County of Vance issued the following announcement on June 6.
Last evening (June 6, 2022) the board of commissioners approved the FY22-23 Budget. Full highlights of the budget can be viewed by clicking HERE
In accordance with the North Carolina Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, I am pleased to submit for your consideration the proposed FY 2022-2023 Vance County Budget. North Carolina General Statute 159-13 requires that boards of county commissioners receive proposed budgets from the county budget officer no later than the first day of June, and to officially adopt budget ordinances no later than the first day of July each fiscal year. A public hearing to receive citizens’ comments on the proposed budget is recommended to be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 6, 2022.
Presented herein is the recommended Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Vance County Budget. The General Fund Budget, which includes all tax supported governmental activities, is proposed to be $54,976,166 which represents a 6% or $3,321,166 increase over the current year budget.
The budget provides sufficient funds to maintain the current level of county services while addressing the priorities and goals established by the commissioners for the coming year.
A summary of the budget highlights include the following:
The budget includes no increase in the general fund property tax rate (remains 89 cents per $100 in value) due primarily to more aggressive budgeting of revenues.
The budget includes no increases in the solid waste household fee ($120 per household), no increase in the fire tax rate (8.9 cents), and no increase in the water usage rate, while reducing the amount transferred from the general fund to cover water system debt service.
A total of $1,655,897 is appropriated from the general fund to balance the budget. This is $338,990 less than the current year budget. The general fund balance is projected to be 35% of expenditures by the end of FY22.
The property tax base is increasing $95 million from the prior year which along with an increased tax collection rate is providing nearly $1.1 million in additional property tax revenue.
The budget contains an aggressive increase in sales tax revenues following two consecutive years of major increases. Sales tax is projected to be $2.8 million over budget in the current fiscal year following a year where it was $3.6 million over budget. The increase in sales tax is essential for implementation of the salary study.
The budget supports county employees and prioritizes competitive pay, recruitment and retention by implementing the salary study. The county’s hiring rates are adjusted based on the market and employees’ salaries are adjusted within the salary range based on the market and years of service relative to the midpoint. Regular cost of living adjustments are essential going forward to remain in line with the market.
The budget addresses board goals for economic development by allocating funds for an economic development strategic plan and by making funds available within the economic development fund for construction of a shell building which will contribute to future jobs and investment in the county.
The budget prioritizes community health priorities, educational needs, and workforce development by providing $75,000 increases in operational funding for the Granville-Vance Health Department, Vance County Schools, and the Vance-Granville Community College.
The budget includes four new fulltime positions as well as eliminating one fulltime position and two part-time positions. Included in this is consolidating two part-time custodian positions into one new fulltime custodian position and creating three new fire engineer positions (one for each shift) for the fire department. The budget creates savings by consolidating the fire marshal position into the fire department and creating a fire inspector career ladder program.
The budget commits to major capital improvements for the community college and continues providing increased capital funds to Vance County Schools for completing safety/compliance measures, preventative maintenance and facility usage redesigns.
Original source can be found here.
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