| From the Mayor |
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 Greetings,On behalf of the governing body of the Town of Smithfield, our Town Council, I welcome you to our hometown Smithfield. Smithfield has many things to offer our citizens, patrons and "newcomers". Smithfield happens to be the County seat for Johnston County. We are located in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. We are approximately 30 miles east of Raleigh, approximately 125 miles to the eastern coast and 104 miles north of the South Carolina state line. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.4 square miles. Our population, as of the 2008 census, is 13,410 although Smithfield's population increases dramatically during the day hours. Many patrons along Interstate 95 stop to shop at the famous "Carolina Outlet Mall" and dine at our restaurants. On April 23, 1777, a resolution was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly proclaiming "that a Town on the lands of John Smith on the north side of the Neuse River, in Johnston County (formed from Craven County in 1746) where the Courthouse and other public buildings now stand... be chartered". The act stated that the 100 acres of Smithfield's land be laid off for a town and "fifty for Commons." The original town was marked off in a regular grid pattern covering the present fifteen block area running from Front Street east to Fourth Street and from Hancock Street south to Church Street. The Neuse River and Buffalo Creek formed the boundaries to the west and north. The Town has a Council-Manager form of government. Our assessed value of property (2004) within the Town is $813,270,175. The current Town tax rate is $0.57 per actual $100 valuation. The Johnston County current tax rate is $0.75 per actual $100 valuation. Please take time to look around our town at the many benefits we have offer as you consider relocating to our "hometown". These services, shopping areas, and dining areas make us very proud of our town. If I or any of the Town Council members or administrative staff can be of any assistance to you, please feel free to contact us. Sincerely, Daniel Evans, Mayor |