McDowell County manager proposes 4.09% budget increase; property tax rate to remain unchanged

McDowell County Manager (identified in the meeting as Mr. Wooten/Mr. Woodman) on a May 2025 meeting presented a recommended FY2026 budget that increases county spending by 4.09% while recommending no change to the county property tax rate.

The presentation laid out priorities for the coming year — public safety, human services and education — and recommended a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees. The manager said the budget includes two full-time position additions and a total of six positions if two half-time requests are combined.

The recommended spending plan will be available for public inspection in the clerk’s office and a public hearing has been advertised for 11:30 a.m. on June 16; the manager noted the county may adopt the budget any time after the hearing but no later than June 30. “Every local government in North Carolina is required to prepare a budget for a balanced budget for your review and the public’s review before, technically, through June 1. It's the last day you can present it,” the county manager said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the manager framed the document as the board’s starting point for a budget that must balance service demands, state and federal mandates and available local revenue. He warned that some programs, notably social services and public health, are increasingly dependent on state and…