Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Burke County manager proposes $116.2 million budget for 2025–26; public hearing set for June 16
Summary
County manager released a recommended $116.2 million general fund budget (2.8% growth), recommended a tax rate of 55.5 cents, and the board voted 5-0 to acknowledge receipt and set a June 16 public hearing.
Burke County Manager (Mister Mander) presented a recommended general-fund budget for fiscal year 2025–26 totaling about $116,200,000, a 2.8% increase over the current year, and proposed a recommended property-tax rate of 55.5 cents. The commissioners acknowledged receipt of the manager’s recommendation and unanimously set a public hearing for 6 p.m. Monday, June 16; both motions passed 5-0.
The manager and staff framed the budget as “capitalizing on prior-year investments” and emphasized priorities the board identified at a March strategic planning session: public safety, housing and economic development, education and community partnerships, and fiscal stewardship. The manager described the budget as balanced and recession-ready and highlighted continued commitments to the capital improvement plan and the public-safety strategic plan.
Key figures and proposals presented in the meeting packet and staff remarks include: - Total recommended revenue: about $116.2 million (+2.8%). - Recommended tax rate: 55.5¢ (presentation recommended to the board for public hearing). - Revenue dependency on property tax: ~53% of total revenue. - EMS-billing collections budgeted around $6.1 million in total collections for next year. - Property-tax base growth projected at about 1.96% (added value ≈ $212 million; revenue change ≈ $600,000). - Recommended 2.25% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for employees plus performance pay and continued benefit investments; employee health-insurance employer contribution budgeted to increase (presented as a ~6% insurance renewal for the county plan). - A proposed increase in the municipal household solid-waste fee from $88 to $92 (driven by vendor rate increases) and a proposed increase in the county water/sewer flat-fee from $25 to $30 per month.
The manager also reviewed fiscal metrics (fund-balance policy goal of 25%), capital projects in design or construction (including EMS headquarters, animal services building, and courthouse improvements), and continuing work on water/sewer expansion and housing studies. He said the budget book will be posted online and distributed at public locations ahead of the June 16 hearing.
Next steps: the board set the public hearing for June 16 at 6 p.m. and directed staff to publish the recommended budget and materials; subsequent budget work sessions and formal adoption will follow the public hearing period.
