Pittsboro lays out FY25–26 budget schedule, capital projects and staffing plan

Town staff presented a draft timetable and preliminary budget requests for fiscal year 2025–26 at a Pittsboro Board of Commissioners meeting, saying department spreadsheets will be collected in January and February and the board retreat will be moved to March 31. "So the budget schedule, we're going to, between January February, I'm gonna be sending out all the spreadsheets to the department heads for them to fill out and return to us," a town staff member said.

The schedule calls for the town's first budget hearing on May 12 and budget adoption on June 9. The presentation grouped numerous capital items and maintenance needs for parks, streets and buildings and flagged staffing growth if development continues.

The memo highlighted several near-term projects: landscaping and parking work at the community house, additional work at Mary Hayes Park including Wi-Fi and automatic locking doors, paving the drive at Rock Ridge, and ongoing skate‑park and baseball-lighting work in partnership with East Chatham Little League. "The other 25,000 out of that 70 is, in partnership with East Chatham Little League," the staff member said, noting the town's planned five‑year payment arrangement for part of that cost.

Sidewalk and pedestrian projects were emphasized. Staff said letters of interest from engineers for a sidewalk project were received and an engineer selection was expected next week. The town reported a funded sidewalk extending from Towne Lake Park to Pittsboro Elementary School Road, funded by the town match plus NCDOT funding; design work for Oakwood Drive was already underway.

Parks and larger capital items were listed by year in the draft CIP. Robeson Creek Park design was shown as a longer-term project with a placeholder estimate of $2.5 million, and Knight Farm Park upgrades were described with features including a relocated dog park, an amphitheater and a basketball court. "We're hoping to start the design process for Robeson Creek Park," the staff member said.

The presentation also reviewed an organizational staffing projection tied to expected population growth, and warned that each new staff position roughly translates to about $100,000 in total annual cost when salary and benefits are included. The town manager said five additional employees were in the request for next year — two for police, two for parks and recreation and one for IT — with the request likely to grow.

On facilities, staff described planned work on a Public Works building remodel — retaining structure but replacing exterior skin and reconfiguring one bay for office space — and noted design work for a potential new fire station. "Fire stations are running about anywhere from 35 to $55 a square foot for design," staff said, and the board discussed design‑build options to protect the budget.

Several smaller equipment and operational items were proposed, including a hook‑lift truck that staff said could reduce ongoing dumpster costs and create construction-site efficiencies.

Ending: Staff said they will circulate more detailed line items and spreadsheets to the board as department requests are finalized; the board asked members to rank big projects so staff can prioritize funding in the coming months.