The longtime finance director for Hope Mills is retiring, ending a decade of overseeing the town’s finances and a 30-year career in public service.
Town Manager Chancer McLaughlin announced the retirement of Drew Holland during the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners meeting on March 2. McLaughlin, the board, and those in attendance gave Holland a standing ovation for his contributions to the town.
“I’ve had a good career. It’s been 30 years, I’m just ready,” Holland told CityView. He added that he has enjoyed his time in Hope Mills and plans to find part-time work in retirement. “It’s been a great town.”
Holland, who owns a 42-acre farm in southern Wake County and is expecting his first grandchild, said he is simply ready for the next chapter after three decades in public service.
Holland noted that March 1 marked his 30th year of service overall. He had planned to retire earlier, but the board asked him to stay through April to help prepare this year’s budget. The town is advertising to hire a new finance director. The position offers an annual salary of $93,093 to $113,042.
Holland was named finance director in January 2016, after holding similar positions in Dunn and Holly Springs, according to his LinkedIn profile. During his tenure in Hope Mills, Holland streamlined the budget process, launched the Community Investment Plan, implemented new financial software, and led the town to earn the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting every year since 2019, McLaughlin said.
Holland’s departure comes as the town is nearly six months into a review of its finances by the N.C. Office of the State Auditor. An anonymous complaint about town spending and finances triggered the investigation.
When asked about the investigation by CityView, Holland said, “I have not heard anything from them in a while, so I have no idea.”
Town officials have repeatedly stated they are cooperating fully with the auditor’s office and maintain that the town remains in strong financial standing.
Holland said his retirement is unrelated to the ongoing state financial review of the town.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, town resident Ron Gosciniak told commissioners that information for a town credit card—including the card number, expiration date, and security code—was inadvertently included in a publicly-released agenda packet for the meeting.
“When are we going to hold people accountable for such things?” Gosciniak asked, noting he has previously criticized the town for grammar errors and lack of attention to detail in public communications. He jokingly added that he used the town’s card to pay his taxes.
Holland told CityView that the error was corrected—and the information removed from the agenda packet.
“That’s one of those things where you copy the contract and scan it in,” Holland explained. “The credit card information was a part of it. It should have been taken out, but it wasn’t. As soon as we found out, we took care of it. The card’s been cancelled first thing this morning. It shouldn’t be an issue.”
VicBlends Court Repairs Nearly Complete
McLaughlin’s report to the commissioners included updates on several matters, including $14,000 in repairs to the VicBlends Basketball Court at Hope Mills Municipal Park. The court was damaged by arson on January 13. The court should be ready to reopen in two weeks, he said during the March 2 meeting. Commissioners are organizing another family-oriented event for the reopening.
McLaughlin also told commissioners that Camden Commons, the 80-acre commercial development located at the intersection of Waldo Beach and Rockfish roads, is officially under construction. In addition to Target’s proposed 335,000 square feet of retail space, the shopping center will have 26 commercial outparcels.
The Hive of Hope Mills, at 3414 Bullard St., is ready to go, McLaughlin said. The parcel includes a family-friendly community building and event space in addition to spots for seven food trucks. McLaughlin said power lines for the food trucks are buried, eliminating the need for noisy generators usually associated with food trucks.
“This is something different,” McLaughlin told the board.
The board also unanimously voted to rezone 0.68 acres of undeveloped land on Legion Road. The parcel is adjacent to the Clifton Forge and Brookridge subdivisions. The old zoning would have limited the property to construction of one single-family home. The new zoning reduces the minimum size of the lots, and will allow the owner to build two homes there.
The board meets again on Monday at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.