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Alamance County manager recommends 1.59¢ tax increase to avoid cuts; clarifies SRO pay, libraries and school funding figures
Summary
At a June public hearing, County Manager York defended a proposed 1.59¢ property tax increase intended to avert deeper cuts, detailed the cost impact on a median home and outlined how school resource officers and library services would be funded under the recommended budget.
Alamance County Manager York told the county commissioners and residents at a public hearing that the recommended budget includes a proposed tax-rate increase of 1.59¢ to avoid deeper service cuts and to preserve current service levels.
York said the 1.59¢ increase would add about $47.86 a year to the property tax bill of a median-valued home and that one penny on the tax rate generates roughly $2,600,000 in revenue. She emphasized the recommended budget "does not propose to close library branches, does not eliminate positions from nonmandated services," and that the board can still make adjustments after receiving the recommendation.
The recommended budget lists a $1,300,000 allocation for animal services and proposes shifting $10,000,000 into school capital projects while keeping most operational requests unchanged, York said. She also gave the school funding figures presented earlier: current county funding of $58,700,000 versus the school system's request of $78,500,000, a difference of $19,800,000 that she said would equate to about a 7.5¢ increase on the tax rate if fully funded.
York clarified how school resource officers (SROs) will be paid under the proposal: "The recommended budget will fund school resource officers from the sheriff's office directly rather than putting it through ABSS as a pass through," she said. She added the change affects only SROs provided by the sheriff's office and that municipal SROs remain a decision for the individual municipalities or ABSS to fund.
York presented a slide summarizing the recommended funding for the Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) and said county departments and the public will have further opportunities to review the budget before formal adoption. She noted the board's budget adoption is scheduled for the June 16 regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.
York also sought to correct misunderstandings raised in public comment and media coverage about proposed closures and cuts. "Hopefully, that will explain some of the misunderstandings," she said at one point while reviewing the package of potential cuts that were considered but not included in the recommended budget.
Why it matters: The manager's proposal frames the choices before the commissioners: accept the recommended increase to preserve current services and staff levels, or pursue larger cuts to operations and programs. The budget proposal directly affects operations in schools, public safety staffing, libraries and county services ahead of the June adoption vote.
Ending: The board heard public testimony later in the hearing and will consider changes during upcoming budget work sessions before taking a final vote on June 16.
