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Mooresville manager presents FY 2026 budget with no property tax rate change, staffing and fee increases
Summary
Town Manager Tracy presented the proposed fiscal 2026 budget on May 19, saying the property tax rate would not change while the town plans staff additions and modest fee increases; the board will hold a public hearing June 2.
Mooresville Town Manager Tracy presented the town's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget at the May 19 board meeting, saying the tax rate would remain unchanged while planned revenue gains from higher property valuations and modest fee increases would fund staff additions and capital needs.
Tracy told the board the property tax rate would not change for FY 2026. She said assessed property valuations in Mooresville rose 4.9 percent, which the town estimates will add about $2,890,000 in tax revenues. Sales tax receipts are projected to grow about 2 percent, she said.
The manager outlined several cost and fee adjustments: a solid-waste fee increase of $5 per month (raising the annual solid-waste charge to $204) and an average water and sewer increase of about $3.95 per month per household, effective Jan. 1 under the proposal. The budget also includes pay increases tied to a recent classification study and a new lower-cost insurance option for employees.
Tracy said the proposed budget adds 24 full-time positions, including six police and six fire/rescue positions, and creates an erosion-control team intended to provide a one-stop permitting option that has previously required residents to travel to Statesville.
On capital and reserves, the manager said the town plans to put an additional $32,000,000 into the general fund balance to meet state and local fund-balance policies and cited about $17,000,000 available in the capital reserve and nearly $20,000,000 reported in the bank for capital projects as of the middle of the month.
Tracy summarized major capital work included in the plan: Cornelius Road Park phase 2, Moore Park renovation and related parks and streets projects, upgrades to the ADA action plan, and continued work on Fire Station 7. She said the general fund is about $102,000,000 and that personnel costs are the town's largest expenditure at roughly 59 percent of the budget.
The proposed budget will be placed on file with the town clerk and posted online; the board will hold a public hearing on the budget at its June 2 meeting before final consideration.
Several commissioners commented during the meeting on recycling costs, the rising price of public-safety apparatus, and the importance of short-term disability coverage for public works employees. Tracy and staff answered questions about the budget's assumptions and timelines for capital projects.
