County projects roughly $8.8 million in ad valorem growth for education; UCPS requests $27.7 million increase

Union County budget staff told the county commissioners and the Union County Public Schools (UCPS) board on April 10 that the county’s ad valorem organic-growth estimate will add roughly $8.8 million to education funds and that sales-tax growth is currently projected at about 4 percent.

That projection came as UCPS officials presented a draft local operating and capital request for fiscal 2025–26 that would increase local funding by about $27.7 million and raise the district’s combined local operating and capital ask to about $177 million.

County budget director Jason May laid out the county’s approach to revenue in a revaluation year, saying staff average four years of ad valorem growth to estimate an “organic” growth rate and then use that to calculate the revenue-neutral tax rate later in the cycle. “We add that percentage … it’s a little bit under 4%,” May said. He said the county’s ad valorem organic increase would produce about $8.8 million for education overall, with roughly $8.6 million attributable to Union County Public Schools and charter schools and about $229,000 to South Piedmont Community College. May also said the education debt fund would see “just short of $700,000” in organic growth.

Nut graf: The joint meeting was a preview, not final adoption. County and UCPS officials emphasized the numbers are still being refined; county staff said they expect to present the county manager’s recommended budget to the clerk by the end of May, hold a public hearing in June and adopt the budget later that month.

Details of the county projection and UCPS request

Jason May warned that sales-tax forecasting is volatile. “Sales tax growth is far and away the most difficult…