No tax increase
Robbinsville – Graham County commissioners approved a $22.8 million budget that keeps property taxes unchanged yet also comes to terms with rising costs for nearly everything.
The Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on June 21 during which there was no public comment. The board reconvened on Tuesday to finalize the budget.
The county’s mil rate remains at 65 cents per one hundred. The tax base reflects a loss of about $5.3 million in value.
The budget tackles a 17.7-percent increase in health insurance costs and 9-percent increase in retirement costs for county employees. It deals with a double-digit increases in costs for fuel, supplies and repair parts.
A 47-percent increase in the cost to dispose of solid waste may be dealt with differently, as the county seeks an out-of-county landfill with lower fees.
The budget includes funding for two new ambulances for the Emergency Medical Services Department, which went without a replacement in last year’s extra wages or higher benefits costs.
budget.
The board also set aside $50,000 to begin replacing the county’s older fire engines, some of which are around 40 years old.
County Finance Officer Becky Garland started with a shortfall of $2.1 million in early June, which she trimmed to $561,000 over following weeks. As she described it, she started with a machete and ended with a scalpel. The remaining overage will be covered by the county’s reserves.
Major priorities were:
* A goal to ensure that no full-time county employee makes less than $14 per hour;
* Make repairs to the community pool and other public recreation facilities;
* Further enhanced pay for public safety workers;
* Increased funding for Graham County Schools by $263,000 — slightly more than half what the school district was hoping for but committing to a 7.5-percent annual increase moving forward.
Major compromises were made to reach a balanced budget. They include:
* Cuts in major repairs to county buildings except emergencies;
* A 50 percent cut to computer and networking services;
* No cost-of-living pay increases for county staff;
* Reducing the county’s fund balance from 47 percent (at present) to 35 percent;
* Taking another look at the budget mid-year to deal with any unforeseen costs or windfalls;
* Continue to seek grants.
The board also managed to budget $169,541 in contributions to nonprofit organizations, including $10,000 to the annual Heritage Festival, $18,000 to the Grace Place food bank, $10,000 to the Graham County Historical Association and $20,000 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center.
Other news and notes
* The board learned that repairs and renovations to the community pool in Robbinsville will cost the county just under $136,000.
* School board candidate Hank Dinschel was given just under a half-hour of the board’s time for a “short presentation pertaining to the health realm” during a workshop session. Dinschel used that time to criticize COVID-19 response, news media coverage of current events, school boards elsewhere in the state, population control, vaccines and other political issues.