, expense also in the budget. And we have to look carefully at that.

And then operating other operating expenses, the Sheriff’s office and EMS and things of that nature. Just, it’s a lot of [00:29:00] stuff crammed into that 350 million.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, I mean, it is, and I know that uh, it’s been important that we, you give the county employees pay raises. Yes. And I know y’all just did a Yes. A comparative analysis study of, because you were losing employees to the private sector.

You didn’t wanna do that.

Rick Hester: And I tell you, I’m glad you said that because the board really. I’m so thankful that the commissioners did what they did with that Commission of Pay study, and they also said, we don’t, ’cause we were losing paramedics and we don’t need to do that. You know, I mean, and that’s just one group that we were losing.

And so they said, not only we’re going to do this pay study, we’ll look at the numbers working in the budget. We want this analyzed, half the employees analyzed every other year just to make sure we’re staying. ’cause we’re in a very highly competitive market, you know, and it’s important. And I think that has been huge for having our employees to be in a good place and wanting to stay right there.

And, and culture’s a big thing too. I mean, you know, pays [00:30:00] part of it, but I think it’s a good place to work. and that’s a big deal.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, that is a big deal. That’s a big deal. I know that. I’ve spent a lot of time here. In my office working on the culture of the last three or four years. Yeah. And I do think that might be the single greatest reason that I’ve had success I’ve had, and we’ve been able to doubt, to serve many citizens, as we have no doubt, is that we build a culture where people wanna be.

Because in an, in an economy like this where unemployment rate is basically zero, you know, people can find work somewhere else. Sure. And they don’t wanna work for you. So the last question for this episode would be, let’s briefly go through the reevaluation. Yeah. We’re in the middle of it now. Yep. By the time this episode airs the appeals process, the time the appeal will have run, many of the appeals will already be ruled upon what’s gonna happen next.

Rick Hester: So by the time this shows, like in April we should be getting a pretty good feel about the appeals and what. Numbers may have come off in terms of value because of, you know, appeal and, you know, when you have mass reappraisal, [00:31:00] there’s going to be errors, 120,000 parcels, you know. Right. So we should be getting at a point now if.

I’m speaking of April, where we’re starting to really form that into the budget and to provide options to the commissioners that reevaluation process. You know, in North Carolina counties are required to do it at least every eight years, and for many years we’ve done it on eight years. And then the board said years ago, let’s.

Tighten that cycle up a little bit because you can do less to take away some of the shock. And so this previous one at 70, average of 70% was six, just six years. Right. And so now we’re going to go on four years starting now. Right. So the,

Jonathan Breeden: so right,

Rick Hester: so we had

Jonathan Breeden: 2019.

Rick Hester: Yeah,

Jonathan Breeden: we have 20, 25. And the next one will be in 2029. That’s right. And that’ll

Rick Hester: be here before you know it

Jonathan Breeden: Well, that’s right. Wait, time flies. No, I mean, time does fly. I just remember when they did the one in 2019. I know. It felt like it was just very recent there too. So, and then ultimately, I. The tax rate is [00:32:00] going to come down because you have that much more property being taxed.

Mm-hmm. Now we don’t know how far, but I think a lot of people are worried. But it’s gonna come down and it’s gonna come down significantly. ’cause these are Republican commissioners and they’re not just gonna go spend a bunch of extra money.

Rick Hester: Yeah. I mean, I couldn’t tell you what the rate’s going to be that they adopt, but I do believe it.

The rate will come down.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. Because you’ve got that much more money. I mean, and they’re not, and and I’m not saying it’s gonna be revenue neutral, but I don’t think this, I know all seven of them. And they are conservative folks. Yes. And they’re not just gonna go on a spending spree. Right. At Amazon.

That’s just not what they’re gonna do. Absolutely. Uh, I mean, they’re all really conservative. Yes. And they, they look at the county’s money as their own money and Absolutely. And I really appreciate that. And that’s one thing we’re very fortunate.

Rick Hester: That’s one thing I’ve always.

Reminded myself and remind when we’re in staff meetings that, let’s just remember now the funds that come in are coming from people’s pocketbooks.

Jonathan Breeden: Right. No, that’s That’s exactly right. That’s exactly right. That’s

Rick Hester: important. That always. [00:33:00] Reminding myself of that. And I, I look at it the same way. I’m very conserved with my own money too.

Right. So, you know, I mean, I’m just No, I, I get

Jonathan Breeden: that. I get that. So for this episode, the last question we’ll ask you is, what do you love most about Johnston County?

Rick Hester: Well, I said it earlier and I, I think it’s the most exciting place to be in North Carolina right here. That’s my opinion.

Jonathan Breeden: Well, I, I don’t disagree.

I don’t disagree.

Rick Hester: And I know other people say this, and I’ll say too, the people here in the community,

Jonathan Breeden: right? I agree 100%. Well, we’d like to thank Rick Hester for being our guest on this episode of The Best of Johnston County Podcast. We’d like to ask you to like, follow, subscribe, this podcast, wherever you’re seeing it, since it should be aware of future episodes of The Best of Johnston County Podcast.

If you would be so kind to give us a five star review down below and let us know what you like or dislike about this podcast. We do take those. Things very seriously. We want to provide a product that you would like to continue to listen to, and we would like to be able to continue bringing it to you.

Listen again in a couple more weeks. And we’re gonna have Rick Hester again, where he is gonna talk a little bit about the individual departments and what he does on a [00:34:00] day-to-day basis to run this county. Until next time, I’m your host, Jonathan Breeden.

That’s the end of today’s episode of Best of Johnston County, a show brought to you by the trusted team at Breeden Law Office. We thank you for joining us today and we look forward to sharing more interesting facets of this community next week. Every story, every viewpoint adds another thread to the rich tapestry of Johnston County.

If the legal aspects highlighted raised some questions, help is just around the corner at www. breedenfirm. com.