Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cramerton workshop previews budget with proposed fire pay bump and plan for new pavement study
Summary
Town staff proposed reallocating funds to raise part-time fire pay and recommended a pavement condition study to guide future street work; police pay was left unchanged and several park and camera options were discussed. No formal budget votes were taken.
Cramerton Town Manager Zach Ollis told the Board of Commissioners on June 4 that the town is weighing a limited set of reallocations to the upcoming fiscal-year budget to cover rising personnel costs and deferred street maintenance. The meeting was a final review prior to the public hearing; no formal budget adoption occurred.
Ollis said the town currently budgets $45,000 annually for routine street repairs but that amount does not cover repaving. He reported the Timberland repaving project carries $237,372 in annual debt service, with Powell Bill revenue projected to contribute $163,050 and $75,000 expected from the general fund. "An updated pavement condition study, ideally by fall 2024, would better inform future budgets," Ollis said.
On public-safety staffing, Ollis proposed increasing part-time fire personnel pay from $16.61 to $18.00 per hour in the draft budget, noting Gaston County plans to raise its starting rate to $20.00. To cover the roughly $37,720 cost, Ollis recommended reallocating money set aside for the Eastern Goat Island Bridge, an ADA playground, and other Parks & Recreation items rather than increasing the overall levy.
Police compensation was not adjusted. Chief Adams told the board he is satisfied with current police pay levels, and staff made no recommendation to change the police budget at this workshop.
Commissioner Dixie Abernathy raised three community-focused items: adding picnic tables at the Pocket Park in the Timberlake neighborhood (staff said it is feasible and suggested formally naming the park to budget the purchase), confirming the underpass project is planned for the current budget year (Mayor Nelson Wills and staff said they are coordinating design approvals with the railroad), and exploring downtown security cameras (Ollis said the town now has a live-streaming camera on Town Hall and could consider upgraded, remotely adjustable cameras or license-plate readers in a future fiscal year).
There were no formal votes on budget line items at the workshop. Commissioner Abernathy moved to adjourn at 5:54 p.m.; Commissioner Kathy Ramsey seconded and the board voted unanimously in favor. The board will proceed to the public hearing stage of the budget process after any staff updates and the recommended pavement study.
