Halifax County commissioners on Monday approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year on a 5-1 vote.
Commissioner Thomas Barrett was the holdout and, in a statement sent following the meeting, said, “I believe that county staff proposed and my fellow commissioners approved a good budget for Halifax County tonight. This budget provides required county services, gives county employees a strong pay increase, and does not raise the county tax rate.”
He said, however, “My opposition was because I feel we could have done better. This budget spends approximately $1.6 million of capital reserve fund resources on one-time expenditures. In my opinion, the budget had the flexibility to provide county services, offer a fair pay increase to county employees, and do so without tapping into our reserve fund. I made a commitment when I decided to seek this position that I would stand up for what I thought was best for the citizens of Halifax County, even if I did so alone. My vote tonight has no hidden agendas or political posturing; it is just what I thought was the right thing to do.”
County Manager Dia Denton told the board there were no changes to the financial plan following a June 1 public hearing. “Our tax rate will remain stable at 70 cents per $100 valuation, which I think is probably the most important thing that you want me to say tonight — that there is no tax increase.”
Commissioner Gary Redding made the motion to approve the budget, and Sammy Webb cast the second motion.
Chairman Vernon Bryant thanked Denton and her staff for the work done on preparing the budget. “We’re one of the few counties in North Carolina, including municipalities, that have not had a tax increase in a while. That just doesn’t start today or this year. You have to be consistent with that and you have to make good decisions; your board’s got to make good decisions, your staff has got to make good decisions. There’s a lot of players in this thing. It’s more than just this board and Ms. Denton.”
Bryant said the board has to be good stewards over taxpayer dollars. “We just have to think about that all the time. We’re getting ready to embark on a new detention center that we’re going to have to build. There’s no doubt about that — whether it’s here in Halifax or somewhere else — it’s going to happen.” He said the board is trying to do the best it can. “I’ve been on this board 16 years, and I can only think of one time since I’ve been on the board that we’ve had a tax increase.”
Bryant said he and Denton will be on the Maverick 102.3 Talk Show Wednesday morning at 7:30 and then on WCBT on June 24 at 6 p.m. to discuss the budget.
The proposed $64,806,460 budget, which goes into effect July 1, maintains a tax rate of 70 cents per $100 of assessed value and carries a fund balance of $56,116,285.
The unassigned fund balance is $23,810,355, which can be used for additional non-recurring needs or to respond to emergencies and disasters. This proposal allocates $4,690,424 from the fund balance for the next fiscal year's approved capital expenditures for county departments. An additional $685,000 of the fund balance will cover the costs of one-time bonuses to full-time and eligible part-time employees.
