Pender County Utilities presents five‑year budget, unified rate proposal and staffing plan

Pender County utilities staff presented a five‑year budget and operational plan to the Board of County Commissioners, asking the board to approve a set of already‑adopted and proposed changes to rates, fees and organization. The presentation summarized recent capital and staffing work, a shift to a single countywide base metering rate, rollout of automated meters and a proposed staffing and pay‑structure revision.

In the presentation, the utilities director (presenter) said the proposed operating budget “uses the same numbers from last year” but asks the board to allow implementation of fees written into a 2017 county ordinance that staff say were not previously charged, including a $50 after‑hours call fee and inspection fees (around $75). Staff reported a current reserve balance of about $10,940,000, and described past internal transfers that have affected fund balances: a $2,000,000 transfer from the water fund into the sewer fund in 2024 related to a wastewater treatment plant serving Pender Commerce Park, and an earlier use of roughly $365,000 from the solid waste fund to cover utilities operator costs.

Staff described capital work…