Brian Wood Helms

Brian Wood Helms is the Republican incumbent seeking re‑election to the Union County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina, with the November 3, 2026 election. The Board of Commissioners serves as the chief legislative and executive body for the county, responsible for setting policy, adopting the annual budget, overseeing public safety, infrastructure, land‑use planning, and other services that affect residents’ daily lives.

Helms was first elected to the Board in December 2022. The campaign website does not provide details about his education or prior professional experience, so those aspects of his background are not publicly documented in the sources provided.

Since taking office, Helms has emphasized responsible growth and fiscal restraint. He notes that Union County approved only 159 new residential units after his election, contrasting with neighboring municipalities that approved thousands, and he helped pass a policy requiring a General Obligation Bond referendum for any new wastewater facility, which passed 3‑1 [12]. He also supported reversing a planned large‑scale wastewater project (Site B) that would have accommodated about 28,000 homes, preventing a projected 50% utility rate increase, again passing 3‑1 [12]. In 2025, Helms opposed state‑level legislation (HB765 and SB205) that would have mandated high‑density housing without local input, supporting a unanimous county resolution against it [12].

On public safety, Helms backed the expansion of the Sheriff’s Office, including establishing the county’s first on‑site crime lab, and advocated for a tiered EMS response system to improve response times. He voted for a 1‑to‑1 ratio of School Resource Officers (SROs) in Union County Public Schools, achieving full funding for an SRO at each of the 53 schools by 2025 [12]. He also supported multiple salary increases for deputy sheriffs and related staff, with the most recent 2025 raises ranging from 3% to 6% depending on rank [12].

Helms positions himself as a low‑tax advocate. Amid rising property values in 2025, he says the Board worked to keep the tax rate revenue‑neutral, reducing the overall tax rate from 58.8 to 43.4 cents per $100 of assessed value—the largest reduction among local governments in the county. The Board also limited the additional tax burden from voter‑approved school bonds to 1.82 cents over revenue‑neutral, buying down $10 million of bond debt and cutting expenses by about $18 million [12].

Overall, Helms’ record as presented focuses on limiting residential over‑development, maintaining public safety resources, and lowering the property tax rate while funding essential services and school safety initiatives.

Sources

• [11] Brian Helms for Union County Commissioner
• [12] On the Issues - Brian Helms for Union County Commissioner