New notification and public hearing requirements for all economic development spending are expected to shed more light on those efforts, local officials said Tuesday.

Acting on advice from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Government, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners on Monday evening held a public hearing to cover economic development funds that were included in the county's fiscal year 2015-16 adopted budget. 

The new requirements were signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory on Oct. 20.

During the hearing Monday, part of the board's regular meeting at the New Hanover County Courthouse in downtown Wilmington, there were no comments on the matter, and commissioners unanimously approved the allocated funds and spending using the language the state requires: that the appropriations and expenditures will "increase the population, taxable property, agricultural industries, employment, industrial output or business prospects of the city or county."

"To me it makes the process a little more transparent to the average person," said commissioner Jonathan Barfield on Tuesday morning. But he also said he doesn't expect the new requirements to represent any major changes to the process, which he said is public anyway at the point of appropriating funds.

Previously, the requirements were only necessary statewide when approving economic development incentives or activities related to improving real property. The changes apply to every appropriation or expenditure, according to county staff.

"I think it will involve the community more, and provide additional opportunities for citizens to express their support or opposition to individual projects. Which is a positive thing," said commissioner Woody White in an email Tuesday. "I also think it will naturally bring the issue of economic incentives more out in the open instead of lurking in the shadows where they have been for the last few decades. Another positive thing."

The following are the economic development appropriations included in the county's FY 2015-16 budget: 
 

Organization	Amount	Paid over	Description of activities/expense
Wilmington Business Development	$191,396	4 payments	Recruitment/assistance for business expansion and/or relocation efforts
Wilmington Regional Film Commission	$144,198	4 payments	Promote/assist TV and film production activities to drive local enterainment business growth; support local production infrastructure and businesses
N.C. SE Regional Economic Development Partnership	$20,000	1 payment	Regional and targeted industry-specific marketing; conducting FAM events
Wilmington Downtown Inc.	$37,500	2 payments	Activities to increase the number of businesses and jobs and the tax base in Wilmington's Urban Core
Southeastern Economic Development Commission	$18,240	1 payment	Assist project development necessary for the solicitation of grant funding from the Economic Development Administration
Council of Governments	$58,028	2 payments	Membership fee(s); Local Government Services and Transportation Planning; Workforce Investment

Incentives/property-related activities

Organization	Amount	Description
CFPUA	Up to $100,000 (1 payment)	Fund preliminary engineering report to determine the design and cost/benefit to the public of extending water and sewer along the industrial U.S. 421 corridor
CFPUA	Up to $600,000 (1 payment)	Fund construction of Cape Fear River crossing for sewer line(s) to connect with the industrial U.S. 421 corridor project
General Electric	Up to $175,000 (1 payment)	Payment of board-approved incentives as outlined in contract upon company meeting specific investment/job requirements
Castle Branch	Up to $100,000 (2 payments)	Same as above
Live Oak	Up to $130,000 (2 payments)	Same as above
Fortron	Up to $100,000 (1 payment)	Same as above
PPD	$276,300 (1 payment)	Same as above

Source: New Hanover County