Snow Hill Board of Commissioners Special Called Meeting: Budget Workshop for 2025-2026
On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., the Snow Hill Board of Commissioners convened a special called meeting at G. Melvin Oliver Town Hall, located at 908 SE Second Street.
Town Manager April Vinson led the discussion, guiding the board through the numbers, projections, and proposals that would define Snow Hill’s fiscal landscape for the coming year.
Revenue Projections: Setting the Financial Foundation
Vinson opened with a detailed overview of the town’s revenue projections, laying the groundwork for the day’s deliberations. She highlighted a significant increase in ad valorem tax revenue, driven by recent housing developments.
“So there’s quite a bit of housing that has developed over the course of the last year and a half. So with that, your ad valorem tax is going up some; you are going to see that around $400,000,” she explained.
The total ad valorem tax was projected at $471,600, which included $71,000 from vehicle taxes, a figure Vinson confirmed after reviewing the breakdown of current and prior year taxes collected by Greene County.
She also outlined other revenue streams: a $20,000 sales tax refund, $500 from peddlers’ permits, and an estimated $98,054 from franchise taxes based on recent trends. “All I can do is kind of estimate based on the trend of what we’ve been getting, which should increase to $98,054,” she clarified.
Vinson proposed a 2.5% increase in the waste collection fee, equating to a $1 per household increase, which she said would cover costs and fund debris pickup and spring cleanup. “We ran numbers and determined that a $1 increase per household, per customer, is what would suffice to cover that extra cost, plus leave you the additional funds that you need to have for the debris pickup along with your spring cleanup,” she stated, ensuring the numbers aligned with the town’s operational needs.
Police Department Budget: A Deep Dive into Retention and Costs
The discussion then shifted to the police department, a primary focus of the workshop that drew significant attention. Vinson presented four budget scenarios, each addressing salary increases to tackle retention and competitiveness with neighboring jurisdictions.
“In last week’s meeting, I proposed to the board an 11.7% increase for the police department, which was proposed by Chief Smith regarding retention; to get officers to stay competitive with surrounding areas, and to attract new officers,” she said.
The options were meticulously detailed: an 11.7% increase ($308,115 in wages), a 7% increase ($299,037), a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) across all staff, including police ($285,998), and a 3% COLA without a School Resource Officer (SRO), reducing costs to $244,300.
Vinson emphasized the broader context, noting, “You’ll also see a couple of items down from that, the police grant, right there, is plugged in at $50,000 out of the grant that Chief Smith has been working on to try to get for the police department, which is for equipment, different things to stay up to date with the current technology, the different things that they need for their vehicles and themselves as officers.”
The SRO proposal ignited a thorough and passionate discussion. Vinson explained the financial burden the town was bearing: “Currently, the way the SRO is paid, they get paid strictly the salary. So, what that employee actually gets is what is being sent back from the Greene County Board of Education.” She revealed the town was covering an additional $20,334 for benefits, vehicles, gas, uniforms, and liability insurance—costs not offset by the school system. “When you’ve got retirement, FICA, hospital, dental, and their 401(k), that comes up to $20,334 that the town is covering for this officer, not including the vehicle, not including the gas, not including uniforms, not including the gun, none of the liability insurance, any of those things,” she elaborated,.
Chief Smith and Vinson had explored returning the SRO role to Greene County or a private contractor, such as Down East Protection Services or Allied Services. “This would eliminate having to keep someone on staff to just be strictly at the schools. It would also allow for our vehicles to come back into the fleet and not have to purchase another vehicle after the accident that happened in February,” Vinson announced.
“Is this a possibility of something that we can do if we did that route?” A board member asked. Vinson confirmed it was. Another board member quickly supported the idea, stating, “I think that’s a great idea. Secondly, I think that’s kind of a no-brainer. If it’s going to get rid of all that money we’re basically paying to put someone at the schools for the Board of Education, they have money also, but we’re the ones that are paying the extra money.”
Another member stated, “I can see that the school needs an SRO. However, I don’t think that we should have to pick up the bulk of that money. They do have money. They do get grants. So that’s a big chunk for us to have to pay for these folks.”
Chief Smith clarified that this proposal wouldn’t reduce road officers but would reallocate the position, ensuring the department’s staffing remained intact. “
Vinson provided additional context, saying, “Chief Smith and I just discussed this on Monday morning, so it was imperative that I try to run numbers to see how this option would even look moving forward. And I was really impressed with the numbers as they were coming through.”
“There are also options outside of the Sheriff’s office. Should the Sheriff’s office not want to take that responsibility? There are sworn personnel through private contractors. If the Board of Education chose to, they could also employ those people.”
The police budget included additional line items that Vinson detailed for transparency. A $7,000 line item was introduced for officers’ insurance cost-sharing, aligning them with other town employees. “The police department is the only department that does not have its share cost for insurance and that kind of thing,” Vinson noted, adding, “We’re in our group insurance, and so the group is the same rate for everybody, from your oldest employee to your youngest employee, they pay the exact same.”
A $2,000 line item supported the Shop with a Cop event, funded by community donations, which Vinson explained: “Whatever amount that they collect, whether that’s $2,000 or whether that’s $100, that’s the only amount of money that they would be allotted for their expense side. Chief Smith and them understand that, and they do pretty well at trying to get donations throughout the town.” A $50,000 capital outlay was tied to a grant for equipment upgrades, which Vinson had mentioned earlier as part of Chief Smith’s efforts to modernize the department.
Vinson and Chief Smith were also pursuing a COPS grant to offset salaries, with a phased funding model: 30% town contribution and 70% grant in year one, 50/50 in year two, 70% town and 30% grant in year three, and 100% town by year four. “The way that was looking was year one was a 30% cost to the agency, 70% that was grant, year four being about 100%,” Vinson explained, emphasizing its focus on salaries, not equipment. “If this would offset a salary, it would be tremendous and help with the areas that we’re obviously struggling and needing,” she emphasized. She also addressed the grant’s criteria, saying, “It does go by crime stats. I think that might be one part of it because it’s a report that they have to fill out about a crime.”
The total police budget under the four scenarios ranged from $600,010 (11.7% increase) to $474,300 (3% without SRO), highlighting the significant financial impact of the SRO decision.
Powell Bill: Investing in Street Maintenance
The conversation then turned to the Powell Bill, a state allocation for street maintenance, which Vinson described in detail. “The Powell Bill that you will see is $57,470.
You get them twice a year. You’ll get one, I think it’s October, and then you’ll get it again in December, roughly,” she explained. She elaborated on the allocation process: “Most times you’re allotted a certain amount of money based off the mileage for your streets, for your streets or your roads that you maintain, whether they are gravel or dirt. It doesn’t matter. There’s a percentage that is allotted for every mile that you have.” The town had recently verified its street mileage to ensure accurate funding, requiring annual reports to the state. Vinson noted a specific use for these funds: sidewalk repairs.
“It was discussed that our sidewalks are becoming dangerous, having safety issues for people walking on them, and becoming dilapidated. So in doing that, you guys, last year, made a decision that you’re going to put $25,000 aside every year to work on these sidewalks,” she said. This year’s focus was on West Greene Street, with plans to continue the repairs systematically. “We take that $25,000 that we did this past year, we do it this year, and next year, you have one street, and then you get another street. It’s better than not doing anything,” a board member added, emphasizing the slow but steady progress.
The Powell Bill also supported salaries for street maintenance staff, who handle tasks like grass cutting and keeping streets clean. Vinson pointed out, “This is basically, you know, people that are cutting your grass, keeping your streets clean, all that kind of stuff at that point.”
“The goal is to come right back on the other side of that road to handle the sidewalk in that area,” she said, reflecting on last year’s efforts to maximize repairs cost-effectively.
Administrative Costs: Maintaining Stability
Vinson then moved to the general fund’s administrative costs, which remained consistent across all four budget scenarios at $58,360, covering the governing body’s legal and insurance expenses. Administrative salaries and benefits were unchanged, but Vinson noted increased costs for supplies and materials due to rising prices, adjusting the budget by $1,000.
“Everything’s costed more. So, going to that line item needs more attention,” she said. The town also faced a $22,000 tax collection fee from Greene County, and $11,000 was budgeted for election costs, as 2025 was an election year.
Fire Department and Streets: Essential Services
The fire department contract with Snow Hill Fire Department was based on ad valorem tax calculations, totaling $114,042. Vinson explained, “This is based on ad valorem tax with the calculation that’s done.”
The utility fund covered a wide range of expenses, including $42,000 for utilities and significant repair costs for aging equipment like the town’s backhoe, which Vinson described as a “huge issue” due to its use across multiple departments. “Your backhoe is used in more than just streets, sanitation and cemetery. It’s also used for water and for sewer,” she said, noting the need for a potential replacement.
Sanitation and Cemetery: Operational Challenges
Sanitation expenses included part-time salaries and a contract with GFL for waste collection, limited to a 2.5% increase due to a well-negotiated contract.
“They were actually proposing a five, but because of the way our contract was set up, they cannot take it’s more than two and a half,” Vinson said, giving credit to past administrators.
The cemetery fund operated on a tight budget, with $27,047 in revenue from grave openings and sales, but Vinson warned of future challenges: “Your graveyard is filling up, you’ll have fewer spaces that you can sell. I don’t foresee that happening this year, but the next couple of years down the road, you’re going to start seeing that number decrease.”
Parks and Recreation: Planning for the Splash Pad
The parks and recreation fund, a newer addition, focused on the upcoming splash pad project. Vinson sought guidance on whether to charge for access, which would require staffing. “Are we charging for the splash pad? If we’re charging, that means I’ve got to have a staff person like a high school student and an older person who’s maybe retired, needs an extra little bit of money that can sit out there and collect the money,”
She had budgeted for this under contracted services, but noted, “On the revenue side, I have not allotted any money for revenue coming in as a paid customer. That is something that I will need you guys to think about.”
Safety concerns were raised, with a board member suggesting wristbands and cameras to manage access and prevent vandalism. “We need a good camera system, make sure they don’t destroy what we have.”
The fund also included $200,000 in appropriated fund balance—$100,000 for the splash pad and $100,000 from pickleball donations—plus $99,196 for drainage repairs, a critical issue Vinson was addressing with potential county assistance.
Water and Sewer Fund: Addressing Infrastructure Needs
The water and sewer fund faced its own challenges, with a $103,160 debt service increase due to a lead pipe project. Vinson also highlighted a $30,000 increase for building repairs, as the town was purchasing a facility from the agency board for Public Works. “This is to make the changes and the updates that need to happen to get the facility ready for Public Works to take it over,” she explained.
She was also working on a rate study through grants, which could lead to future adjustments. “You will be getting a report for a rate study, giving you all of the information,” she said, emphasizing the need to keep operations in-house to save costs.
Fiscal Responsibility and Future Steps
Throughout the meeting, Vinson stressed fiscal responsibility, cautioning against overusing the fund balance. “Understand that there are times that you are going to need to use fund balance for certain projects, but it is not intended to use the fill gaps every single year,” she advised.
The workshop concluded with a call for further discussion, particularly on the splash pad and nonprofit allocations, which Vinson proposed reducing from $10,000 to zero due to a lack of applications.
The meeting was a marathon of numbers and decisions, reflecting Snow Hill’s commitment to balancing community needs with fiscal prudence, all under Vinson’s meticulous leadership.
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