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Brunswick County adopts $313.1 million FY2026 budget after board debate
Summary
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners voted 3–1 to adopt the fiscal year 2025–26 budget ordinance, schedule of fees, five-year capital improvement plan and a resolution for opioid settlement fund use after public comment and extended discussion about tax rates, service cuts and use of reserves.
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners adopted a $313,100,000 fiscal year 2025–26 budget ordinance, the county's schedule of fees, a five-year capital improvement plan and a resolution for the use of opioid settlement funds following public comment and extended discussion at the June 16 meeting. The motion to adopt the package carried by a 3–1 tally.
The budget drew hours of discussion on county priorities and tax policy. Several commissioners thanked staff for their work in reconciling differing viewpoints while others said the package did not meet the county's needs. "I think it's an irresponsible and inadequate budget myself," one commissioner said during debate, noting they had proposed a half-percent tax increase during budget deliberations. Another commissioner praised staff, calling the final product "a good product overall" after months of internal work.
Commissioners and staff described the budget as "tight," and said it relied on a mix of one-time resources to avoid a tax increase. The board discussed using ARPA-enabled reserves and portions of the fund balance to close gaps. As one commissioner explained during debate, "we had to dip into ARPA money. We had to dip into the fund balance, and we had to steal from Peter to pay Paul just to keep the rate where it was." Finance staff and the county manager were repeatedly thanked for narrowing an $800,000 shortfall during final adjustments.
Speakers at the meeting also stressed long-term fiscal concerns. A commissioner said inflation over recent years had outpaced local revenue growth and warned of future funding pressures for public safety, libraries and schools. Another commissioner said maintaining a strong fund balance is an important hedge against disaster costs and potential future needs.
The board heard no public speakers for the budget public hearing before voting. After the vote the chair announced the motion carried 3–1; the transcript did not record an itemized roll-call vote or attribute individual votes in the public record.
The adopted package also included the fee schedule and the five-year capital plan; separate agenda actions that were moved and approved elsewhere in the meeting cover one-time adjustments and related spending.
Looking ahead, commissioners said staff will continue to monitor fiscal pressures and present options in coming months for long-term revenue and service strategies.
