Insights

As communities across the nation wrap up observations of Public Service Week, we take time to recognize the essential contributions of local government employees: the planners, public works staff, emergency responders and administrators who keep our communities functioning. Yet behind the scenes of public service, many of these professionals face an increasingly common and troubling challenge: citizen incivility.

At 81 years old, Ms. Rose LaCasse proves that it’s never too late to make a difference. After spending many years as a devoted caregiver to her ailing husband, Ms. LaCasse found herself seeking a new purpose and income through employment. Driven by a desire to serve and connect with others, she turned to the NCWorks Rowan Career Center for support, a decision that would launch her into a remarkable new chapter through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Centralina’s Integrated Mobility Center is taking a major step forward in transforming how residents move through our region with the upcoming launch of Mobility Hubs. Even more exciting, Centralina is funding four pilot projects to kickstart the effort. Selected communities will receive support for site selection, conceptual design and the development of an implementation roadmap.

In recent years, budget resolutions have been used to unlock the reconciliation process and bypass the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule. The reconciliation process is a mechanism to pass major legislation that is primarily used when one party controls the House, Senate and the Presidency. Currently, Republicans are implementing this process to extend and expand expiring tax cuts, increase spending on border security and defense, reform U.S. energy policies and cut federal spending. 

By visualizing client locations on a map, the Rowan County Health Department has gained critical spatial insights that go beyond traditional data analysis. This spatial awareness serves two essential functions. First, it allows the health department to overlay socioeconomic indicators such as age and disability status from U.S. Census Bureau data on the mapped client distribution.

Held on March 28, 2025, at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte, NC, the 2025 Annual Aging Conference brought together nearly 300 attendees, including aging professionals, educators, students and community members, all united under the timely theme: Tackling Aging.

In response to the escalating risks and costs of extreme weather, Centralina Regional Council launched a strategic initiative in late 2024 to help local governments across the region better prepare for and recover from natural disasters. Now, we’re using that momentum to submit a no-match grant to help our communities get their infrastructure projects going.

It’s important for local governments to use their money wisely and plan for the future. But as communities grow and change, it can be hard to meet all their needs with limited resources. That’s where Centralina Regional Council comes in. Our facilitation services, like helping with strategic planning and budget retreats, support local governments in making smart decisions and staying focused on their goals…

Centralina is revising the City of Locust’s land use plan to provide a roadmap that will serve the city and its residents for the next 20 years. On April 12, 2025, our staff attended an event hosted by the City of Locust to form a connection with community stakeholders and develop an understanding of the community’s needs. By taking advantage of an existing community event, we were able to meet more residents and have a casual conversation about their priorities…

Our FY26-28 Strategic Plan update was informed by robust internal and external engagement. This engagement yielded several key themes, like expanding local support and capacity building for implementing regional plans, enhancing programs that connect leaders from across the region and prioritizing relationship building.