Interim manager proposes targeted 6¢ property tax increase, deep cuts and $1.3M fund‑balance use in Sampson County budget

Interim County Manager delivered the fiscal 2026 proposed budget to the Sampson County Board of Commissioners, asking the board to adopt a package of cuts, fee increases and a targeted 6¢ increase in the county property tax rate to address recurring revenue shortfalls and capital needs.

The manager said the goal of the proposal is to bring recurring revenues and recurring expenditures closer into balance and to reduce reliance on savings: "The budget is a policy," he said, and later emphasized that budget communications must "convey the truth." He presented a plan that lowers the proposed use of fund balance from $11,800,000 used in FY2025 to $1,300,000 for FY2026.

The nut graf: The package combines $82.0 million in total recommended spending after cuts and reallocations (about $79.9 million for operations), the proposed 6¢ property tax increase (raising the countywide rate from 62.5¢ to 68.5¢), targeted capital contributions and program changes intended to preserve public safety and increase education funding while avoiding recurring use of savings at prior levels.

Under the proposal the 6¢ tax increase is earmarked as follows: 2¢ for K–12 operating support to move Sampson County Schools toward the top 100 county school funding ranks; 2¢ to support public safety (including a plan to purchase two replacement ambulances annually and to buy 13 sheriff patrol vehicles this year); 1¢ to a Public Education Capital Fund to repair and maintain school buildings (the presentation cited a $1 million allocation for a Sampson Middle School roof); and one half‑cent to a county building capital fund for county facility repairs and maintenance.

The manager described extensive cuts and reallocations that produced the smaller budget number. Department heads were required to lead initial budget reductions, and the manager…