RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina state government has spent roughly $2.5 million on Executive Mansion repairs during Gov. Roy Cooper’s tenure -- expenses that a state official said were needed for critical safety, security and other upkeep for the over 130-year-old building.
The Department of Administration, which maintains state-owned buildings, confirmed recently to North State Journal the total expenditures and associated costs on the governor's official residence since 2017.
The Raleigh mansion, which first opened in 1891 and is a state historic site, also functions as office and venue space in addition to providing housing for Cooper’s family on the second floor.
The building had water damage in the basement and walls and needed foundation repairs and brick restoration, along with repairs to 50-year-old plumbing, department deputy secretary Mark Edwards said.
“For several months, we had to close all the exterior porches because they were unsafe for people to walk on,” Edwards told WRAL-TV. The needed repairs, after years of tight budgets, caused delays for Cooper to reside in the mansion when he took office in early 2017.
The department declined to provide a line-item accounting of the expenses, with Edwards citing the special security measures for the building.
But he said everything performed was necessary — with no “creature comforts or cosmetic changes” for Cooper’s family -- and went through the required procurement process. Appropriations in state budgets have covered expenditures over the years.
