Sampson County manager proposes targeted 6¢ tax increase to shore up schools, ambulances and county buildings

Interim County Manager presented a proposed fiscal year 2026 budget to the Sampson County Board of Commissioners that combines deep departmental reductions, health‑insurance renegotiation and a targeted 6‑cent property tax increase to fund education, public safety and building capital.

The manager told the board the county used $11.8 million of fund balance in FY2025 to balance recurring costs and recommended reducing that use to about $1.3 million for FY2026. He proposed a 6‑cent increase in the county tax rate (from 62.5¢ to 68.5¢ per $100 of assessed value) with the revenue dedicated to specific needs rather than general spending.

Why it matters: The manager framed the proposal as a corrective move after a large one‑time drawdown of savings last year. He said the targeted tax increase would preserve core services — primarily public education and public safety — while shrinking reliance on savings and continuing investments in county building maintenance and IT security.

Key elements of the proposal - Tax proposal: a 6¢ increase (to 68.5¢) earmarked as follows (as presented): 2¢ for K–12 current operating expenses; 1¢ for public education capital (school building repairs); a half‑cent for Sampson Community College capital needs; 2¢ for public safety (purchase two replacement ambulances annually and funds for patrol vehicle replacements); and a half‑cent for county building capital and maintenance. - Fund balance: reduce planned FY2026 use of fund balance from $11.8 million (FY2025) to approximately $1.3 million. - Personnel and compensation: eliminate or reassign 20 full‑time equivalent positions overall, freeze pay raises (no cost‑of‑living or merit increases), and propose four bonus days in lieu of a pay increase. The proposed budget adds one partially grant‑funded position in Veterans Services. - Benefits: renegotiated county health insurance to lower recurring costs (county staff estimate recurring savings of about $1 million), but with higher employee cost sharing (higher deductibles and lifestyle‑related penalties for tobacco use). - Service and operating cuts: reductions include library branch hours (Roseboro and Newton Grove), reduced housekeeping and mowing contracts, deferred vehicle and equipment purchases except for public‑safety priority vehicles, and a smaller contingency fund ($100,000 from $500,000). - Capital and education: $1 million proposed to assist with Sampson Middle School roof repairs; county and school capital reserve funding were included; a new objective education funding formula was described (the manager said the county would dedicate 25% of property and sales tax revenue not already statutorily restricted to education funding).

Budget process and next steps The board set a special meeting schedule to begin budget workshops June 11 and a statutorily required public hearing on the budget for June 16 at 6 p.m. The manager said printed copies of the 600‑page proposed budget were made available and listed town‑hall dates for public review and comment. Department heads will present line‑item details during workshop sessions.

Costs to homeowners Using the county’s reported average single‑family home value of $157,314, the manager said the proposed 6¢ increase would raise annual property taxes on the average home by about $94 a year (from roughly $983 to $1,077 under his estimate).

Manager’s assessment The interim manager described the package as a “mixed approach” — modest use of fund balance, targeted tax increases and continuing cost reductions — intended to preserve public safety, education and core county services while reducing structural reliance on savings. He urged commissioners to weigh options in the workshops and noted that failure to act could force deeper cuts to essential services.

Ending Commissioners set the advertised schedule for budget workshops and the public hearing; broader deliberations and votes on the proposed rate were left for the upcoming workshop schedule.