[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6566971,"mediaKeyId","3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b","parentId",3199731,"title","Dare County manager unveils $242.9 million recommended budget for FY26; no property tax increase proposed","audioSeconds",586,"startMs",8504000,"endMs",9090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b&start=8504&end=9090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b/thumbnail_8504000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6566971/Dare-County/North-Carolina/Dare-County-manager-unveils-2429-million-recommended-budget-for-FY26-no-property-tax-increase-proposed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566971-47565cb7dfdde7a7755de2da1a9dc23b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162698&Signature=FV2nFo5zlfol9aIpwHCQ-T4-a9KXd7G4FjrNLZLN~FYxA~KKhKQJETLKOOsLvDDiH81d-58jBIqC1RWy7dKMZaMsyFr1tnS0vKqsxsJLvHIeY7IoY9Jt0~8f4WhLRJolYG16VLZ-gotKhbOAkvuqTmvwtdDGUwA6tmZ2-gu3TPQxSnp5KMdLrTkeaZncYOIg3mK7mzSQ8iKbasQLewqfGtoEiyg9dbFvluXYER7SOis0tFzhdVug6p1r-Uo30tCoB2oaRcazki8ena1q02tsPBKKffJN-Kd1SV4nOajkcMpFraOi3MhOvPYHArP-NxYOiW-iMKmIthyHKF1xh96fag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Dare County","date","2025-05-06T16:18:31Z","article","Dare County’s proposed fiscal 2026 operating and capital plan totals $242,865,850, County Manager and finance staff told the Board of Commissioners on May 5. The recommendation includes a general fund budget of approximately $143.0 million, continued support for school operating and capital needs, and no increase in the county’s general property tax rate.

The manager recommended a revenue-neutral tax rate of 26.32 cents per $100 of assessed value for FY26 (the county’s previously adopted rate was higher because of a recent revaluation). The recommended budget finances a notable increase for Dare County Schools—local current expense and related school support rise under the board’s funding formula—and includes a 3% cost-of-living increase for eligible full-time county employees and a 50-cent hourly increase for part-time staff. The plan also anticipates a series of contract and rate increases (pension/retirement, utilities, insurance, Motorola communications, and others) and modest position changes: two full-time positions added, four part-time added and four full-time positions eliminated or reclassified.

Because expenditures outpaced projected recurring revenues, staff balanced the FY26 plan partly by using appropriated fund balance and a transfer from the Community Development/Housing fund; the manager said that approach avoids a property-tax increase this year but will require careful attention to recurring-revenue capacity in later years. Staff noted the county’s consolidated fund balance remained strong at the end of FY24 and that the FY25 year-end projection includes a positive balance that allowed the board to use a portion of one-time resources this year. The county also preserved the county health insurance plan with no projected increase in FY26.

Capital planning: the recommended budget treats capital-investment funding separately and will bring a capital improvement plan (CIP) and a capital-investment fund schedule to the board for final adoption at the June meeting. The manager noted the CIP work is underway and that the capital-investment fund’s general-fund contribution for FY26 is proposed at $9,825,000. The recommended sanitation and water rates follow previously adopted models: the sanitation rate increases are part of a multi-year plan; the water fund model includes a roughly 4.5% rate increase to replenish the extension/replacement fund after the emergency Roanoke Island water main replacement.

Board action: commissioners voted to set the public hearing on the recommended FY26 budget for the June meeting (revised to June 9), the step required before a final adoption typically at the June meeting once public input and any final adjustments are made. Commissioners discussed long-term debt capacity for schools and the impact of multi-year decisions on future budget flexibility; staff noted that while one-time fund balance can cover near-term gaps, recurring expenses will require revenue decisions in later years if expenditure pressures persist.

The recommended budget document and supporting materials will be published for public review ahead of the June public hearing and the manager said staff will present the CIP and any outstanding capital items at that meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 5, 2025 Dare County Board of Commissioners Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Dare County Manager presented a recommended $242.9 million budget for fiscal year 2026 on May 5 that holds the county’s property tax rate flat and funds higher local support for schools while using one-time fund balance to avoid a tax increase this year.","taxTitle","Dare County, North Carolina","taxId",71389,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6566976,"Board approves construction contract for Dare Early College and schedules public hearing on limited-obligation bonds",173,6065000,6238000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b&start=6065&end=6238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b/thumbnail_6065000.jpg","/articles/6566976/Dare-County/North-Carolina/Board-approves-construction-contract-for-Dare-Early-College-and-schedules-public-hearing-on-limited-obligation-bonds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566976-8da1cf04f0e1a42ad5baa99a48fb3a5a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162698&Signature=K~L0ei~i0G~vsopiNyaA9hcd8lzxS1mB0xq1iZfkk~PY1-BAqGmAVIbf9HEwXj8i4bUPHpB2CzokPSZtNbcEivb0hFuDzItEhZdAqfFDttMEN5duWjBe0ILBgPecLD140KiiyGVmdThK5WsnxmHNkcRiyxwBWTxsm3-cAI52r3iYwhPzvuyzZrLxt2O8G4gy0~U0WC~xeHL~nqQIvqtyN2KmdFgEJ~VdTQpl8nsMNSa6fVE66DRmuP62SgFD3DzLkCGPN-etQXrCj2cod~U92lHpYnj~kTfId6kXko5vyI~svvtBrV8B-KobVXZ8DS48aJvnuK3vW4cBBbWecSMUGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dare County Board of Commissioners on May 5 approved a guaranteed maximum price construction contract for the new Dare Early College campus and set a public hearing in June for limited-obligation bonds the county will use to finance the project.

At a March 13 bid opening the early college construction contract base came in at $21,100,676 for the construction portion; county staff presented an all-in project budget in the meeting packet that accounted for additional costs beyond construction. County finance staff said the full project budget—the total of construction, soft costs, contingency and other project expenses—was included in the project ordinance presented to the board.

The board voted to adopt the capital project ordinance, approve the GMP contract and authorize the county manager to sign. They also agreed to call a public hearing for the proposed Series 2025A limited-obligation bonds to finance the project; the board set that hearing for the June meeting date and asked bond counsel to proceed with the timetable needed to meet Local Government Commission review deadlines.

Public comment included concerns about financing. Local resident Charles Parker asked the board to pause the bond process and raised questions about the project’s reliance on continuing state lottery or recurring funding, and whether the county should delay issuing bonds until state and federal fiscal conditions clarified. County and finance staff explained the school financing model, the sources planned for debt service and the county’s remaining debt capacity for school projects. County staff and the county’s financial advisers told the board the school capital plan retains capacity for the early college debt and that financing assumptions were conservative. The board approved the construction contract and the plan to seek bond approval following a public hearing.

The early college project will expand postsecondary access in Dare County; board members asked staff to provide full documentation at the June bond hearing and to include capital-improvement plan details in the final budget package.","Commissioners approved the early college guaranteed maximum price (GMP) construction contract and set a public hearing for June on limited-obligation bonds that will finance the project, while a public commenter urged caution over long-term revenue assumptions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6566981,"Dare County delays vote on Buxton 'zone of influence' zoning rule after heated public hearing",3265,1782000,5047000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b&start=1782&end=5047","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b/thumbnail_1782000.jpg","/articles/6566981/Dare-County/North-Carolina/Dare-County-delays-vote-on-Buxton-zone-of-influence-zoning-rule-after-heated-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566981-98317abb8e1024998ad922bcdf859d7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162698&Signature=KR7y77YUHql6aLEY-Sp-MUREClQwUh-9Nd8jNulWe~ADS7bSZ4v3C9wx0eLmauYZHpGDGXmosEziH7UFVaIXkKA8pdISL3EJAS3JYp5MBIU9DtztMj3GjLS1DITdlJihi12ANVQ7F~xiOecoj-CdWzxNudnWhQn~70L0~fqaxhtCYUzfSqE1c3Zg0LQbx4kwe5fFul52m4gc~mWQ6QCzdgBXtl9ztWO-FuOa6i6mPLVf~mLeRY1OiAPc3KP3R1rsZFPtX5I73UlOxs-bkxViDH2tzUwtzeiD2RfYcIJ2lGmV6R65qWuUOJO1DWh2GazIgrOlNSw8Rr6dTbKwHe7jJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dare County Board of Commissioners on May 5 voted unanimously to table action for 90 days on a proposed zoning text amendment that would remove a 1988 “zone of influence” restriction affecting lands north of Buxton Woods.

Planning Director Noah Gillum told the board that OBX Timber Trail LLC seeks removal of language that limits multifamily development to three units per acre and places vegetation-removal limits on lands within a half-mile buffer of the SED 1 Special Environmental District. Gillum said the provision was added to the county’s SED ordinance in 1988 and has applied only to multifamily development outside the SED 1 district boundary.

The amendment prompted more than two hours of public comment from Buxton and Hatteras Island residents, civic leaders and environmental attorneys who argued both that the restriction as written has not been clearly indexed or enforced and that removing the language could allow higher-density development and increase risks to the maritime forest, local water resources and evacuation capacity. Dirk Carter of the Southern Environmental Law Center described Buxton Woods as \"the largest maritime forest on the Atlantic Coast\" and urged that the commission deny or further study the change. Several speakers, including members of the Buxton Civic Association, asked the board to delay any change and to convene a study or advisory group.

County attorney and outside counsel outlined legal complications: the 1988 language was placed at the end of the SED ordinance and not indexed on the county zoning map, they said, which raises enforceability questions. Counsel also warned that a 2024 state law restricting local governments’ ability to downzone property could make it difficult to reimpose any restriction later: a properly codified text amendment that made the 1988 restriction enforceable today could be considered a downzoning that triggers the new statute’s property-owner consent requirement.

Planning board members and county staff said the county has in recent decades permitted uses in Buxton and Frisco at intensities higher than the 1988 text would allow; several engineers and developers told the board they had no practical way to discover the overlay because it was not indexed or mapped. Others urged preserving the vegetation-removal language and the multifamily cap as protection for groundwater recharge, wetland and dune stability, and island evacuation capacity.

After hearing the public and lengthy legal and technical discussion, the board voted to table the amendment for 90 days and directed staff to obtain a formal written legal opinion. The motion to table was made by the chairman and seconded by the vice chairman; the motion passed unanimously.

The commission’s action pauses any change to the ordinance while the county and community groups consider options, including whether to pursue a mapped, enforceable overlay, seek legislative relief from the state downzoning law, or develop local planning measures that protect Buxton Woods while addressing property-owner concerns.

The item returns to the board after the requested legal opinion and the county’s follow-up community engagement. In the meantime, staff said current SED 1 district protections remain unchanged and continue to apply within the core SED boundary; the disputed “zone of influence” language applies to lands outside that SED 1 boundary and specifically to multifamily structures.","The Board of Commissioners paused consideration of a text amendment that would remove a 1988 \"zone of influence\" restriction near Buxton Woods after a lengthy public hearing that included legal, planning and community testimony. The board voted unanimously to table the matter for 90 days and seek formal legal review.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6566970,"Board approves $383,700 opioid-settlement spending plan for FY26, funds peer support and treatment services",564,6561000,7125000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b&start=6561&end=7125","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199731-b16d3afaeb13f66158b868450480e71b/thumbnail_6561000.jpg","/articles/6566970/Dare-County/North-Carolina/Board-approves-383700-opioid-settlement-spending-plan-for-FY26-funds-peer-support-and-treatment-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566970-0e709c12a07d2e7e64b81047aed95413/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162698&Signature=JqhjkgPq1q0a8~lPLdkdG2KbFj73ypq2jbVOCNk-NBvdrcih3GpXqEyk~sxnqR0sBWiYm-MMg4yxpjy4iHKQzyKaaa0bDEm1986RJlJqcQCLCNkyzFpS1XQlpKQqVROr1EQ8FkRWP3gscWhAb4lgLmDaDTMDt78gfkaLH~egpgT7zEGYYRJMWTlPbSFCmH6gm8nz6JpalelmrEG23dPPryhgqtgQmsifQBGofGuI3dSHkSqUciUy3zjGhnxRHf-0I6vL7fmdx6p4ismW~LjWhvTFCgb55A0ADj5ER1Nas0JHvRBERoHBb0f9W8csI5RKS7OhQk7GronIDFfYgBBM1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dare County commissioners on May 5 approved a proposed $383,700 allocation of opioid-settlement (Saving Lives Task Force) funds for fiscal 2026, supporting treatment, peer support, naloxone distribution, social-determinant services and jail-based programs.

Task force co-chairs presented a funding plan informed by a community survey of 368 respondents. The recommended FY26 package includes recurring support for a peer-support specialist and a recovery-court coordinator (positions the task force has previously funded), naloxone and test-strip supplies for community distribution, transportation and other social-determinant assistance for people seeking treatment, funding for jail-based substance-use services and support for local treatment providers including Changing Tides.

Saving Lives Task Force members and staff described high public support in the survey for substance-use treatment and aftercare (93% of respondents identified this as a good use of funds) and for related supports such as social determinants of health and peer support. The board discussed the recommendations and the recognition that settlement funds will not cover every local need; the task force said it would continue outreach and distribution work and invited continued public involvement.

The board voted unanimously to approve the FY26 allocations and asked staff to prepare the formal resolution and budget amendments for June. The task force co-chairs said they would continue to monitor inventory streams for naloxone and would coordinate with state deliveries to minimize redundant purchases.

Approved items included recurring allocations for peer support and recovery-court coordination, direct purchases of naloxone/test strips, social-determinant assistance funds and a contribution to local treatment providers and jail services. The board and task force emphasized that community input guided the plan and that the county will continue to publish performance updates.","The board approved the Saving Lives Task Force’s recommended FY26 distribution of opioid-settlement funds, including continuing peer-support and recovery-court positions, naloxone/test-strip supplies, and support for detention-center services, after the task force reported public survey input.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Dare County manager unveils $242.9 million recommended budget for FY26; no property tax increase proposed

Board approves construction contract for Dare Early College and schedules public hearing on limited-obligation bonds

Dare County delays vote on Buxton 'zone of influence' zoning rule after heated public hearing

Board approves $383,700 opioid-settlement spending plan for FY26, funds peer support and treatment services