- Name: Salette Andrews
- Party affiliation: Democrat
- Career: Air Force veteran, technical communicator, small business owner, Wilmington City Councilmember
- Degree: MS, Technical Communication Management, Mercer University School of Engineering
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Q: What qualifies you to serve on the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners?
A: I currently serve on the Wilmington City Council, where I’ve been entrusted by voters to help manage a complex local government, make difficult budgetary decisions, and deliver results for our community. In that role, I’ve worked hands-on with issues that overlap directly with county responsibilities, including affordable housing, public safety, infrastructure, environmental protection, and economic development, which gives me a strong understanding of how city and county governments must collaborate to serve residents effectively.
Before holding office and during my tenure, I have worked to ensure that working families, seniors, and historically marginalized communities have a real voice in local decision-making. That experience taught me how to listen, how to build consensus, and how to translate community concerns into actionable policy. I bring a record of showing up, doing the homework, and asking tough questions, especially when it comes to how public dollars are spent and whether our policies are truly improving quality of life for all residents, not just a few.
I am committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and data-driven decision-making, and I believe county government should be proactive, not reactive, in addressing growth, infrastructure needs, and environmental challenges. Most importantly, I bring a deep commitment to public service and a clear understanding that leadership is about accountability. I am prepared to bring my experience, collaborative approach, and values-driven leadership to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners to ensure our county grows in a way that is fair, sustainable, and inclusive.
Q: Name one top priority policy change you want to see and how you will work to achieve it.
A: My top priority is expanding access to affordable housing across New Hanover County by aligning county policy, funding, and land-use decisions with the reality facing working families, seniors, and young people who are being priced out of the community.
As a county commissioner, I will advocate for bringing back dedicated workforce housing funding so the county can again play a meaningful role in helping teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, and other essential employees afford to live in the community they serve. Cutting this funding weakened our ability to address a crisis that continues to grow.
I will also work with the City of Wilmington to rejoin the advisory body the city has re-formed as the Housing Affordability Advisory Committee, ensuring the county once again has a seat at the table. Housing challenges do not stop at municipal boundaries, and meaningful progress requires collaboration between the county, cities, and community partners.
By restoring funding and strengthening intergovernmental cooperation, we can move from piecemeal responses to a coordinated strategy that produces real, measurable results for working families across New Hanover County.
Q: What is your view of the current board’s leadership? What are they succeeding at and what needs to be improved?
A: The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners has governed during a period of rapid growth and fiscal pressure, and there are areas where leadership has been effective. However, I believe the leadership of the Republican majority on the board has fallen short in how it has failed to prioritize people, particularly our most vulnerable residents. The decision to cut a total of $36 million from the county budget had far-reaching consequences. Those cuts included funding for workforce housing, Pre-K classrooms, economic development, and community services that many families rely on every day.
As a result, critical jobs were eliminated, including school nurses, social workers, and dozens of other positions that directly support children, families, seniors, and residents facing economic or health challenges. These were not abstract line items: they were frontline services that help keep kids healthy, support students in crisis, and connect families to stability and opportunity.
The $3 million cut to workforce housing was one example, but it was part of a broader pattern of decisions that reduced the county’s ability to prevent problems before they escalate. When investments in early education, housing, health, and economic opportunity are reduced, the long-term costs to families and to taxpayers only grow.
I also believe the board can improve how it collaborates with municipalities, nonprofits, and regional partners to address complex challenges like housing affordability, workforce retention, and sustainable growth. Residents deserve leadership that is fiscally responsible and people-centered. We deserve leadership that understands that budgets are moral documents that reflect our values.
If elected, I will work to build on what is working while advocating for a more strategic, transparent, and compassionate approach that puts the wellbeing of all New Hanover County residents at the center of county policy.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing the county?
A: The biggest challenge facing New Hanover County is managing rapid growth in a way that people can actually afford to live here and thrive. Housing costs have outpaced wages, infrastructure is under strain, and the demand for services continues to grow, especially for children, seniors, and working families.
When teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, and service employees can no longer afford to live in the community they serve, it affects everything from public safety to economic stability. Growth without adequate investment in housing, transportation, early education, and health services puts pressure on families and leaves the county reacting to problems instead of planning ahead.
This challenge is compounded when funding cuts reduce our capacity to address root causes. Investments in affordable housing, Pre-K classrooms, school nurses, social workers, and economic development are not optional: they are essential to maintaining a strong workforce and a healthy community.
The path forward requires coordinated leadership between the county, municipalities, schools, and community partners, as well as a long-term strategy that balances fiscal responsibility with the real needs of residents. If we get growth right by planning thoughtfully and investing wisely, we can protect quality of life and ensure New Hanover County remains a place where people of all ages and incomes can succeed.
Q: Even though the people will vote on the $320-million school bond, would you advocate for its support? Why or why not?
A: Yes, I support the $320-million school bond because investing in our public schools is essential to the future of New Hanover County. Our schools are facing aging facilities and long-deferred maintenance that directly affect student learning, teacher retention, and neighborhood stability.
This bond is about meeting real, documented needs, including building and improving classrooms, ensuring safe and modern learning environments, and keeping pace with growth so students and teachers don’t have to work in inadequate or outdated facilities. Strong schools are also a cornerstone of a strong local economy: families and employers look closely at school quality when deciding where to live and invest.
While the final decision rightly belongs to the voters, I believe county leaders have a responsibility to be honest about the need and clear about the benefits. Paying for school construction through a voter-approved bond is a transparent, fiscally responsible way to spread costs over time, rather than shifting the burden onto future generations through neglect.
Supporting our schools is supporting our children, our workforce, and the long-term health of our community, and that is why I would advocate for this bond.
Q: Do you think the current tax rate is providing sufficient funding for county services? If you want to see the tax rate go up or down, where would you take funding from or direct funding to?
A: The current tax rate can support essential county services if our priorities are aligned with the real needs of our community and our resources are used strategically. The challenge is not just how much revenue we raise, but how we choose to invest it.
Recent budget decisions show that underfunding critical services has real consequences. Cuts to early childhood education, workforce housing, school health and support staff, social services, and economic development did not reduce need: they shifted costs onto families, schools, and nonprofits already stretched thin. That tells me we need a more people-centered budgeting approach.
I am not committed to raising or lowering the tax rate in the abstract. Any discussion about the tax rate should be driven by clear goals, transparency, and outcomes. If additional revenue is needed, I would advocate directing funding toward areas that prevent more costly problems down the line, such as affordable housing, Pre-K classrooms, school nurses and social workers, public health, and infrastructure that supports sustainable growth.
At the same time, I believe strongly in accountability. We should evaluate incentives, subsidies, and spending that do not deliver clear public benefit, and be willing to reallocate funds toward services that directly improve quality of life and economic stability for residents.
Responsible leadership means making thoughtful, data-driven decisions, not reflexive cuts or blanket increases. If elected, I will work to ensure county resources are invested in ways that are fiscally sound, transparent, and aligned with our values as a community.
Q: Over the last year, the county has pulled back from several collaborative initiatives, particularly with the City of Wilmington — two joint committees, a joint homelessness, funding for the CoC and other non-county agencies. What would you like the county’s relationship with the city to look like? What specific items or initiatives do you think should be a collaboration between the two and what would you like to see the county take its own approach on?
A: I believe the county’s relationship with the City of Wilmington should be grounded in partnership, shared responsibility, and mutual accountability. Our residents do not experience their lives in silos of “city” versus “county,” and our governments should reflect that reality, especially when addressing complex challenges that cross jurisdictional lines.
There are several areas where collaboration is not just beneficial, but essential. Housing affordability and homelessness are at the top of that list. Pulling back from joint homelessness initiatives, joint committees, and funding for the Continuum of Care and other agencies weakened our collective ability to respond effectively to a regional issue. I would support restoring coordinated planning and shared investment in housing stability, homelessness prevention, and supportive services.
Other areas that clearly call for collaboration include workforce housing, economic development, public health, climate resilience, and infrastructure planning. These issues affect the entire county, and progress depends on alignment between land use, transportation, schools, and services. Joint advisory committees and shared data help ensure we are working toward common goals instead of duplicating efforts or working at cross purposes.
At the same time, the county does have responsibilities where it should lead independently, particularly in funding and administering county-only services such as health and human services, early childhood education, and school capital planning. But even in those areas, communication and coordination with municipalities strengthen outcomes.
What I would like to see is a relationship that is proactive rather than reactive, one where the county and city come together early to solve problems instead of retreating when decisions become difficult. Collaboration is not about ceding authority. It’s about using our collective resources more effectively. If elected, I will work to rebuild trust, restore partnerships, and ensure the county is a constructive, engaged partner in improving quality of life for all residents.
Q: New Hanover County’s Future Land Use Plan cites nodes for future growth, where higher density development was planned near existing infrastructure. The current board is updating its comprehensive plan, and pushing for reduced density and possibly limiting buildings to three stories. Given the limited available land in this very small county, some outside of county government have advocated for more density as a method to save more trees. Is that something you’re open to? Where would you put the new growth?
A: Yes, I am open to thoughtful, well-planned density, especially when it is used strategically to protect natural resources, reduce sprawl, and make better use of existing infrastructure. In a geographically small county like New Hanover, we cannot plan as if land is unlimited. Every acre we consume matters.
The county’s Future Land Use Plan rightly identified growth “nodes” near existing infrastructure, services, and transportation corridors. Concentrating higher density development in those areas makes sense. It allows us to accommodate growth while preserving trees, wetlands, and open space elsewhere, rather than spreading low-density development deeper into remaining natural areas.
More compact development, when done responsibly, can actually be an environmental tool. Building up in appropriate locations near jobs, schools, utilities, and transit, can reduce vehicle miles traveled, lower infrastructure costs, and leave more land untouched. Blanket limits like three stories, applied without regard to context, risk pushing development outward instead of upward, accelerating sprawl and tree loss.
That said, density must come with standards. Design quality, stormwater management, tree preservation, and compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods all matter. Density should be paired with infrastructure capacity, public input, and clear expectations, not imposed haphazardly or driven solely by market pressure.
New growth should be directed toward areas already planned for it: along major corridors, near employment centers, and in places where water, sewer, and transportation systems already exist. At the same time, we should be firm about protecting environmentally sensitive areas and remaining green space.
Smart growth is not about choosing between housing and trees: it’s about planning in a way that protects both. If elected, I will advocate for a comprehensive plan that is data-driven, environmentally responsible, and honest about the tradeoffs we face as a growing county.
Q: Are you satisfied with the work being conducted by the New Hanover Community Endowment Board? What would you look for in an appointee to that board? What would you like to see as its funding priorities, and how does that relate to the county’s own budget?
A: The New Hanover Community Endowment has an important and unique role, and overall I believe the New Hanover Community Endowment has made meaningful progress in establishing programs, issuing grants, and building long-term capacity after an unprecedented transfer of assets. That said, with resources of this scale comes a responsibility for continued improvement, especially around transparency, community trust, and measurable outcomes.
When appointing members to the Endowment Board, I would look for individuals with strong ethical grounding, independence, and a clear commitment to the Endowment’s mission. Appointees should understand nonprofit governance, be willing to ask hard questions, and prioritize the needs of the community over politics or personal interests. Just as important, the board should reflect the diversity of New Hanover County and include voices with experience in the issues the Endowment is meant to address.
In terms of funding priorities, I would like to see the Endowment focus on long-term, systemic investments, such as education and workforce development, housing stability, health and mental health services, and economic opportunity. These investments should be guided by data and clear benchmarks for success.
It’s also critical to be clear about how the Endowment relates to the county’s own budget. The Endowment should complement county services, not replace them. The existence of the Endowment should not be used as a justification for cutting core public services or shifting the county’s responsibility onto another entity. County government must continue to fully fund essential services, while the Endowment supports innovation, capacity-building, and long-term solutions that government alone may not be structured to provide.
If elected, I will work to ensure the county treats the Endowment as a true partner that operates transparently, aligns with community needs, and strengthens, rather than substitutes for, responsible county investment.
Q: The housing needs assessment shows 21,864 units are needed in the next decade in New Hanover County. Do you think the county should be making more of an effort to ensure a range of housing that all incomes can afford? How?
A: Yes — absolutely. The housing needs assessment makes clear that relying on the market alone will not meet the needs of working families, seniors, and young people. Addressing the need for 21,864 units over the next decade requires intentional county leadership.
New Hanover County should be using every appropriate tool to ensure housing across the income spectrum, including restoring dedicated workforce housing funding, prioritizing mixed-income projects, and directing growth to areas with existing infrastructure to limit sprawl and reduce costs.
It also means being smarter about land use. I am open to a targeted density bonus program, similar to what we have used in Wilmington, that allows additional units in appropriate growth areas in exchange for long-term affordable or workforce housing. When done right, this approach can improve affordability while preserving trees and open space.
Just as important is preserving the housing we already have. The City of Wilmington offers housing rehabilitation financing (for low- to moderate-income homeowners within city limits) that can include major and minor home repairs under affordable loan or forgivable loan programs. I support similar county investment in housing rehabilitation to protect naturally occurring affordable housing and help residents remain safely housed.
Housing affordability is not just a housing issue: it affects our workforce, schools, public safety, and economic stability. If we want New Hanover County to remain livable and competitive, the county must take an active, coordinated role in shaping growth so it works for everyone.