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Macon County manager proposes $64.7 million budget, holds property tax rate steady
Summary
County Manager Warren Cabe presented a $64,711,599 proposed budget that keeps the property tax rate unchanged, includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, shortens longevity eligibility from 10 to 5 years, and funds four new positions while deferring major school capital requests.
County Manager Warren Cabe presented a proposed $64,711,599 budget to the Macon County Board of Commissioners on May 13, saying it maintains the current property tax rate, includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment and changes employee longevity eligibility.
"My proposed budget maintains the property tax rate at 0.27 cents per 100 dollar value," Cabe said, and he told the board revenues are slightly higher this year because of increases in taxable values and service-fee receipts. The proposal keeps most service fees unchanged but adjusts some EMS rates to align with Medicare allowables.
Cabe said the budget includes a 3% COLA for employees, and shortens the years-of-service requirement for longevity payments from 10 years to five. He also recommended continuing part-time employees' eligibility to contribute to the county 401(k) program and said health-insurance rates for employees would remain unchanged.
The proposed staffing changes include two additional sheriff deputies, one Department of Social Services position, one part-time school resource officer and conversion of a management position to an EMS field technician. Cabe said several reclassifications are included to reflect added duties, and he recommended an internal salary study ahead of next year's budget cycle because the last study was four years ago.
Cabe noted that he did not include roughly $38 million in school capital requests — including a new East Franklin Elementary School — and said the schools will be invited to the May 22 budget work session to present priorities. "I have asked Macon County Schools to attend the work session as they presented a budget with a $2,199,980 increase and I could not include all of those requests in my proposed budget," Cabe said.
The manager requested $1.15 million in approved school requests be included as unspecified priorities to allow school leaders to decide which projects should be advanced. He also told the board that fire departments and other requestors will be asked to present at the work session.
Next steps: the board scheduled a budget work session for May 22, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., and a public hearing on the FY 2025-26 budget is set for June 10, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Commissioners Board Room.
