The Centralina Regional Managers group is one of several peer networking opportunities we offer to communities in our nine-county region. Comprised of town, city and county managers, assistant managers and clerks, the group meets monthly to receive federal and state updates, discuss regional issues and share best practices. The group’s December meeting focused on this topic and featured a mix of guest speakers, Centralina service profiles and interactive exercises.

Early care and early childhood education programs play a fundamental role in fostering healthy communities and vibrant local economies. While the importance of these crucial services can often be
overlooked or forgotten when times are “normal,” the COVID-19 pandemic quickly reminded us that these programs are essential to ensuring economies and communities not only thrive, but function in the first place. Additionally, as many communities across the state of North Carolina experience record levels of population growth, demand for early care programs is at an all time high.

Mobility is the driving force that shapes our community. As our region continues to grow, mobility will be one of the most critical factors that ensure everyone has access to reliable, efficient and well-connected transportation. Our 12-county community is nearing three million residents and is expected to add over one million more by 2045. This growth will continue to bring new opportunities as jobs and businesses set up shop in our cities and towns. But with this growth, we expect to see additional strain and usage of our existing private and public transit and mobility services. 

Six years have passed since the regional growth framework for CONNECT Our Future was unanimously accepted by the 95-member CONNECT Consortium in 2015. Implementation of the landmark achievement started immediately for different partners and different areas of the region. This document summarizes the work of Centralina Regional Council and its look back on accomplishments in the region that tie back to CONNECT Our Future

Signed into law on March 11, 2021 by President Biden, The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), provides COVID-19 funding relief for eligible state, local, territorial and tribal governments. The purpose of ARPA is to support the public health response to COVID-19, address negative economic impacts, replace experienced revenue loss, implement premium pay for essential employees and make vital broadband and water/sewer infrastructure improvements.

The year 2020 made for a challenging and unique year for all, but NCWorks was determined to move into 2021 with optimism and hope. Yearning for normalcy, everyone was committed to coming together virtually for the annual NCWorks Partnership Conference, which was held virtually October 12-22, 2021. The theme was “NC Strong: Our Story of Resilience” and we were proud that Centralina Workforce Development Board Executive Director David Hollars and NextGen Specialist Solomon McAuley were selected as speakers.

Centralina Regional Council and the Metropolitan Transit Commission approved the CONNECT Beyond regional mobility plan on Wednesday, Oct. 13 and Wednesday, Oct. 27 respectively. The plan provides the framework that will encourage economic growth, connected communities and equitable opportunities. Many transit options are currently focused on localized areas that leave gaps in transit on a regional level and the CONNECT Beyond recommendations will close these gaps and improve access by creating a total mobility network.