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Raeford council adopts $7.59 million budget, keeps tax rate at $0.48
Summary
The Raeford City Council on June 6 adopted the FY 2022-2023 budget totaling $7,590,047, keeping the ad valorem tax rate at $0.48 and approving increases to water and sewer rates, a 5% COLA, a 7% medical increase and ARPA-funded one-time bonuses.
The Raeford City Council adopted its FY 2022–2023 budget at a regular meeting on June 6, keeping the ad valorem tax rate at $0.48 per $100 of assessed value and appropriating $7,590,047 in the General Fund.
The budget, presented by City Manager Dennis Baxley, maintains the existing property tax rate while increasing water and sewer fees. The proposed utility rate structure raises the fixed water/sewer charge from $11.87 to $14.24 and increases volumetric rates across tiers (for 0–5,000, 5,001–10,000 and 10,001+ gallons). The ordinance also raises the fingerprint fee from $6 to $10, updates tap fees to reflect current costs, provides a 5% cost-of-living adjustment for employees, budgets a 7% increase in medical costs and authorizes one-time bonuses funded under American Rescue Plan Act priorities. The budget includes a reclassification of Public Works Crew Leader to Public Works Supervisor.
The ordinance lists departmental appropriations and estimated revenues, including $2,575,106 in current-year ad valorem taxes, $1,622,382 in sales and use tax and $645,281 in proceeds from installment financing. The Water and Sewer Fund was appropriated $3,165,800, with projected water-usage and sewer-usage revenues of $905,000 and $1,157,000 respectively.
Councilman John Jordan moved to approve the FY 2022–2023 Budget Ordinance and the Budgeted Personnel Master Report (seconded by Councilwoman Mary Neil King). The motion was recorded as unanimously carried. The personnel report adopted with the ordinance authorizes 61 positions (58.00 FTEs) across city departments.
By adopting the ordinance the Council also affirmed transfer authorities for the City Manager (including specified limits on interdepartmental transfers) and maintained a list of active project ordinances, among them ARPA and water/sewer capital projects. The ordinance restated that the revenue-neutral tax rate for the revaluation year is $0.4268 per $100 valuation; the Council chose to retain the existing $0.48 rate.
The budget ordinance is effective for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023. The Council’s adoption followed the statutorily required public hearing on the proposed budget, which produced no public comments.
