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Bertie County manager proposes lean FY2026–27 budget, no tax increase recommended
Summary
County manager presented a proposed FY2026–27 budget that keeps the tax rate at 93¢, projects about $500,000 less in total budget than the current year due to lower revenue projections, and recommends cuts to school capital outlay and temporary staffing changes rather than a pay increase.
County Manager delivered a detailed overview of the proposed FY2026–27 budget and told the board, “I have some good news tonight, and I have some bad news tonight.” He said the recommended budget does not include a tax-rate increase and that the current county tax rate remains 93¢. The manager told commissioners the proposed budget is roughly $500,000 smaller than the current year because of reduced revenue projections and rising mandated costs such as health insurance and retirement.
The manager described specific cost pressures and proposed offsets: a roughly $230,000 increase budgeted for health insurance and another roughly $76,000 for retirement costs, limited capital purchases, and a recommended $75,000 reduction to school capital outlay. He said he proposed temporarily eliminating or holding vacant certain positions (including a planning/code enforcement inspector) and delaying some capital equipment purchases — including ambulances — until external grant funds (including requests submitted to Congressman Don Davis’s office) can be secured. The manager outlined next steps: a budget work session on May 18, a public hearing scheduled for June 8, and adoption planned between June 22 and July 1.
Commissioners and staff discussed the proposal’s tradeoffs at length. One commissioner asked about reinstating an assistant county manager position; staff noted that a prior assistant was cut during earlier budget shortfalls and that adding a full-time assistant now would increase payroll by an amount they estimated during the discussion. The board did not adopt the budget tonight; the manager encouraged additional work sessions and public comment before final adoption.
The presentation referenced historical fund-balance growth (from roughly 1% in 2020 to more than 24% available fund balance reported in recent statements) and showed fiscal trends for the general and water funds. The manager emphasized the budget is a proposal and asked the board to weigh departmental requests (which totaled roughly $3 million in additional asks, he said) against revenue realities.
