City and county launch joint incentive program to boost downtown Kinston
What’s happening:
Kinston City Council and Lenoir County commissioners have both approved the Tax Incentive for Downtown Enhancement (TIDE) program, their first joint initiative through the new City–County Joint Working Committee.
Why it matters:
The program reimburses property owners for part of the new taxes generated by downtown improvements, encouraging reinvestment while requiring job creation and strict compliance.
How it works:
Property owners must create and maintain at least three jobs for five years.
Licensed contractors must complete renovations.
Applicants must submit permits, estimates, and tax valuations.
Annual job retention reports are required.
The big picture:
The TIDE program applies not only to Kinston but also to La Grange and Pink Hill, signaling a wider strategy for economic development across Lenoir County.
What’s next:
With approval secured, city and county officials will begin reviewing applications from property owners whose projects could reshape downtown Kinston’s future.
Downtown Kinston is set to receive a new push for redevelopment through the intentional efforts of city and county leaders working together.
On Sept. 2, the Kinston City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Lenoir County to adopt the Tax Incentive for Downtown Enhancement (TIDE) program. The Board of Commissioners had already given its approval earlier that day, marking the first joint initiative to come from the City–County Joint Working Committee.
The TIDE program is designed to encourage property owners to reinvest in downtown buildings by reimbursing a portion of the new property taxes generated by their improvements. In essence, as properties increase in value, the city and county will grant back part of the added tax revenue, provided strict conditions are met.
Program requirements
During the council meeting, City Manager Rhonda Barwick outlined the details:
Applicants must create and maintain at least three new jobs for five years.
They must obtain all required state and local permits.
Renovations must be completed by licensed, qualified contractors.
Applicants must submit contractor estimates and provide pre- and post-improvement tax values, which will be verified before reimbursement.
Barwick said applications will be submitted to her and County Manager Michael James for review. If an applicant meets all criteria, the proposal will go before both governing boards for final consideration. Job retention reports must also be filed annually with the N.C. Employment Security Commission. Failure to meet requirements could result in forfeiture of the grant.
“This is the first item coming out of the Joint Working Committee,” Barwick told the council. “The county adopted it this morning at their meeting, and we are asking the Council if you’re ready to adopt it as well.”
City–county partnership
The vote passed with broad support. Mayor Dontario Hardy called it a necessary step toward stronger collaboration.
“With the county and the first initiative that we’re taking to move forward with that collaboration, working together with the county and city, I think it’s something that we must do,” Hardy said.
Councilwoman Felicia Solomon supported the agreement but voiced one reservation: that the program’s language referenced only “removal of downtown blight.”
“All roads lead to downtown, but blight exists throughout the community,” Solomon said. “When we consider removal of blight, that should be inclusive for the entire city.”
Mayor Pro Tem Antonio Hardy emphasized that the program marked a long-overdue step toward unity. “There’s been a lot of division between the county and the city, and it was time for us to bridge that gap,” he said. “We live in this community together, and it’s time we started doing more things together.”
County perspective
County Manager Michael James said extending the program to Kinston follows similar efforts in La Grange and Pink Hill.
“Essentially this is a unique economic development tool to help incentivize investment in the downtown business districts of our county, which are vital to the health of those communities,” James said. “A healthy and vibrant downtown is essential to us recruiting industrial investment into our community, and the TIDE program is an extension of our traditional economic development strategy.”
James noted that the program is available to every municipality in Lenoir County, not just Kinston. “If we can play any role in helping to create a vibrant downtown Pink Hill, La Grange, and Kinston, where they can become hubs for local business, entrepreneurship, and job creation, then that is a benefit to all residents of our county,” he said.
City’s vision
Mayor Hardy said the agreement represents a “turning point” in city–county collaboration.
“This agreement symbolizes a new chapter of partnership between the City of Kinston and Lenoir County,” Hardy said. “By working hand-in-hand, we are showing that collaboration — not competition — is how we unlock progress. Together, we can create a stronger, more resilient community where growth is intentional, strategic, and sustainable.”
Looking forward, Hardy said he hopes the memorandum can serve as a model for deeper collaboration with the county. “This is just the beginning. I’d like to see us expand our collaboration into workforce development, housing, infrastructure, and regional economic growth. Together, we can leverage more state and federal resources to lift the entire community forward.”
A new chapter
Council and commission members said they see the TIDE program as both a practical incentive for investment and a symbol of what can be achieved when the city and county coordinate efforts.
“This program will encourage property owners to invest in our community,” Barwick said. “We want to stabilize, rehabilitate, and redevelop older buildings, promote economic growth, and attract new businesses to boost occupancy downtown.”
With approval now in place from both governments, the focus will turn to applications from property owners and the impact their projects will have on downtown Kinston’s future.
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