Friday's Internet Edition, July 03, 2009.
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The budgeted expenses total about $119 million, a 2.3 percent decrease from the current budget. Projected revenues have decreased 3.3 percent to about $117 million, and the county plans to make up the difference with a fund balance appropriation of nearly $2 million.
“The budget is balanced and there’s no tax increase,” Commissioner Billy Joe Kepley said. “That’s the only thing I was looking for.”
Property tax will remain the same, at 54 cents per $100 valuation, but narrower tax and fee increases are included in the budget. Ambulance fees are expected to increase as a result of increased call volume to the Emergency Medical Services department.
The county expects to continue losing sales tax revenue until the economy begins to recover, possibly in 2010. Beginning in October, under a Medicaid swap agreement, 1.5 cents of every 2 cents in sales tax collected by the county will be distributed on a point of sale basis instead of per capita.
“This will make the term ‘shop local’ very important,” Hyatt said. “Every time a Davidson County business or resident makes a purchase in Forsyth or Guilford County, 1.5 cents stays in those counties.”
County department heads were asked to keep their budgets flat or less, and Hyatt said they did an excellent job. The largest decrease in expenditures is in human services.
There is no salary increase for employees recommended in the budget, and county staff has reduced the number of full time equivalents by nearly 15 percent, saving the county $956,826 in personnel cost with the help of state and federal funds.
The largest portion of the overall budget is education. The designated amount of $35.8 million is the same overall funding to the public schools and community college as last year. Nearly $2.5 million more will go toward debt service for school construction and renovation projects, the largest increase in the budget expenditures.
The budget recommends $232,760 in funding for the Davidson County Economic Development Commission, and $375,000 to be set aside for the Economic Development Fund, which is primarily used to pay for incentives to new and expanding businesses.
A public hearing is set for May 26 to accept public input and comment on the budget.
Staff Writer Karissa Minn can be reached at 888-3576 or newsdesk@tvilletimes.com.