Lenoir County Manager Michael S. James has presented the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Recommended Budget to Chairman Linda Rouse-Sutton and the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners. The budget aligns with the county’s Strategic Plan, focusing on improving operations, addressing challenges, making strategic investments, and maintaining financial stability.

The budget follows a Zero-Based Budgeting model, ensuring that all requests are evaluated against previous results and current expectations to optimize the allocation of resources.

Key Highlights:

• Compensation Increases: 10% for public safety personnel and 7.5% for general employees over the biennium.

• Education Funding: 5% increases for Lenoir County Public Schools, Lenoir Community College, and the Neuse Regional Library System.

• New Positions: Four telecommunicators, one LCSO SRO-Dare Officer, one processing assistant in public health, and a reinstated facilities maintenance position.

• Programs and Fees: Expanded certification pay, telework programs, increased planning and inspection fees, and landfill tipping fees.

• Strategic Plan Goals: Economic development, public safety, county services, and leadership and governance.

The budget maintains the current tax rate of $.845 per $100 assessed value, projecting a 3.9% increase in the County's Total Assessed Tax Value to $4.76 billion. This is the largest increase since James took office, attributed to the efficiency of the Tax Administration Office and development growth.

Revenue Projections:

• Ad Valorem Tax Revenue: Estimated at $40,399,140, a 2.73% increase from the previous year.

• Local Option Sales Tax: Expected to collect $12,164,485, reflecting a cautious 1.2% increase.

Fund Balance and Debt Service:

• Fund Balance: A recommended appropriation of $1,704,230, increasing the fund balance to $25,848,521, or 32% of the budget.

• Debt Service: Payments for FY 2024-2025 total $5,589,170, a 2.7% decrease.

Public Education:

• Lenoir County Public Schools: Recommended appropriation of $10,395,000, a $495,000 increase.

• Lenoir Community College: Recommended appropriation of $2,796,135, with $50,000 allocated for capital funding.

The General Fund budget is proposed at $80,561,355, with total funding of $96,678,121, including Special Revenue Funds. The budget addresses increased public sector compensation and pandemic-induced inflation without raising the tax rate.

Operational Costs and Planning:

• Landfill Tipping Fees: Increased to cover rising operational costs and state-assessed fees.

• Fire Service Districts: Requests for tax increases from Volunteer Fire Departments are tabled until FY 2026 for reassessment.

Future Considerations:

The budget emphasizes the need for competitive salaries to attract and retain talent and highlights the importance of maintaining a stable tax rate while utilizing grant sources for capital expenditures. The budget aims to reflect the Board's priorities and ensure the county’s financial flexibility to handle inflationary pressures.

The Lenoir County Board of Commissioners are holding their public hearing on the budget at their June 17th meeting at 4:00 pm. According to the agenda, the vote on the budget will also be held on June 17th.