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Martin County lays out FY 2026–27 priorities; sheriff vehicle replacements and water upgrades drive requests
Summary
At a March 2 budget workshop, County Manager Drew Batts presented department budget changes including a $296,698 request to replace four sheriff vehicles, a multi-year water-system capital plan, proposed reductions to outside-agency funding, and a paramedic-services proposal that would raise EMS costs. The board approved the workshop agenda and adjourned after discussion.
County Manager Drew Batts presented the Martin County Board of Commissioners with a preview of the proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget during a special workshop on March 2, 2026, focusing on vehicle replacement, water-system needs and targeted cuts to outside-agency contributions.
"We walked departments that have significant changes and outlined items that will need funding," Batts said, leading a PowerPoint overview and departmental budget sheets for the board. The presentation flagged a $296,698 increase for the Sheriff's Office to replace four vehicles this cycle; Batts said state guidance now calls for Ford Explorers instead of Dodge Chargers, raising per-vehicle costs by roughly $8,000–$10,000 each.
Batts also outlined a multi-year capital-improvement plan for the county water districts that inventories hydrants and water mains and budgets for phased replacement and maintenance. He said the Asset Inventory Assessment (AIA) recommended roughly $200,000 of investment to position the system for long-term serviceability and proposed partnering with the Town of Williamston to share the cost of a horizontal drilling machine and other equipment.
The manager proposed reductions in county contributions to several outside agencies to find offsetting savings. Batts presented a schedule of proposed deductions across organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, local arts groups, and Trillium Health Resources; the draft line-item reductions shown to the board totaled about $67,130 in the presented outer-agency lines.
Batts told commissioners the county will also conclude a middle-school loan in May; when the loan is retired, an estimated $800,000 in sales-tax receipts will flow to the Board of Education rather than toward debt service.
The meeting began with Chairman Joe R. Ayers calling the session to order and ended with a unanimous vote to adjourn after commissioners commended the presentation. Vice Chairman David "Skip" Gurganus moved to approve the workshop agenda at the start of the meeting; Commissioner Jeremiah Taylor seconded and the motion passed 5–0.
Next steps: the manager and staff will prepare formal budget documents and follow up on specific items Batts promised to investigate further, including clarifying the Food Bank of the Albemarle's local distribution costs and finalizing the water-system project plan.
