Robbinsville – Residents of the county seat will be enjoying a smaller tax burden next year.
Interim finance officer Michael Richardson announced a 10-cent decrease in the town’s millage rate – from 0.60 to 0.50 – in a June 16 release.
“We hope that this will provide financial relief to our community as we continue to improve city services to our residents,” the release concludes.
Soon thereafter, the town produced its draft budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Richardson said at the board of aldermen’s June 7 meeting that he was unable to locate even a trace of work that had been started on the budget by previous finance officer Tasha Gubernath; the position has proved difficult to permanently fill over the last year.
After agreeing to stay on in a temporary capacity until the end of July, Richardson listed three key areas he wanted to address: maintain/improve services, address staffing issues and get the board of aldermen on a path to long-term planning.
Of note, Richardson’s budget includes the creation of a “Town Administration” department – citing the constant overlap between administration and finance.
Richardson pointed out that 87 percent of the department’s cost is offset by reductions in the finance department; the other 13 percent represents only 1/5 of an increase to the draft budget.
All told, the department will cost $123,491.84 to launch. Richardson hopes the consolidation will dwindle points of contact for residents and town employees alike to town administration.
The budget also includes a 30 percent anticipated increase in revenue (which makes up for the 17 percent loss that the 10-cent millage rate decrease presented), as well as an uptick in salaries to help retain another department plagued by turnover: street/highway/sanitation, which will be the largest expenditure (department total, $328,946.16; salary increases from $105,227.89 to $158,852.21).
Elsewhere in the budget:
* The enterprise fund (water/sewer) is projected to cost $1,092,424.77, while the general fund (expenditures versus revenue) balances out at $692,872.34;
* The sale of the former town hall to local business owner Kenny Wheeler for $22,000 will provide a nice shot in the arm for revenue. The operator of Wheeler’s Performance – a motorcycle parts and repair shop on U.S. 129 – Wheeler plans to open a bike shop in the location;
* A heavy emphasis is placed on ad valorem taxes, which are projected to bring the town $378,496.84.
Before the budget could be ratified, the board was scheduled to hold a special hearing after Wednesday’s press deadline; the meeting was scheduled to be live-streamed on The Graham Star’s Facebook page.