Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Beaufort County administration presents FY27 budget; recommends millage remain at 59.5
Summary
County administration presented the FY27 proposed budget with a recommended mill rate of 59.5 (mill-rate neutral), embedded 1% COLA and 2% merit (3% total), trimmed capital requests, and selective new positions to reduce consultant costs.
Beaufort County's administration presented a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget May 5 that keeps the county's advertised mill rate at 59.5 while embedding a 3% total compensation package (2% merit and 1% cost-of-living adjustment) and trimming capital requests to balance operations.
Mr. Moore, leading the presentation for administration, said his team had implemented a step/pay plan and a 2% merit with a 1% COLA, and included retiree-gap insurance as directed by council. After reviewing assessment values, staff proposed remaining 'mill neutral' at 59.5 even though the estimated value of a mill rose to about 3,178.883 and assessment growth yields roughly $11.7 million in additional tax revenue compared with the prior year.
Administration reported cutting nearly $4.8 million in vehicle and equipment requests to trim the general-fund capital ask to just under $5 million. The recommended budget includes $1.3 million for selected new general-fund positions (for example, three engineering hires: design, survey and tech roles) intended to reduce consultant spending. Staff said these recommendations reflect historical spending and the council's direction to remain mill-rate neutral.
The presentation also detailed vehicle and equipment priorities: general-fund vehicle replacements near $4.7 million and equipment at roughly $461,000, with emergency medical service ambulance replacements identified as due based on age and mileage criteria. Administration said some replacements were deferred to align with budget targets.
On enterprise funds and capital projects, the county proposed a four‑year capital-improvement plan to complete outstanding 'A-rated' projects and moved a helicopter hanger project into the current year pending an ordinance before council. Council members raised questions about airport hangars, an outstanding decades‑old interfund loan to the airport (reported in discussion at about $700,000 on the books), and whether hangar revenue would be sufficient to make the airport self-sustaining.
Administration and council agreed on next steps: staff will provide additional backup on unrecommended position requests and capital detail before the finance committee, with a first reading of the budget ordinance expected at the May finance-committee meeting in two weeks.
