City of Gastonia

What City of Gastonia does

Gaston County, NC is a public county government entity founded in 1846 and headquartered at 128 W. Main Ave., Gastonia, North Carolina. It delivers a comprehensive portfolio of statutory municipal and county services to approximately 81,000 residents across more than 270 square miles, including law enforcement, emergency medical services, public health, social services, parks and recreation, libraries, tax administration, elections, and solid waste management. The Gaston County Police Department—established in 1957 and CALEA-accredited since 1991—provides 150+ sworn officers and 100+ civilian staff, and serves both unincorporated areas and contract municipalities (High Shoals and Spencer Mountain). Gaston Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) operates ambulance response, a Crisis Intervention Unit, community paramedicine, and specialty teams.

Its underlying digital platform is the official government website (gastongov.com), built on the CivicPlus CivicEngage content management system, which serves as the hub for the Citizen Self Service permitting portal, Notify Me subscription alerts, Alert Gaston (powered by Everbridge) emergency notifications, and Engage Gaston civic engagement workflows. Supporting integrations include Granicus for board meeting management, PowerDMS for policy documentation, Municode for codified ordinances, CognitoForms for citizen intake, Eventeny for event registration, and embedded Google Maps and YouTube broadcasting for public meetings. The organization holds WCAG 2.0 AA and Section 508 accessibility certifications for its digital properties.

The entity is funded through a hybrid public revenue model: property tax revenue (maintained at the lowest rate since 1970 for FY2026 and FY2027), federal and state grants (including a $300,000 NCOEMS Rural Health Transformation Program grant and America 250 NC funding), and transactional service fees for building permits, vital records, animal licenses, facility rentals, and program fees. It is governed by an elected Board of Commissioners, with operational leadership across multiple departments including Police Chief Stephen Zill, Communications Director Adam Gaub, and EMS Chief Mark Lamphiear.

Name

City of Gastonia

Legal name

Gaston County, NC

Website

https://gastongov.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gaston County, NC is a public county government entity serving approximately 81,000 residents across 270+ square miles with comprehensive services including law enforcement, EMS, public health, social services, parks, and tax administration, delivered via a CivicPlus-powered digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Other Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (92219), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non-Communicable Disease Prevention & Chronic Disease Programs (BPAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety services
• Emergency medical services
• Public health services
• Social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gastonia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: County government primarily funded through property taxes, with the FY2026 and FY2027 budgets maintaining the current tax rate at its lowest point since 1970
2. Federal and State Grants: Funding from North Carolina state agencies and federal programs, including NC Office of Emergency Medical Services Rural Health Transformation Program grant ($300,000 for Crisis Intervention Unit), and America 250 NC grants
3. Service Fees: Various fees for services including building permits, animal licenses, vital records, passports, and facility rentals

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gaston County, NC (operating as the City of Gastonia and the County of Gastonia) is a public county government entity that delivers administrative, public safety, emergency medical, public health, social services, library, parks, tax, and solid waste services to approximately 81,000 residents across 270+ square miles. Core operations include law enforcement (150+ sworn officers, CALEA-accredited since 1991), emergency medical services through Gaston Emergency Medical Services (GEMS), ten county departments, and a CivicPlus-powered digital services portal with online permits, notifications, and citizen self-service tools.

Product overview

The City of Gastonia and Gaston County government operates a unified portfolio of citizen-facing digital services through a CivicPlus-powered website platform. The core offering is the official government website (gastongov.com) which aggregates access to all county services. The portfolio includes the Notify Me notification subscription system, Alert Gaston emergency alerts (Everbridge), Citizen Self Service portal, and Engage Gaston civic engagement platform. Core government service products span public health (clinical services, WIC, immunizations, mobile clinic), emergency medical services (GEMS with crisis intervention and community paramedicine), police services, libraries, parks and recreation, tax services, social services, solid waste, and GIS mapping. The county also operates specialty teams including GEMS Tactical Medic, K-9, FAST fugitive apprehension, and Animal Care and Enforcement divisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gaston County Government Website Official government website (gastongov.com) providing citizens with centralized access to county services, departments, news, events, alerts, online forms, permits, and public records through a CivicPlus-powered platform. For Gaston County residents, businesses, and visitors.
• Gaston County Public Health Division Services Comprehensive public health services including clinical services (immunizations, STI screening, TB clinic, mobile clinic), community health programs, environmental health inspections, WIC, maternal and child health services, and harm reduction (free condoms and naloxone). For county residents and vulnerable populations.
• Gaston Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) Emergency medical services providing 24/7 ambulance response, Crisis Intervention Unit, Community Paramedicine Program, and specialty teams (bicycle team, dive rescue, tactical medics, honor guard). For county residents and visitors needing emergency medical response.
• Gaston County Police Department Services Full-service CALEA-accredited law enforcement agency providing community policing, criminal investigations, K-9 unit, FAST Team, Animal Care and Enforcement, and 911 Communications to approximately 81,000 residents across 270+ square miles, including unincorporated areas and contracted municipalities.
• Gaston County Public Library Public library system offering books, digital resources, programs, meeting rooms, and community services across multiple branch locations. For county residents, students, and visitors.
• Gaston County Parks & Recreation Parks, recreation facilities, athletic fields, senior center programs, dog parks, splash pads, heritage village, and special events across the county. For county residents and visitors.
• ACCESS Transportation Public transit and transportation services for county residents, including intercity bus service.
• Gaston County Tax Office Property tax assessment and collection, motor vehicle registration, and tax relief programs for county residents.
• Social Services Division Adult and aging services, child and family services, foster care, adoption, domestic violence shelter, food assistance (food stamps, WIC), and economic services. For vulnerable populations including low-income families, seniors, children, and adults in need.
• Solid Waste & Recycling Residential garbage disposal, recycling centers (New Hope and others), landfill services, household hazardous waste disposal, electronics recycling, and litter abatement programs. For county residents.
• Gaston County GIS Services Geographic information system providing maps, property search, spatial data downloads, community explorer, and planning GIS tools for residents and businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 560+ acres of land conserved for public park use along Lake Wylie
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hope United Survivor NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Monthly Drop-In Clinic partnership providing STI testing, exams, education, and prevention services at Hope United's community-based office. Public Health staff provide clinical services including testing, treatment, and counseling on the first Thursday of each month. Initiative aims to reduce barriers to sexual health care.
• America 250 NCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025Grant funding for Spencer Mountain interpretive master plan and educational activity bags program. Part of national America's 250th birthday celebration.
• Catawba Lands Conservancy / Carolina Thread TrailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership for trail development and land preservation. Carolina Thread Trail awarded $30,000 America 250 NC grant for Spencer Mountain research. Partnership for Catawba Cove property conservation along Lake Wylie.
• The Conservation FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership for protecting open space in rapidly developing parts of the county. Helped acquire Catawba Cove property now held under conservation easements.
• N.C. Land and Water FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState conservation partnership for protecting critical pieces of open space and water quality protection.
• Bessemer City Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAST Team collaboration for locating and apprehending dangerous offenders throughout Gaston County and surrounding areas.
• Dallas Police Department, Lowell Police Department, Cramerton Police Department, Gaston County Emergency Medical Services, Spencer Mountain Fire DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial operations partners assisting with barricaded suspect arrest and emergency response.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wake County Government: Major NC county (Raleigh metro) delivering full-service county government including EMS, public health, sheriff/law enforcement support, parks, and solid waste. Comparable service breadth and technology-driven citizen engagement model.
• Catawba County Government: Western NC county of similar size operating public safety, public health, social services, and parks/recreation. Notable for shared Carolina Thread Trail ecosystem and recreation/conservation programming.
• Cabarrus County Government: Adjacent NC county in the Charlotte metro with comparable population tier and service portfolio — sheriff, EMS, public health, social services, parks, and tax administration. Closest structural peer by geography and scale.
• Cleveland County Government: Adjacent NC county of comparable size providing full county services including sheriff, EMS, public health, social services, parks, and tax office. Mirrors Gaston's rural-urban transition profile.
• Lincoln County Government: Neighboring NC county of similar population size (~85K residents) with matching service mix including public safety, public health, social services, and parks. Strong demographic and operational comparability.
• Mecklenburg County Government: Largest NC county by population (Charlotte metro), provides the same comprehensive services — public safety, public health, social services, parks, and tax administration. Highly comparable operating model, though materially larger scale.
• Iredell County Government: NC county in the Charlotte region with comparable service portfolio (sheriff, EMS, public health, social services, solid waste). Useful benchmark for capital planning and tax-rate positioning.
• Union County Government: Charlotte-adjacent NC county providing similar county services to a fast-growing population. Comparable in scale and growth dynamics, useful peer for capital planning and service-demand forecasting.

Others

• City of Gastonia: Municipal government co-located within Gaston County, sharing services such as cooling-center operations and emergency response. Operates as a distinct entity with overlapping but non-identical service scope; relevant as a partner/contract counterparty rather than a pure competitor.

Regional players

• York County Government: Adjacent county across the SC state line serving the greater Charlotte metro. Operates a similar service portfolio (sheriff, EMS, public health, parks) under a different state framework, useful for cross-jurisdictional benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gastoncountygov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/GastonCountyGovernment
• Facebookfacebook.com/GastonCountyGov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaston-county-edc
• Instagraminstagram.com/GastonCountyGov

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Gastonia