Weddington council adopts $3.16 million budget, keeps tax rate at 3.5¢ and raises official stipends

The Weddington Town Council unanimously approved a $3,160,000 budget for fiscal year 2026–27 at its June 8 meeting, keeping the town’s property tax rate unchanged at 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and approving modest stipend increases for elected officials.

Finance officer Leslie told the council the proposed budget includes conservative revenue estimates and line‑item details for departments and discretionary items. The draft budgets reflect full annual salaries for the planner and the administrator/clerk positions as currently budgeted pending hires.

Mayor Bell moved the ordinance after a required public hearing that produced no public speakers. Council discussion focused on revenue conservatism, staffing costs and regional comparisons for elected‑official stipends. The council voted to set annual compensation for the mayor at $8,700 and for council members at $6,960; planning‑board members will receive $75 per meeting.

Council member Tom highlighted capital work planned in the region and addressed concerns about the town’s finances, saying the town had cash and cash equivalents on hand to rebut online claims. “We are financially solvent and well off,” Tom said during his report.

Leslie told the council the budget includes the increased cost of contract deputies and the planned prorated share of an added sergeant in the county contract (the sergeant implementation is targeted for Oct. 1). She also said the budget is balanced without raising the tax rate.

The ordinance formalizes the budget totals, the unchanged tax rate and the stipend changes. The council recorded a unanimous vote to adopt the measure; no roll‑call tallies were recorded in the minutes beyond the stated unanimous outcome.

Looking ahead, the council noted it may reclassify or amend line items once staffing changes (planner, administrator/clerk) are final, and that standard mid‑year adjustments could be considered if necessary.