County Manager Bruce Shell serves as Chief Administrator of county government and maintains responsibility for administering all departments under the general control of the five member Board of Commissioners.

One major task for the county manager involves the development of the county's annual budget. The budget is the policy document, financial plan, operations guide and communications device of county government. It reflects the county's response to the needs of the community and residents' requests for services.

Mr. Shell has served as the County Manager since November, 2005. Prior to his appointment, he served as Finance Director for New Hanover County for 11 years He is a Raleigh, NC native and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

The manager is assisted by three assistant managers, each of whom is responsible for the daily operations of nearly 30 county government departments. View our organizational chart in PDF format.

In addition to the daily administration of the county, the manager's office coordinates other programs; Pretrial Release Screening, and Customer Service fall under the supervision of this office.

Staff and contact information

Office location: