Includes 24 goals and new vision statement

After a year of hard work, the Wake County Board of Commissioners has officially adopted the organization’s first strategic plan. It includes 24 goals to guide future county policy choices, budget priorities and staffing resources.

“Our board has dedicated countless hours to building this plan over the past year, and we’re proud to see our efforts result in such a strong document,” said Chair Shinica Thomas of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “We look forward to making progress in each of our goal areas, which will benefit the residents who rely on our programs and services.”

Six Focus Areas
The 24 goals fall into six focus areas, including:

• Community health and wellbeing;
• Growth, land use and environment;
• Inclusive prosperity;
• Lifelong learning;
• Safer community together; and
• Foundations of service.
   

“We’re grateful to the commissioners for seeing the value in developing this plan and devoting the time to make it great,” said Wake County Manager David Ellis. “It will serve as a guidepost for our staff and me as we strive to move the needle forward in all these focus areas.”

The goals lay out specific outcomes that the county seeks to achieve over a five-year period ending in 2029.

Vision Statement
As part of the strategic plan, the board approved a new vision statement for the county: “Passionate. Proactive. Purposeful.”

It reflects the passion that drives commissioners and staff to work hard every day to serve their community and improve residents’ wellbeing. It shows the county’s commitment to proactively planning ahead to meet our residents’ needs now and in the future. And, it highlights that every decision the board and staff make is done strategically with intention and purpose.

Strategic Plan Development
The commissioners started the strategic planning process in April 2023. The county created internal teams that completed an environmental scanning process and engaged with the public through focus groups and presentations. Together, community engagement activities gathered more than 2,400 comments from stakeholders and employees that informed our process. The internal teams also created new purpose statements and drafted goals describing the desired outcomes.

The board reviewed the materials at work sessions, retreats and meetings, providing essential ideas and feedback that cemented the direction and development of the plan.

Next Steps
County staff will now identify the specific initiatives necessary to achieve the stated outcomes in each goal. This step is expected to begin in late spring or early summer, following the Fiscal Year 2025 budget development process.

To read the strategic plan, visit wake.gov/strategicplan.