8 | Duplin County NC (2024)

Ordinances & Policies

Senior Services

Duplin County Services for the Aged began operating as a County Department in July, 1974, and the Nutrition Program began in September, 1975. These two programs consolidated into one department in January, 1979. In May, 2007, Duplin County Services for the Aged and Duplin County Public Transportation were consolidated into one department. In October, 2015, the combined departments were separated to operate as independent departments. June 8, 2023, the department name was renamed to Duplin County Senior Services.

The primary objective of the agency is to serve as an advocate for persons sixty years of age and older to achieve a better quality of life.

Mission Statement: Improving the lives of Duplin County seniors through opportunities that encourage social interaction, enhance quality of life and support independence.

The Senior Center operates five congregate nutrition sites within the county in the following locations:

• Beulaville Nutrition Site (Beulaville Presbyterian Church) 205 East Main Street, Beulaville, N.C. (10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)
• Faison Nutrition Site (Wellness & Recreation Center) 184 Park Circle Drive, Faison, N.C. (10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
• Kenansville Nutrition Site (Senior Center) 213 Seminary Street, Kenansville, N.C. (10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
• Wallace Nutrition Site (Campbell Center) 513 South East Railroad Street, Wallace, N.C. (10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
• Warsaw Nutrition Site (Warsaw Community Center) 309 Memorial Drive, Warsaw, N.C. (10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Services Available:

• Activity Calendar
• Age My Way Survey
• Aging Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
• Alzheimer’s/Caregiver Support Group
• Annual Events: Senior Christmas Party; Senior Fun Day; Volunteer Recognition Event
• Centennial Program –Centennial flyer
• Congregate Nutrition Sites
• Ensure
• Family Caregiver/Respite
• Health Promotion Evidence Based programs
  • Arthritis Exercise Schedule
  • Exercise Class Description
• Home Delivered Meals
• Housing Home Improvement (primarily wheelchair ramps/rails)
• Income Tax Assistance
• Information & Referral
• In Home Aide Level 1
• Legal Services provided by Legal Aid of North Carolina
• Neuse River Senior Games / Neuse River Senior Games Flyer
• Newsletter
• Menu
• Operation Fan-Heat Relief
  

• Outreach
• Seniors Health Insurance Information Program
• Senior Trips
• Telephone Reassurance
• Transportation
• Volunteer Opportunities

Aging Advisory Committee Meetings
9:00 a.m. Duplin County Senior Services
Quarterly meetings – 3^rdWednesday of each quarter
January, April, July, October

Veteran Services

Mission Statement:Veterans Services is available to Duplin County veterans and their dependents with help in filing claims, gathering supporting documentary evidence and presenting such claims for benefits before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This department offers assistance in any matters concerning the veteran’s military service.

How to Apply for Benefits:If you are interested in applying for VA benefits or need assistance with VA paperwork, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. A Veteran Service Officer will meet with you to answer any questions you have about your benefit eligibility. We will then help you submit any paperwork and assist with gathering any necessary documentation and evidence to support your claim. Call us at 910-296-2114 to schedule and appointment. out hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

General Services:

Department of Veteran Affairs
VA Healthcare
VA Home Loans
Military Personnel Records/DD 214, SF-180
Department of Veteran Affairs Forms

Board of Elections

Need to find your polling place? Visit the NC Board of Elections Polling Place Search

Mission Statement:
The Mission of the Duplin County Board of Elections is to provide our services in the most efficient and timely manner. We strive to provide the highest level of professional standards to ensure accurate, honest, and fair elections for every citizen. It is our top priority to provide every citizen the opportunity to exercise their right to vote which is the foundation of American Freedom.

General Services Provided:
The Board of Elections is responsible for conducting all elections held in Duplin County. The Board administers and oversees all federal, state, and local elections. A few of our principal functions include establishing election precincts and voting sites; appointing and training precinct officials; designing, preparing, and distributing ballots; procuring, testing, and maintaining voting equipment; canvassing and certifying the ballots cast in elections; investigating any voting irregularities; maintaining voter registration and participation records; conducting candidate filing; receiving, auditing and maintaining campaign finance reports; and providing public information upon request.

Forms:
Voter Registration Application
Solicitud de Inscripción para Votar
Precinct Official Application
2024 Absentee Request Form

Vote by Mail

Election Results Dashboard on North Carolina State Board of Elections Website

County Commissioners

Duplin County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners. The Board consists of five Commissioners elected in even-numbered years by district to four-year terms. Following the November election, the Board takes office at its first meeting in December. Each year the Board organizes itself by electing a chair and vice chair for a one-year term each.

Major responsibilities of the Board include:

• Adoption of an annual budget
• Establishment of the County property tax rate
• Appointment of County officials, board and commission members
• Enactment of ordinances
• Establishment of policies and procedures for the operation of programs

Duplin County has operated under the County Manager form of government since 1979. The County Manager hires the County staff, meets regularly with department and agency heads, and insures the Board’s goals and objectives are met. The County Manager serves at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners.

Regular meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month beginning at 6 p.m. in the Duplin County Administrative Building which is located at 224 Seminary Street in Kenansville, North Carolina.

Department Head: Jaime Carr, Clerk to the Board
Phone: (910) 296-2100
Email: jaimec@duplincountync.com
Physical Address:
Duplin County Administrative Building
224 Seminary Street
Kenansville, North Carolina 28349
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 910,Kenansville, North Carolina 28349

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8 a.m – 5 p.m.

Board Meetings

• Meeting Agenda
• Meeting Calendar 2024
• Past Meetings (Archives)
• Meeting Procedures
• Rules for Public Comments
• Presentation Guidelines
• Clerk to the Board:
  

Click Here to View the Commissioner’s Packet

County Commissioners

• District 1 – Elwood Garner, Vice-Chair
• District 2 – Dexter B. Edwards, Chair
• District 3 – Justin Edwards
• District 4 – Jesse L. Dowe, III
• District 5 – Wayne E. Branch

Click Here to View Commissioner Districts Old Map

Click Here to View Commissioner Districts Updated Map

Duplin County History

Duplin County was first formed by the General Assembly in New Bern on April 7, 1750 from what was the northern part of New Hanover County. At that time the boundaries of Duplin County included what would eventually become Sampson County. Duplin was named after Sir Thomas Hays, Lord Dupplin, who served on the Board of Trade and Plantations for the Crown in the 1740’s.

Duplin County’s earliest immigrants were the Welsh who arrived in the 1700’s. They were soon followed by German Palatines and the Swiss in the 1730’s and 1740’s. The Scotch-Irish arrived in 1736 with Henry McCulloch, a wealthy London merchant, to settle on a rich and fertile 71,160-acre land granted to him from the British Crown. The French Huguenots and English, who migrated from Virginia along with Scottish Highlanders who came from the upper Cape Fear region, also were among the earliest settlers to the area along with African-Americans. The early settlements were primarily along the river and larger creeks as these were the best means of transportation.

Henry McCulloch, who had transported Ulster Scots and Swiss Protestants to settle this area, established several settlements. One on the east bank of the Northeast Cape Fear River named Sarecta, became Duplin’s first incorporated town in 1787. Another settlement was established on the west side of the river on Goshen Swamp, and a third at a place referred to as Golden Grove, later to become the Town of Kenansville. These early settlers were primarily Presbyterians and they established the Goshen congregation in 1736. Later called the Grove congregation, it was the first Presbyterian church in the state and is still active today.

In 1751, the first official county court was held in the home of William McRee. Today, Guilford Mills, Inc, on NC Highway 11/903, is located on the original site. A short time later the first courthouse was built on Turkey Swamp near the present day Duplin/Sampson County line. When Sampson County was created in 1784 from the western half of Duplin County, the courthouse was relocated again to a more central location. The first sessions of county court at this new site were held in James’s home near the road to Magnolia about 2 miles south of Kenansville. Later, the court was relocated to the area that was to become Kenansville.

Duplin has grown steadily through the years. The first industry in the county was the naval stores industry. The harvesting of rosin from the abundant longleaf pine forests to make tar, pitch and turpentine, provided barter and income for the early settlers and remained a significant part of the economy up until the late 1800’s. The naval stores products were floated down the Northeast Cape Fear River for sale in Wilmington on large, log rafts. In later years, paddlewheel riverboats became a far better means of transportation on the river. Necessary supplies and staple goods were ferried back up the river. When the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was completed it provided a faster and more convenient method of shipping and the use of the river for transportation decreased.

The completion of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad in 1840, which ran through the western half of the county, provided additional opportunities for growth and a tremendous influence for further development, not only for Duplin County, but the entire region. The Towns of Wallace, Teachey, Rose Hill, Magnolia, Warsaw, Faison and Calypso developed along the tracks.

Duplin County is the 9th largest county in the state in land area, 819 square miles. The 2000 population was 49,063. There are 10 incorporated towns in the county: Calypso, Faison, Warsaw, Kenansville, Magnolia, Rose Hill, Teachey, Wallace, Greenevers and Beulaville. The county is served by Interstate 40, U.S. Highway 117, NC Highways 11, 24, 50, 403 and 903. Rail service is available through CSX Rail service and the Duplin County Airport provides a 6,001-foot paved, lighted runway.

Duplin County has maintained its agricultural heritage and rural environment through the years while still allowing for a blending with industrial development, economic growth and an enviable lifestyle.

Compiled by Leon H. Sikes

For a chronology of Duplin County events, click here.

For Duplin County Historical Society website, click here.

For Duplin County Flags & Seals, click here.

Transportation Department

Mission Statement: To provide safe, dependable and affordable quality transportation to the citizens of Duplin County.

General Services: The Duplin County Transportation Department is a rural transportation system with a fleet of 14 vehicles with 100% of our vehicles meeting ADA requirements. Through the leadership and guidance from the Duplin County Manager’s office, the Transit Advisory Board and the North Carolina Public Transportation Division of Raleigh, NC, this department provides varying degrees of transit services to the general public and Human Service Agencies of Duplin County.

Transportation is provided throughout Duplin County, and any citizen who wishes to use the service should call the transportation office to get assigned to a specific route that would be most efficient for both transportation and the client. Transportation services are available for employment, education, congregate nutrition sites, medical facilities, shopping, etc.

The transportation department’s services are also used to transport Medicaid recipients as requested by the recipients Medicaid provider. These transportation services allow citizens to meet their transportation needs that they may not have access to without our services. Duplin County has a dialysis facility in Kenansville and Wallace.

The transportation department has established a policy of transporting individuals to out of county medical facilities on a scheduled basis during the month. Individuals may call the office for more detailed information concerning the out of county transportation.

All transportation requests must be submitted 48 business hours in advance in order to be scheduled for pick-up on the requested date.

Duplin County Public Transportation is committed to providing reasonable modification to its transportation services to ensure its services, programs, and facilities are accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. An individual, or their representative, may make a reasonable modification request in in person, in writing, or by telephone to: Angel Venecia, Director; 144 Duplin Commons Dr, PO Box 950, Kenansville, NC 28349; (910) 296-2333; angel.venecia@duplincountync.com.

Duplin County Public Transportation operates its programs and services without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age and disability in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and related statutes. Click here for more information on DCPT’s civil rights program and the procedures to file a complaint contact 910-296-2333, (TTD/TTY 711); email: angel.venecia@duplincountync.com or visit our office at 144 Duplin Commons Dr, Kenansville, NC 28349. If information is needed in another language contact 910-296-2333. Duplin County Public Transportation Discrimination Complaint Form.

El transporte público del Condado de Duplin opera sus programas y servicios sin consideración de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, religión, edad e incapacidad de acuerdo con el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles y estatutos relacionados. Presione aqui para obtener más información sobre el programa de derechos civiles de DCPT y los procedimientos para presentar una queja, póngase en contacto con 910-296-2333, (TTD / TTY 711); Envíe un correo electrónico a angel.venecia@duplincountync.com o visite nuestra oficina en 144 Duplin Commons Dr, Kenansville, NC 28349. Si necesita información en otro idioma, llame al 910-296-2333. Duplin County Public Transportation Discrimination Complaint Form.

Title VI Nondiscrimination Policy Statement

How to File an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Complaint

Duplin County Transportation Brochure

Folleto de Transporte Publico del Condado de Duplin

Out of County Schedule

Transportation Advisory Board Meeting Minutes

Transit System Advisory Board meetings are held bi-monthly on the 2^ndThursday at 10:00am.

Meeting Dates for 2024 are:

March 14, 2024
July 11, 2024
September 12, 2024
November 7, 2024

Meetings are held at the Duplin County Public Transportation Office at 144 Duplin Commons Dr, Kenansville, NC 28349.

Jobs

Duplin County Government seeks career-oriented professionals who have a commitment to public service.

Click Here To View Job Opportunities

To apply, you must meet all minimum job requirements.

Download, Complete and Submit a

Duplin County Application (for other county positions) or

The PD107-2023 (for positions at the Department of Social Services and Health Department)

PD107-2023.pdf– Application for Employment

PD107-2022a Continuation Sheet.pdf

Click here (for positions at the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office)
To apply, submit an application and F-3 to Lt. Shane Miller at the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Building located at 112 West Hill Street, Kenansville, Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For other Duplin County positions, follow these instructions.

• Mailto the Human Resources Office, Duplin County Administrative Building, PO Box 910, Kenansville, NC 28349 or
• Hand deliverto Duplin Administrative Building, 224 Seminary Street, Kenansville, NC or
• E-mail the completed job application and attachments such as a resume’, college transcript, letters of references, etc. to dchr@duplincountync.com

Duplin County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Offers of employment with Duplin County are contingent upon successful completion of:

• Background check
• Credit check for those positions involving handling money
• Reference check
• Pre-employment substance abuse screening
• Driver’s authorization
• Fitness Agility tests and Medical Physicals for those positions involving strenuous activity such as Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, etc.

Duplin County participates in the Federale-Verifyprogram

Building Inspections

Purpose:
The Duplin County Building Inspections Department is dedicated to the growth of Duplin County. While ensuring the health, safety, and general welfare of our citizens and their properties are maintained through proper techniques of accurate enforcement of the North Carolina State Building Codes and all other applicable regulatory requirements.

Services Provided:
Permitting and Inspection for the building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades serving the citizens of Duplin County.

Forms & Information
Accessory Building Permit Application
Affidavit for Residential Swimming Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs
Backflow Prevention Test Report
Building Permit Application
Complaint Report Form
Credit Card Authorization Form
“Do It Yourself” Construction Projects
Employee Authorization Form
Facility Check Application
Duplin County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
Farm Building Exemption
Duplin County Minimum Housing
Inspection Fees
How To File A Lien Agent
Manufactured Home Inspection List
Reconnection Permit Application
Temporary Power Application
Trade Permit for Contractors Application
Trade Permit for Owners Application

Links:

Notice: Do Not Send Credit Card Or Bank Information via E-mail

District Five – Wayne E. Branch

Term Expires: December 2024

Served Since: 12/07/2020

Occupation: Retired Business Owner
Mail: 268 HC Powers Rd, Wallace, NC 28466
Phone: (910) 330-2727
Email:wayne.branch@duplincountync.com