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Burke County manager outlines year‑end budget amendments, school central office transfer
Summary
Burke County Manager Brian Manning outlined a proposed fiscal‑year 2024‑25 year‑end budget amendment that reallocates grant and capital funds and asked the county to hold $10 million in escrow for the Burke County School System’s new central office.
Burke County Manager Brian Manning outlined a proposed fiscal‑year 2024‑25 year‑end budget amendment and a separate project ordinance to hold $10 million for the Burke County School System’s new central office.
Manning told the Board of Commissioners the amendment is mainly housekeeping to close the fiscal year and does not require new appropriations. It reallocates previously budgeted grant and capital funds, withdraws the county from a $2.4 million federal FEMA BRIC grant for the Indian Hills pump station, reallocates about $1.1 million that had been planned as the county match, and applies remaining state ARPA dollars to additional water‑sewer capital. He also said the county will record an estimated $2 million increase in its disaster‑recovery fund to cover lingering FEMA debris‑collection invoices as the county closes out its portion of the recovery process.
Manning said the Eastbrook convenience site and the 201 Avery renovation projects both finished under budget, creating residual equity the county plans to return to general capital (about $179,000 for Eastbrook and about $65,009 for 201 Avery, per Manning). He also said the Clean Water Trust Fund dollars previously used to support the water‑meter project will be reallocated in the amendment.
Separately, Manning described a requested project ordinance from the school system. The school system has acquired the former Burke County Christian Ministries building and has drawn down approximately $1.5 million for design and acquisition. The board was told the school system estimates about $10 million in remaining construction costs (about an $11.5 million total project cost) and asked the county to transfer $10 million from the school system’s capital reserve into a county‑held escrow so the county can pay approved invoices to the contractor as submitted. Manning said those school capital funds are cash on hand built with sales tax and would remain with the county until invoices are approved.
No final action was taken on the budget amendment or the school project ordinance at the pre‑agenda meeting; staff said both items will appear on the regular meeting agenda for formal consideration and vote.
