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Edgecombe County holds public hearing on proposed FY 2025–26 budget; educators and residents urge more school funding
Summary
County staff presented a proposed $82.7 million FY 2025–26 budget that keeps the tax rate at $0.89 per $100 of assessed value and uses approximately $10.6 million in fund balance. Dozens of residents and school employees urged the board to increase school operating and capital funding; the board did not adopt the budget at the hearing.
Edgecombe County staff held a public hearing on June 2 to receive input on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget. County Manager (presenter) walked the board and public through the proposed $82.66 million budget, noting it would hold the tax rate at 89 cents per $100 of assessed value while using a planned fund‑balance appropriation of roughly $10.6 million.
Manager: the county would continue to fund core services, maintain the tax rate and include a 2% cost‑of‑living increase for county employees (estimated cost about $684,000). The manager said the budget is driven by property‑tax revenue (about 56% of operating revenue) and sales tax (16%), and stressed that fund balance appropriations would reduce reserves and that the county seeks to preserve fiscal targets. The manager also noted proposed use of installment financing for capital equipment and the county’s 5% local match for the North Edgecombe school capital project.
Public comments: More than a dozen residents and a large contingent of Edgecombe County school employees and representatives of the Edgecombe County Association of Educators (ECAE) spoke in the hearing. School staff urged the board to fully fund a school request that the speakers described as $1.4 million in pay increases for classified staff (including a $1,000 flat raise) and $4.4 million for building repairs. Speakers included school cafeteria and bus staff who described multi‑job schedules, chronic understaffing and building maintenance problems. Several residents and speakers also raised library maintenance, parks and recreation mini‑grants and concerns about EMS response times and water/sewer capacity in growth areas.
Manager and board responses: Staff said the budget committee and board reviewed the manager’s proposals at prior work sessions and that the board does not plan to adopt the budget at the hearing; the board will consider adoption later in June to allow follow‑up. The manager said some positions requested by departments could not be funded in this tight budget and that some vacant positions would be held in reserve. The proposed budget keeps discretionary outside‑agency funding at roughly current levels and includes $200,000 for a recreation mini‑grant program designed to fund local projects (up to $3,000 per award).
Other budget items discussed included: the solid‑waste tipping fee recommendation, potential debt for capital needs including vehicles and solid‑waste equipment, and the county’s plan to contribute a 5% match (estimated about $3.2 million) for the North Edgecombe school consolidation project. The manager said the county may pursue installment financing and that debt service on new borrowing would likely start in FY 2027.
The public hearing was for comment only; the board did not adopt the budget on June 2. Staff said the board plans to consider final adoption before the fiscal year begins on July 1.
