Daily Update - December 2, 2025

Tax increases already on the table for Wilmington

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About Reuel Sample

This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Tuesday December 2nd, 2025.

It is the start of a new era here in Wilmington as city council members-elect are sworn in to their positions today. By day’s end, the 8^th largest city in North Carolina with over 130,000 residents will be in the complete control of Democrats – not one Republican to be seen.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that tax increases are already being discussed.

According to the Port City Daily, at a recent budget hearing Wilmington City Manager Becky Hawke is suggesting a “philosophy shift” that would pay city workers more in line with the cost of living – a pay increase that she admitted would probably result in higher taxes.

“I see no way that would not require a tax increase,” Hawke said at the budget session on Nov. 17, noting staff have yet to run the numbers but would for the January budget session should council sign off on the new philosophy.

We would suggest there are better ways to make sure our employees are paid properly. We should look at privatization of as many services as possible – which would stimulate business growth, remove the burden of salaries and benefits away from the city and increase efficiency. We need to look at automation for as many of our services as possible. We need to move out of the top floors of the old PPD building and rent them out to high paying renters – which we should have done in the first place. And we need to take a look at our entire budget before ANY tax increase is proposed.

Yes, the city needs to hire more police officers and other first responders. Yes, we need ways to attract and keep top-notch employees that the city cannot contract out to private business.

Government’s first and primary role is to protect its people – so we need to put hiring and retention of law enforcement and other essential first responders at the top of our lists. After that though, the government should oversee the provision of services, but not necessarily be providing those services.

We just simply cannot afford it.

For the Wilmington Standard, I’m Reuel Sample. Thanks for listening.

Reuel Sample is the Editor-in-Chief of The Wilmington Standard. A graduate of Grove City College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he has served as both a Presbyterian Pastor and a Navy Chaplain. He is the product of a classical liberal arts education combined with real world experience in politics and business and conservative Christian worldview firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition. He is the host of several podcasts including the NHC GOP Podcast, the Pastor's Voice, and co-hosts the Nikki and Reuel Podcast Experience. An avid sailor, he has sailed around the world as a youth and to the Azores as a teen as well as extensive trips up and down the east coast of the United States. He is honored to be married to his wife Pam and makes his home in Wilmington, NC.