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County manager proposes 3‑cent tax increase, solid-waste fee overhaul in FY2025–26 budget
Summary
The county manager presented a FY2025–26 budget that proposes a 3‑cent property tax increase to 61.5¢ per $100 of valuation, a 1.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for employees, a pay and classification study, and a plan to change how the solid‑waste fee is charged; a public hearing on the budget was scheduled for May 19 and work sessions were set.
The Caswell County manager presented the recommended FY2025–26 budget to the Board of Commissioners, proposing a 3‑cent property tax increase that would raise the rate to 61.5¢ per $100 of assessed value, a 1.5% cost‑of‑living adjustment for employees, and a pay and classification study to address workforce retention.
Manager remarks framed the proposal as a response to notable revenue declines and structural pressures: estimated reductions include about $300,000 in inmate fees as federal and state inmates were displaced by local inmates, a $724,000 reduction in appropriated fund balance use for public health, a roughly $374,000 drop in intergovernmental revenues (notably the end of COVID funding), and an expected $125,000 reduction in investment earnings as interest rates moderated. Transfers declined by about $580,000 primarily because one‑time ARP (American Rescue Plan) funds are no longer available to offset expenses.
To offset revenue shortfalls, the recommended spending plan realigns existing appropriations rather than substantially increasing overall spending. Salary and benefit changes total several hundred thousand dollars: salaries in the general fund rise by roughly $788,000 (more than half due to eliminating the previous vacancy allowance), benefits increase by about $264,000 with $140,000 from health insurance cost increases, and debt service rises by approximately $331,000 to fund ambulances, a UHF paging system replacement and vehicle replacements. The manager said the budget would absorb higher insurance costs without shifting them to employees.
The recommendation also proposes a major change to the county’s solid‑waste fee structure. The annual $125 fee would be kept in place but charged to all residents, including town residents and customers who use private haulers; town residents who already pay a town waste fee would receive a $60 credit (resulting in $65 net), businesses with on‑site disposal would receive a $60 reduction, and outside‑town residents served by private haulers would receive a $16 reduction. The manager said the change recognizes countywide costs such as closed‑landfill monitoring, recycling and code enforcement.
The budget includes $50,000 for a contract economic developer, funds for Pelham site due diligence (anticipating a possible Golden Leaf grant), and $48,000 for a land‑use development plan. The manager said a public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on May 19 at 6:30 p.m.; the board also approved revised budget work‑session dates (May 28, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and June 2, 1 p.m.–5 p.m.).
The manager described the county workforce as a key asset and said the budget aims to make the county competitive for retention and recruitment: “This is my budget. ... I would put Caswell County employees among the best that I have ever worked with,” the manager told the board, adding that the proposed pay study is intended to produce data for fair compensation decisions.
No budget adoption vote occurred at the meeting; the public hearing and subsequent work sessions will give commissioners additional opportunities to revise the proposal before a final vote. The manager invited follow‑up questions and offered to provide requested data before the next work session.
