Editor’s note: WIZS News received the following press statement Monday afternoon at 4:58 p.m. from the office of Rep. Matthew Winslow. The statement appears below, in its entirety:
Regarding Part V, Section 5 of SB 214 Proposed Conference Committee Substitute, Representative Matthew Winslow (R-Franklin and Vance Counties) shares the following statement:
“Franklin County faces a growing water supply challenge that threatens both residential growth and economic development. Our county has carefully reserved limited allocations for future homes and job-creating projects. Once those reserves are exhausted, the primary alternative is Kerr Lake. However, current arrangements with the City of Henderson have proven difficult.
For nearly 20 years, good-faith negotiations between Franklin County and Henderson have yielded little progress on securing adequate additional water at reasonable rates. Henderson has sought to restrict allocation volumes— requiring repeated future negotiations—and to charge Franklin County citizens rates nearly four times higher than those paid by other users. Passing exorbitant costs directly to our residents would be the easy choice, but it would not serve the long-term interests of our community.
Henderson’s position stems from geography, not ownership. The water in Kerr Lake, which is one of the largest in the state, belongs to the people of North Carolina. Franklin County needs reliable access to support responsible growth, while Henderson requires support for system upgrades. This mutual dependence has created a prolonged standoff and missed opportunity.
SB 214 provides a targeted, common-sense solution. It authorizes Franklin County to draw raw water directly from Kerr Lake and treat it locally. This would eliminate the need to pay inflated rates compared to our neighbors and give Franklin County greater control over its water future. Importantly, the bill is narrowly tailored: it limits these authorities to counties adjacent to the lake, unlike 12 other North Carolina counties that currently have broader, unrestricted annexation or condemnation powers across the state.
To address concerns circulating in the community:
- This is not a data center project.
- It does not authorize Franklin County to condemn or seize Henderson’s existing water treatment plant.
- The provision is strictly for constructing a direct raw water line from Kerr Lake to a future Franklin County treatment facility. The 10 million gallons per day that Franklin County has requested from the Army Corps by comparison is extremely minor compared to the 10 billion gallons a day that cross over the dam.
As the elected Representative for Franklin and Vance Counties (and previously Nash and Granville Counties as well), I evaluate issues through a regional lens focused on what best serves all our citizens. When Franklin County leaders approached me about this language, I did not take the request lightly and I asked for a meeting to discuss. They explained this was their last resort after exhausting all other avenues and negotiations. This closed session meeting was attended by all seven Franklin County Commissioners. Prior to this meeting, they had all been informed and updated long before we met, but I wanted the attorney to go through everything one more time so there would be no miscommunications. After the attorney revisited the strategy, I asked each member if they agreed. They all said yes, then I asked again if anyone was against this and no one spoke up.
I continue to pray for a successful regional solution. A cooperative water system across our communities would equitably share costs, maintain affordable rates, create jobs, and drive economic growth for everyone involved. SB 214 is not intended to replace partnership—it serves as a necessary backstop if negotiations continue to stall.”
