Commissioners lay groundwork for parks and rec department

Details: Lance Martin; News; 22 April 2025; 2602

User Rating: 4 / 5

Halifax County commissioners Monday set the groundwork for building a parks and recreation department.

The unanimous decision came during the board’s discussions on the upcoming 2025-2026 fiscal year budget.

In setting the stage for a countywide parks and recreation department the board opted to reduce the proposed 4 percent cost of living adjustment for employees to a 3 percent COLA. The funds freed up from reducing the COLA by 1 percent plus an extra $56,000 that was left after staff reviewed all unfinanced requirements would fund an initial two-person parks department with a starting budget of an estimated $258,000.

An initial proposal the board reviewed was an option to fund a parks and rec department with three employees with a $480,000 budget that would call for a 1-cent tax increase from 70 cents per $100 to 71 cents as was included in preliminary documents presented during the work session.

Commissioner Gary Redding, who has pushed for countywide recreation, said, “This would be the most fiscally responsible approach because we’re not going to build this operation overnight.This will help us gradually get there to the point we may have a $480,000 budget.”

County Manager Dia Denton said this morning she did not expect the bottom line of the proposed budget to change from the $60,020,653 she presented to the board.

Editor's note: Some of the graphics in the gallery do not reflect changes made during the meeting pertaining to parks and rec

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://rrspin.com/news/10357-commissioners-lay-groundwork-for-parks-and-rec-department.html#sigProId238200ab6d

Budget not final

While the board approved several facets of the budget Monday there are still several steps it must take before the final financial plan is adopted and put into action the first of July.

What the board did beyond setting up a parks and recreation department was the following:

Approve the school allotments for current expense and capital outlay.

Approve the taxing district rate requests.

Approved the ad valorem method for the distribution of local sales and use taxes.

Denton said the next step in the process will be to bring to the board a fully balanced budget and budget ordinance at the May 19 meeting.

Following that the proposed budget will lay on the table for at least 10 days at the clerk’s office and the county’s libraries and the public hearing will be held at the regular June meeting.

The budget would then be up for adoption on June 20.

Board Chair Vernon Bryant said he was pleased the initial discussions were able to be cleared on the first hurdle.

“It’s a massive team effort,” Denton said.

Bryant fund balance statement

In a prepared statement, Bryant commended the board for allowing the staff to do their jobs “so that the county can continue to offer a high level of services to the citizens.”

The years 2000 to 2001, he said, were the most financially strapped the county had seen in modern history. “This was partially due to the state's possible intentions to withhold Medicaid reimbursements and a much lower revenue on sales taxes,” he said. “Halifax County's Medicaid expenses increased 48 percent during (that fiscal year). (The) tax collection rate during that time frame was 94 percent. It got to the point the county manager at the time informed the board that they were to the point of cutting services, eliminating positions and freezing others, meaning that they could not be filled.”

Then there was the recession of 2008-2009 when the county had to roll back spending including furloughing staff in multiple departments. The tax collection rate at the time was 96.9 percent.

From 2016 to 2018, the total fund balance was still healthy but the unassigned fund balance dipped much lower due to the restrictions by the state increasing significantly.

“Please keep in mind,” he said, “That from time to time Halifax County will be given unfunded mandates from the federal or state governments and we must comply.”

From 2007 through 2009, county employees received no raises.

Hurricane Floyd in 1999 caused significant damage and the county spent over $500,000 as of December 1999.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 caused significant increases in gas prices, putting a strain on operating budgets.

“(The) fund balance is truly a rainy day fund and is there to provide support to counties in times of need; it could be a cash flow issue, a large taxpayer that cannot or will not pay, or a natural or man-made disaster," Bryant said. "State and federal help would likely come, but not immediately."

Despite the current economy being unpredictable, Bryant said, "(The) tax collection rate for 25-26 is estimated to be at 98 percent, which is a testament to the ability of the tax department, legal and sheriff's office to use all the tools available to collect funds owed to the county."

Said Bryant: "The commissioners understand that this does cause some discord among taxpayers, but it's legal, and allows the county to maintain efficient operations. The board is to be commended in allowing staff to do their jobs so that the county can continue to offer a high level of services to the citizens."