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No tax hike included in county budget

By CAROLINE CURRAN, Staff writer BOLIVIA—With soaring gas prices and increased food costs, Brunswick County residents won’t have to worry about one increase this year—property tax rates.
County commissioners on Monday night voted to leave the ad valorem tax rate at its current rate of 30.5 cents per $100 of valuation for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
But the $224.6 million budget commissioners approved along with the tax rate doesn’t leave much wiggle room.
Many ideas pitched to commissioners at their early spring budget retreat have been trimmed from the budget.
“Many of the goals and objectives were great ideas; very much needed,” county manager Marty Lawing said, referring to county department heads’ budget requests.
“Not many of those items still remain in the budget.”
The county’s general fund budget totals $169.3 million, with $11.5 million slated for fund balance appropriations to fund major capital improvement projects, capital outlay and major expenditures.
Lawing told commissioners last month when he first presented the proposed budget property tax revenues make up 56 percent of the general fund revenue.
“One year removed from a general re-appraisal of real property in Brunswick County, the smallest percentage increase in a tax revenue in the last three years is projected due primarily to the slowdown in the constructions and additions to the tax base,” Lawing explained.
The water fund was set at $23.8 million with the water capital reserve fund approved at $12.6 million. The wastewater fund was approved at $13.1 million and the wastewater capital reserve fund was set at $4.2 million.
After first unveiling the proposed budget May 19, Lawing said several changes were made to balance the budget.
“Following the workshop last week, we had to make some adjustments to balance the budget. Some of these included the reduction of seven positions that are currently vacant.”
But two positions were added to the budget, bringing the net reduction of positions to five.
Lawing first proposed no additional positions in this year’s budget, saying department heads will be asked to “be creative and change the way of doing business to achieve desired performance outcomes.”
Other items sliced from the budget include: three vacant human resource aides for the department of social services; a vacant property development tech in the central permitting department; $12,000 for equipment for a government access channel; $120,000 for various park improvements and more than $100,000 for software.
“We felt we could cut those costs,” Lawing told commissioners.
“The budget as you see it is now balanced with those changes.”
Budget highlights
•Brunswick County Schools will receive $31.8 million, with $4.4 million included in the school capital reserve fund. Brunswick Community College will receive $3.4 million. Libraries will receive $1.5 million.
•Department budgets include: $8.2 million for the sheriff’s office, $6.4 million for emergency management, $6.4 million for emergency medical services, $2.6 million for the central communications center, $12.8 million for the solid waste department and $16 million for debt service.
•Total revenues include $100.6 million in ad valorem taxes, $21.8 million in local option sales tax, $6.5 million in permits and fees, $3.7 million in sales and services and $3.4 million in other taxes and licenses.

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