NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: PROPOSED BUDGET OF ALAMANCE COUNTY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022

The Alamance County Manager has submitted his proposed budget for fiscal year 2021-2022 to the Alamance County Board of Commissioners.  A public hearing on the proposed budget ordinance will be held on Monday, June 7, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, 2^nd Floor of the County Office Building located at: 124 West Elm, Graham, NC 27253. 

All interested citizens, groups, senior citizens and organizations representing the interest of county citizens are encouraged to attend the public hearing to submit their comments.  Persons wishing to participate in the public hearing by telephone should call 336-290-8677 at 7:00 p.m. on the evening of the public hearing. Please be patient and stay on the line as your call will be answered in the order it was received.  The proposed budget ordinance is available online on the Alamance County website: www.alamance-nc.com where it shall remain available until the budget ordinance is adopted.  Copies are available in the offices of the Finance Officer and the Clerk to the Board for public inspection from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday-Friday. The following is a summary of the proposed General Fund Budget:   

GENERAL FUND

EXPENDITURES                                                       SOURCES OF FUNDS

General Government                 $     12,830,909              Property Taxes                          $ 103,593,054

Education & Education Debt             71,332,306              Federal & State Funds                        27,255,763

Human Services                                37,115,777              Sales Tax                                               35,930,400

Public Safety                                    43,055,142              Fees & Charges                                    11,090,440

Support Services                                7,269,210              Interest Earnings                                 125,000

Community Services                            9,699,769              Other Revenues                                      3,260,670

Non-Education Debt Service               1,312,266                 Designated Fund Balance                     1,776,479

Transfers to Other Funds                    2,416,427                 Appropriated Fund Balance                 2,000,000

Total                            $  185,031,806                          Total                            $185,031,806

The recommended General Fund Tax Rate is $0.67 per $100 of assessed valuation.  Recommended tax rates for fire districts are:

An overview of the 2021-2022 proposed general fund budget includes:

• Fiscal year 2021-2022 budget recommendation totals $ 222,967,944 for all 23 budgetary funds.
• The property tax rate is recommended to remain at $0.67 per $100 property valuation for the third consecutive year.
• Property tax revenue is projected to increase due to overall tax base growth by 3.51% or $3,488,388.
• Sales tax revenue is projected to decrease by 2.02% ($740,000) from expected fiscal year 2020-2021 year-end collections.
• Use of $2,000,000 in appropriated fund balance for operations, $1,500,000 less than the previous year.
• Use of $1,776,479 in designated funds from sources for the following purposes: Airport sewer project, SARA Management equipment and MC1 replacement, revaluation, small area land development plan, inspections operations, and continuing Covid-19-related expenditures. 
• Reduces proposed General Fund spending by $3,050,441 from budget retreat requests, also representing a $17,071,436 increase from the previous fiscal year’s original general fund allocation.
• Restores County Pay-Go Capital Improvement Projects in the amount of $250,000 and adds an additional $50,000 for Alamance Parks facility maintenance, totaling $300,000 for fiscal year 2021-2022.
• Ensures full funding according to the Capital Plan for ABSS’ and ACC’s bond debt services costs and Pay-Go projects.
• Maintains the 2% Merit Program for full-time-permanent County employees and removes the 2% Merit pay from all budget units organized under the Alamance County Sheriff in favor of a higher Cost-of-Living adjustment.
• Implements a new 2% Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) for all existing full-time County employees and a 5% COLA for all budget units organized under the Alamance County Sheriff.
• Implements a 5-and-6-year service bonus program, expanding upon the existing 7+ year program.
• Adds 10 new positions, including 4 new School Resource Officers.
• Freezes 14 positions in the Detention Department.
• Accommodates required increases of $623,404 for employee retirement  and $2,217 for retiree insurance.
• Approves a fire district tax increase of 3 cents for Snow Camp VFD.

This 20^th  day of May 2021.

Tory M. Frink, Clerk to the Board

Alamance County