Alexander County proposes $60.3 million general fund budget, plans $5.03M draw from fund balance

Jennifer Herman, Alexander County finance director, presented the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 county budget at a public hearing May 2025, saying the general fund totals $60,327,132 and proposes keeping the property tax rate at 65 cents per $100 valuation.

The proposal reflects a 6.5% increase — roughly $3.7 million — over the adopted FY2024–25 budget, driven by inflationary cost pressures, critical service needs and targeted investments in infrastructure and personnel, Herman said. An initial projected shortfall of about $8.2 million was reduced through review and prioritization to a plan that would appropriate $5,033,000 of fund balance to balance the general fund.

The budget message explained key personnel and operating changes. The proposal includes a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for all county employees and additional pay increases targeted at most employees in the sheriff’s office, detention, 9‑1‑1 communications and EMS. New positions in the proposed budget include eight paramedics to form an additional EMS crew, a part‑time position in emergency management and a social worker for adult services, Herman said.

Major capital outlay items in the proposal total about $2,213,325; Herman itemized several of the largest: an ambulance with a power‑load stretcher for $324,000; four sheriff’s vehicles and equipment for $339,000; buildings and grounds improvements for $358,000; replacement 9‑1‑1 communications equipment for $142,325; three DSS vehicles for $120,000; a rubber‑tire loader for the landfill at $250,000; and replacement of two water lines in the water and sewer fund for $680,000.

The proposal also includes several user‑fee adjustments intended to stabilize enterprise funds. For EMS, the budget would increase billing fees by $50 across the board, implement a $50 public‑assist fee and raise the mileage reimbursement from $11 to $13 per mile. For solid waste, convenience‑site fees would change to $2 per 30‑gallon bag; landfill rates would increase by $5 per ton to $60 per ton for construction and demolition debris and $70 per ton for household, commercial and industrial waste.

Herman said most fire departments requested additional county funding or higher fire tax rates; the board’s proposal instead seeks to preserve current funding levels by adjusting fire district property tax rates as needed and shifting cost to the fire districts’ tax bases. The budget message listed proposed rate changes by district; Herman noted the tax administrator and she expected minor rounding adjustments before rates are finalized.

Alexander County Schools initially requested $8,175,308 (a 9.1% increase) to cover items including the school nurse fund, NC Pre‑K and school resource officers and to replace low‑wealth supplemental funds. The county’s proposed appropriation to the school system is $8,078,040, an increase of $585,000 (7.8%) over FY2024–25, Herman said.

Herman also listed multi‑year projects and funding sources outside the general fund, including ARPA waterline extensions, the Bowman Court sewer pump station, the Bethlehem water tank project, Alexander Industrial Park shell building sewer extension and other water and downtown revitalization projects. Several projects rely on state and federal grants or dedicated enterprise revenue, she said.

Public commenters questioned access to budget documents and fire department funding. Resident Don Taylor asked whether the budget was available in advance; the chair and interim county manager Deborah Bechtel said the proposed budget had been presented in public on April 21 and was available in the clerk’s office per the published hearing notice. Ashley Starnes, who identified herself during public comment as representing a fire department, asked the board to reconsider funding for fire departments and said staffing and infrastructure needs are growing in Bethlehem and other areas.

No adoption vote on the FY2025–26 budget was taken at the hearing. The board held the hearing open, received public comment and indicated it expects to adopt a final budget at its June meeting. The board opened and closed the public hearing by unanimous voice votes.