Alamance County adopts revised budget with 2.5-cent tax increase, restores $11.3 million for schools

Alamance County commissioners voted 3–2 to adopt a revised fiscal plan that adds a 2.5-cent property tax increase and appropriates $10 million from the county fund balance to restore school funding and other county services.

The adopted combination — presented as a modification of “plan C” — returns $10 million into the Alamance‑Burlington School System (ABSS) current expense allocation, adds $8 million back to ABSS capital (roofs/HVAC/technology), directs $2 million to county capital needs, and restores roughly $632,336 for previously frozen county positions. The package also includes roughly $11.3 million in increased current‑expense funding for ABSS compared with the manager’s original recommended budget.

The vote followed extensive public comment from dozens of residents who urged commissioners to fully fund schools, libraries and emergency services. Speakers included parents, students and nonprofit leaders who described classroom shortages, shared nurses, unfilled special‑education supports and teacher departures. ‘‘I’m asking the commissioners to fully fund the budget that ABSS has requested,’’ said Sandy Ellington Graves during public comment, identifying herself as speaking on behalf of the school board. Multiple students and parents said they would accept modest tax increases if doing so preserved teacher pay, IEP/504 supports and library hours.

County staff and commissioners framed the amendment as a balance between using reserves and asking taxpayers to contribute so the county avoids potential statutory mediation over school current‑expense funding. County legal counsel explained that North Carolina statute uses a calculation tied to prior‑year current‑expense funding when parties cannot agree, and that what the board funds this year can affect next year’s baseline.

Commissioner discussion focused on two competing priorities: protecting a higher fund balance for unforeseen emergencies and responding to community pleas to restore school positions and capital work. Supporters said the combined use of fund balance and a measured tax increase (2.5¢) would keep the county’s unassigned fund balance above the board’s informal target (about 20% in the unaudited numbers presented). Opponents reiterated campaign‑year promises to avoid tax increases and urged greater scrutiny of school central‑office spending.

The board approved the modified plan by voice vote, 3 in favor, 2 opposed.

What the budget does next: staff said the budget implementation will proceed immediately; capital money earmarked for roofs/HVAC/technology will be tracked as capital appropriations, and the county will issue an installment loan for the county’s portion of multi‑year projects per an earlier reimbursement resolution. The school system and county will continue discussions about the distribution of SRO costs, grants and at‑risk funds.

Commissioners and staff said additional audit and budget detail will be available as the fiscal year proceeds and once the county issues its installment loan RFP for financing the projects.

Votes at a glance - Motion: Adopt modified plan C (as described above) — Outcome: approved, 3–2.