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Pender County budget proposal fails after commissioners seek to strip key items
Summary
Pender County commissioners did not adopt the proposed fiscal 2025-26 budget June 16 after a motion to approve an amended package failed following extended debate about employee pay increases, school funding and whether to delay some contested items for later review.
PENDER COUNTY, N.C. June 16, 2025 A motion to adopt Pender Countyf201s proposed fiscal 2025-26 budget, presented by county staff, failed after commissioners sought to remove several items and members declined to approve the amended package.
County finance staff presented a proposed budget that staff and the county manager said maintained the current ad valorem tax rate while increasing pay and reclassifications for many county employees. The package included a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all employees, a one-step salary increase for employees hired before July 1, 2024, and a number of position reclassifications. The draft also reflected planned capital and operating expenditures across general fund and enterprise funds.
The board spent more than two hours debating the plan. Commissioner Quentin Tate moved that the board approve the budget but remove several items from the adoption motion: JCPC (juvenile crime prevention council) funding, the proposed Pender EMS and Fire consolidation funding, and certain Parks and Recreation temporary wages. Commissioner Tate framed that amendment as a way to let the board review several contested items separately.
Opponents on the board expressed concern that adopting the package as amended would leave open key employee compensation and school funding issues. Commissioner Steven George and others argued the board should use available reserve funds or craft a nonrecurring bonus to address retention rather than adopt the stafff201s recurring pay plan. Commissioner George said, "We need to invest in our people," and urged the board to return with a revised plan. Several commissioners also said they wanted to see a signed interlocal agreement with Pender County Schools before finalizing school-related budget lines.
After the motion and a second, votes were taken but did not produce a majority in favor. At the close of the lengthy discussion the board did not adopt the budget that night. County staff told the board they would prepare a revised package and recommended meeting again before the legally required adoption deadline of June 30.
Why it matters: The county must adopt a balanced budget by state law by June 30. A failure to adopt by that date would force the board to hold a special meeting to approve an appropriation or else follow statutory procedures for temporary financing. The debate highlighted two persistent fiscal tensions in Pender County: how to raise pay and retain workers without increasing taxes, and how to allocate funds to schools while the board and school officials negotiate an interlocal arrangement.
What the board directed staff to do: Commissioners asked county staff to prepare a revised budget that (1) isolates the contested line items for separate consideration, (2) presents options for a one-time retention or recruitment payment that could be funded from available fund balance, and (3) provides the countyf201s legal guidance about timing and consequences if the board needs more time to vote.
Ending: The board scheduled follow-up work and asked the county manager and finance director to return with a revised package in advance of the June 30 deadline so the board could consider alternatives without rushing a final adoption.
