EXCLUSIVE: Private posts credit NC lawmaker with securing $300K for gated community where he lives 

Members of a private Facebook group for a gated Harnett County community credited Rep. Joe Pike, R-Harnett, who lives there, with helping secure $300,000 in state funding for its property owners’ association, according to screenshots obtained exclusively by Carolina Journal. 

Carolina Journal first reported Wednesday that state lawmakers awarded the Carolina Lakes Property Owners’ Association two budget earmarks: $160,000 for “emergency services needs” and $140,000 for “various needs, including shelter replacement, repair, and maintenance.” 

Pike has represented House District 6, which includes Carolina Lakes, since 2023. 

Carolina Lakes is a gated community of about 1,700 homes and seven lakes in Harnett County. Its amenities include 24 boat slips, a marina, a beach, a clubhouse, secure boat and recreational vehicle storage, and several athletic facilities. 

Pike listed a lakefront home inside Carolina Lakes as his residential address on his candidate filings in 2022, 2024, and 2026 with the North Carolina State Board of Elections. The same address appears on his voter registration. 

Several current and former residents also told Carolina Journal that Pike lives in the community. 

His wife, Sally Pike, who works as his legislative assistant, has owned the lakefront home since 2009, according to Harnett County property records. Sally Pike is listed as the sole owner. 

The state budget contains 727 earmarks but does not identify which lawmaker requested each one, including the two for the Carolina Lakes Property Owners’ Association. 

Private comments credit Pike 

After a member of the association’s private Facebook group shared Carolina Journal’s initial story, numerous commenters credited Pike with helping secure the funding. 

Carolina Journal reviewed dozens of screenshots of the discussion provided by another member of the private group. 

“Thank you, Joe Pike, for going to bat for our community,” one group member wrote. “I love living here and appreciate that we have someone that fights to get some of our tax dollars spent inside of our community.” 

“Thanks Joe Pike, way to represent!” another member wrote. 

A third member thanked Pike and the association’s board. 

“I think it’s amazing that we have so many caring volunteers that do the absolute best they can AND a politician that also works tirelessly,” the member wrote. 

The comments do not explain specifically what Pike did to help obtain the appropriations or how the group members learned of his involvement. 

Carolina Journal asked Pike whether he requested, recommended, supported, or otherwise helped secure either appropriation. Pike did not respond to multiple calls and emails seeking comment. 

Comments describe proposed projects 

Several group members said the appropriation for “emergency services needs” would help pay for an automated gate at one entrance to provide emergency vehicles with quicker access. 

Members also said the funding would be used to repair a shelter at the community’s marina that had been closed because of “safety hazards.” 

The association’s website says its shelter can be rented for $60, plus a $100 deposit. 

The association has not publicly confirmed the proposed projects, and the state budget does not provide additional details about them. 

Carolina Journal previously asked the association’s property manager why the association requested the funding, how it plans to spend it, and which lawmakers helped secure it. She forwarded the questions to the association board, which declined to comment. 

Members question public funding 

Other group members questioned why their private neighborhood should receive public funding. 

“There is no reason normal taxpayers of the state should be providing tax revenue to gated communities,” one member wrote. 

“Since a state representative lives in our neighborhood, does receiving a $300,000 state appropriation create the appearance of a conflict of interest?” another member wrote. 

A third member argued that the appropriation could set a precedent for taxpayer funding of homeowners’ associations across the state. 

One member linked the state funding to previous unsuccessful attempts to raise association dues. 

“There is the option to refuse the grant and increase the dues to help maintain the community’s aging amenities,” the member wrote. “Oh wait! They tried that … epic fail.” 

Residents pay roughly $900 annually in dues, according to recent Zillow listings. 

One board member, who is the association’s roads committee chair, pushed back against criticism. 

“We’re all taxpayers in NC,” the board member wrote, arguing that it would be nice for residents to receive some state funding for their community. He told critics to stop their “complaining and negative assumptions.” 

State lawmakers returned to Raleigh today for the first time since they passed the budget. They could revise or rescind budget provisions, including the special appropriations for the Carolina Lakes Property Owners’ Association, through a budget technical corrections bill. 

“EXCLUSIVE: Private posts credit NC lawmaker with securing $300K for gated community where he lives ” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.