CITY OF WHITEVILLE

What CITY OF WHITEVILLE does

The City of Whiteville, NC is a municipal government entity incorporated in 1810 and serving as the county seat of Columbus County, North Carolina, with a resident population of more than 5,000. The city delivers a full portfolio of municipal services through departmental operations — water and sewer utilities, wastewater reclamation, sanitation and recycling, public works, police and fire/emergency services, animal services, parks and recreation, planning and inspections, finance, and economic development. Its core technology asset is a Smart Utility metering system installed across nearly every residential and commercial water meter, which wirelessly transmits usage data to enable multiple daily remote reads, improved leak detection, and gallon-accurate billing. The city also operates an AlertWhiteville emergency notification system, an online utility billing and bank-draft portal, a Planning & Inspection permits portal, a Citizen Connect citizen engagement portal, and an online booking calendar for the Historic Vineland Station Depot event venue.

The business model is funded through three principal revenue streams: recurring property taxes (2026 rate of $0.59 per $100 of assessed value, plus a $0.12 downtown municipal district overlay, billed annually); recurring utility charges including water ($11.25/month inside city limits), sewer ($24.85/month), garbage ($14.20), recycling ($8.75), and L&L ($15.40), with per-gallon usage rates tiered inside vs. outside city limits and a $120/$240 renter deposit; and transactional permit and inspection fees from the Planning & Inspection department. Storm water fees are $125 residential / $250 commercial annually. Go-to-market is direct-to-citizen, delivered through City Hall at 317 S. Madison Street, online portals, the AlertWhiteville SMS/email/voice system, a Facebook page, and physical community touchpoints including parks, fire stations, and the Vineland Station Depot. The customer base comprises Whiteville residents, downtown Vineland Village businesses, and community visitors. The city is governed by an elected Mayor and City Council and operates with no parent entity or subsidiaries.

Name

CITY OF WHITEVILLE

Legal name

City of Whiteville, NC

Website

https://whitevillenc.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1810

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Municipal government serving as the county seat of Columbus County, North Carolina, providing water/sewer utilities, sanitation, public safety, parks/recreation, planning, and economic development services to approximately 5,000 residents through City Hall operations, smart metering, and digital portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Waste Collection (56211), Other General Government Support (92119)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD), Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Water and sewer utilities
• Public safety services
• Parks and recreation
• Economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Whiteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: The City collects property taxes at a rate of $0.59 cents per $100 in value (2026 rate), with an additional Downtown Municipal District Tax Rate of $0.12 cents per $100 in value. Annual bills are due September 1 and delinquent after January 5.
2. Utility Services (Water, Sewer, Sanitation): The City provides water and sewer services with flat rates and per-gallon charges. Inside city limits: Water flat rate $11.25, sewer flat rate $24.85. Also includes garbage ($14.20), recycling ($8.75), and L&L ($15.40) charges.
3. Permits and Fees: Revenue from building permits, planning permits, and various inspection fees collected by the Planning & Inspections department.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The City of Whiteville delivers municipal government services to its residents and businesses, including water and sewer utilities, sanitation (garbage, recycling, L&L), property tax collection, building permits and inspections, police and fire protection, parks and recreation programs, public works, and wastewater treatment. It also administers the North Carolina Main Street economic development program for downtown revitalization and operates the Historic Vineland Station Depot as a civic event venue.

Product overview

The City of Whiteville provides a portfolio of municipal government services organized by department. Key service offerings include AlertWhiteville for emergency notifications, a Smart Utility System for water/sewer meter reading, the Vineland Station Depot as a rentable event venue, Planning & Inspection permits, Utility Services, Police Department services, Parks & Recreation programs, Public Works, and Wastewater Reclamation. These are individual municipal service departments rather than an integrated software product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Utility Services (Water, Sewer, Sanitation) Water and sewer services with flat rates and per-gallon charges for residential and commercial customers inside and outside city limits, plus garbage, recycling, and L&L sanitation services. Customers can view bills, pay utility bills, and manage bank drafts online.
• Police Department Services Municipal law enforcement services including patrol operations, investigations, records division, community outreach, animal services, and an online tip submission system, delivered by a CALEA-accredited agency.
• Fire Department Services Fire suppression, emergency response, and community service programs provided by the Whiteville Fire Department.
• Parks & Recreation Programs Parks and recreation services managing six parks, four green spaces, sports programs, facility rentals, and trail systems including the Susan Smith Greenway and Mollies Branch Greenway for community residents.
• Public Works Services Municipal public works services including street light repair requests, infrastructure maintenance, and related public services.
• Wastewater Reclamation Facility Wastewater treatment plant providing domestic and industrial wastewater treatment, vector/mosquito control, and maintaining water, sewer, and wastewater systems with 24-hour emergency response.
• Planning & Inspection Permits Portal Online portal for submitting building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and other permit applications, scheduling inspections, and accessing zoning forms for residents and local businesses.
• Economic Development and Main Street Program Administration of the North Carolina Main Street program at the local level, building public-private partnerships to spur downtown revitalization, business growth, investment, and job creation in the Vineland Village area.
• Historic Vineland Station Depot Event Venue Historic event venue available for weddings, corporate events, concerts, and community gatherings, with bookings managed through an online reservation calendar.
• AlertWhiteville Notification System Emergency alert and notification system that sends real-time alerts to citizens via text message, email, voice message, and social media during emergencies and community events.
• Property Tax Collection Annual property tax collection at $0.59 per $100 of value (2026 rate), with an additional Downtown Municipal District Tax Rate of $0.12 per $100 of value, administered for the City of Whiteville.
• Smart Utility Metering System Advanced meter technology system that wirelessly communicates water and sewer usage data, enabling multiple remote meter reads per day for improved leak detection, accurate billing, and customer service.

Quantifiable outcome

• $769,000 federal grant plus state funding for Historic Vineland Station Depot restoration, plus $500,000 grassroots fundraising campaign
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Whiteville participates in the North Carolina Main Street Program administered by the NC Department of Commerce, which provides monthly training opportunities, reporting frameworks, and grant application advantages for downtown revitalization efforts.
• Southeastern Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoutheastern Community College partners with the city for BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Training) sponsorship programs and captured the downtown walking tour documentation for the Secretary of State's Rural RISE NC visit.
• Duke EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDuke Energy sponsors the Music in the Alley event series featuring live music performances in downtown Whiteville.
• Southeastern Community College, Brunswick Community College, Cape Fear Community College, Bladen Community College, Robeson Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive regional community colleges partner with the Whiteville Police Department for Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) sponsorship and Recruit Officer programs to develop future law enforcement professionals.
• Columbus County Tax Administrator's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbus County Tax Administrator's Office collects taxes for Columbus County, City of Whiteville, and several other municipalities in the county.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Aqua North Carolina: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility operating across North Carolina, including service to many small municipalities. Comparable as a provider of regulated water/wastewater service in rural NC, though operating at vastly greater scale than Whiteville's in-house utility.

Direct peers

• City of Lumberton, NC: County seat of Robeson County with comparable population scale (≈20,000) and a similar service portfolio including water/sewer utilities, public works, police, fire, and parks. Operates a comparable small-city municipal model in eastern North Carolina, making it a closely matched peer for benchmarking.
• City of Clinton, NC: County seat of Sampson County with a similar-sized municipal operation providing water, sewer, sanitation, police, fire, and recreation services. Comparable governance structure, revenue base, and rural-North Carolina operating context.
• City of Maxton, NC: Small eastern NC municipality straddling Robeson and Scotland counties with a comparable municipal services portfolio and rural-economy profile. Useful peer for benchmarking small-town North Carolina governance and service delivery costs.
• City of Elizabethtown, NC: County seat of Bladen County with a small population base and a similar menu of municipal services including utilities, public safety, and parks. Shares Whiteville's eastern NC, small-county-seat profile and dependence on state-level economic development support.
• Town of Chadbourn, NC: Adjacent municipality within Columbus County with overlapping service territory and shared economic geography. Comparable small-town municipal service delivery model directly neighboring Whiteville.
• Town of Tabor City, NC: Small municipality in Columbus County offering a similar municipal services package to residents. Closely comparable in scale, geography, and economic base to Whiteville's operating environment.
• City of Laurinburg, NC: County seat of Scotland County with a similar small-city footprint and full municipal services including water/sewer utilities, public safety, and parks. Shares the eastern NC rural-county-seat economic profile and similar revenue mix of utilities and property taxes.

Others

• Veolia North America: Largest operator of municipal wastewater treatment and water services contracts in North America. Comparable as a potential outsourced operations partner for Whiteville's Wastewater Reclamation Facility and water/sewer system operations.
• Waste Management Inc. Largest solid waste hauler in North America providing residential and commercial collection services comparable to Whiteville's in-house garbage, recycling, and L&L collection operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/City-of-Whiteville-NC-165149710188454
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-whiteville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 WHITEVILLE