Craven County adopts $160.9 million budget; board approves routine contracts and amendments

Craven County commissioners on Monday adopted a balanced fiscal year 2025–26 budget totaling $160,927,630 and approved a series of routine items, from legal services for tax foreclosures to budget amendments for facilities and social services.

The unanimous vote on the budget set county tax rates unchanged and adopted the budget ordinance that lays out revenues, fund accounts and fee schedules for the coming year. County officials said the document includes separate funds for fire departments, emergency telephone (911) operations, opioid settlement proceeds, school debt service and capital reserves.

The budget ordinance and subsequent votes were presented by the county manager and finance staff and passed on roll calls that showed all present commissioners in favor. The manager said the document is the culmination of a process that began in December and moved through development and public review in the spring.

In a single meeting the board also approved a number of other county actions: awarding a contract for tax-foreclosure legal services, increasing certain departmental on-call pay rates, authorizing several budget amendments (including a representative-payee fund and convention-center utilities), adopting a resolution specifying authorized uses of opioid-settlement funds, closing a completed capital project and funding the first phase of the Sudan property redevelopment project. The board made multiple reappointments and filled vacancies on advisory boards and commissions by nomination or acclamation.

Votes at a glance

- Budget ordinance (FY 2025–26): motion and second; roll call vote — Commissioners Hunt, Mitchell, Smith, Howard, Vice Chairman Jones and Chairman Bueker voted yes; outcome: approved (unanimous). The ordinance sets the county’s overall budget at $160,927,630 and retains the county tax rate at 0.4448 on the $15,000,000,000 valuation presented.

- Consent agenda (minutes, tax releases/refunds, facility & planning items): approved by roll call; outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Tax-foreclosure legal services: the board approved awarding tax-foreclosure legal services to Newborn & DeSims for an initial term the staff recommended as three years; motion and second, voice vote — outcome: approved.

- Representative payee fund budget amendment (Social Services): approved by roll call; outcome: approved (unanimous). The amendment adds an expenditure account to match increased representative-payee revenues managed on behalf of individuals receiving federal benefits.

- Convention Center utility budget amendment: approved by roll call; outcome: approved (unanimous). The manager and convention center manager said rising catering use and higher utility rates, plus a requirement to keep HVAC operating to protect the building, led to the request.

- Human Resources items: • Amendment to the personnel resolution to reflect a 5% health plan rate increase for retiree premiums (rates to be adjusted to FY25–26): motion and second; voice vote — outcome: approved. • Craven County Water on-call pay policy: on-call daily pay increased (Monday–Friday from $15 to $25; holidays to $40) with an effective date included in the FY25–26 budget — motion and second; voice vote — outcome: approved. • Opioid settlement spending resolution: the board adopted a resolution identifying specific strategies and amounts required by the state memorandum of agreement (MOA) for opioid settlement funds; the packet lists $127,272 for collaborative strategic planning, $200,000 for post-overdose response, $50,400 for recovery support services and $289,050 for recovery housing support — motion and second; voice vote — outcome: approved.

- Facilities and capital items: • Close Project Fund 416 (Garts Building) and transfer $67,301 back to the capital reserve: approved by roll call; outcome: approved (unanimous). Staff said the project finished under budget and early. • Sudan property redevelopment: authorized a project ordinance amendment and a related budget amendment in the amount of $292,813 for the initial preconstruction phase (approximately $195,000 for architectural/engineering and $97,813 for Barnhill preconstruction services including a 3D subsurface utility scan). The budget document shows the transfer steps twice for accounting purposes (totaling $585,006.26 on the paperwork); the board authorized the county manager to execute necessary agreements — approved by roll call; outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Appointments and reappointments: the board approved a number of appointments and reappointments to advisory boards and commissions (clean sweep committee, planning board, community college board of trustees, EMS advisory council, Firemen’s Relief Fund trustees, fire tax commissioners, juvenile crime prevention council, planning and zoning and board of adjustment alternates). Many were approved by nomination or acclamation; outcomes: approved.

What was said and next steps

County staff emphasized that some budget items (capital projects and special funds) are carried in separate accounts and that the schedule of fees is incorporated into the ordinance. Staff also noted the opioid resolution was drafted to meet the state MOA requirements that the board identify specific strategies and amounts for the settlement proceeds.

The manager said the tax rates remain the same and that July 1 procedures will move the tax levy into effect. Several commissioners thanked county staff for their work on the budget and budget-related items.

No item on the agenda that required a formal public hearing was postponed; the board moved through the agenda and adjourned at the end of the session.

For a record of the roll-call participants and the items approved, see the actions array and provenance attached to this article.