💰 Ever wonder who the highest-paid people on the Brunswick County payroll are? StarNews got the salary records — and the top of the list might surprise you. County Manager Steven Stone tops it at $236,617 a year. He’s been with the county since 2000 and has run the county’s day-to-day operations since January 2022. The rest of the top 10: Deputy County Manager David Stanley III — $231,658; Public Utilities Director John Nichols — $225,064; Health and Human Services Executive Director Catherine Lytch — $207,108; Deputy County Manager Neil Brooks — $195,177; County Attorney Bryan Batton — $194,130; Sheriff Brian Chism — $192,924; Social Services Director Robby Hall — $183,046; Finance Director Aaron Smith — $181,554; Information Technology Director Cynthia Hewett — $177,613. For comparison, the county commissioners themselves make about $35,623 a year, and Chairman Mike Forte about $44,101. These are public records — your tax dollars at work, and now you know where the top of the payroll sits. Source: StarNews, Oct. 20, 2026, from county salary records obtained by public records request.
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