Here are 5 takeaways from Brunswick County’s proposed 2024 budget
As Brunswick County officials craft the budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, retaining staff, creating new positions and meeting the needs of the growing county remain their top priorities.
County officials presented their draft 2023-24 budget to the county’s board of commissioners earlier this year. The proposed budget totals $346 million -- $274 million of which makes up the general government budget.
The total funds amount represents a 9.7% increase compared to the budget adopted in June 2022. The proposed general fund represents a 10.5% increase over the current fiscal year.
The proposed budget uses a tentative property tax rate of 34.25 cents – 14.25 cents lower than the current property tax rate of 48.50 cents. The proposed rate is 0.55 cents above the 2023 calculated revenue neutral rate of 33.70 cents, according to the county.
For the county, the 2023-24 fiscal year begins July 1, 2023, and ends June 30, 2024. Here are five things to know about the county’s proposed 2024 budget.
New positions
Building a staff able to meet the needs of growing Brunswick County is a priority in the proposed 2023-24 budget. The proposed budget includes the addition of 42 new job positions within the county, and just one position reduction.
According to the budget presentation, 33 of those jobs are governmental and the remaining eight are enterprise.
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Employee raises
Included in the county’s 2024 budget are several efforts to improve retention and recruitment among current county employees.
The recommended budget includes a 6.5% market adjustment for satisfactory employees who earn less than $50,000 per year, and a $3,250 adjustment to satisfactory employees earning more than $50,000 annually.
Also included in the proposed budget is a 0.75% to 1.58% merit raise to satisfactory employees and a 1.70% to 2.53% merit raise to high performing employees. The county’s highest performers would see a 2.65% to 3.35% merit raise if the proposed budget is adopted.
The budget also allows the county to continue offering “competitive” benefits to employees without reductions. Training, resources, equipment and other supports are also budgeted.
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Managing population growth
Brunswick County remains one of the fastest-growing counties in the state and in the nation. The 2023-24 budget focuses on managing the needs of the growing county by investing in schools, senior resources and technology.
The proposed budget suggests increasing funding to Brunswick County Schools by 8.4% and increasing Brunswick Community College’s funds by 10.9%.
The budget also increases funding toward Brunswick Senior Resources by 9.4% to support programs at its various centers, as well as funding a generator at the Supply center.
Funding technology and computer support is included in the 2023-24 proposed budget, as well as additional cybersecurity measures to protect the growing county.
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No changes to water/sewer rates
The county’s proposed budget does not include any changes to the current water and sewer rates.
What’s next?
Before adoption, the county is offering opportunities for the community to weigh in on the proposed budget. A public workshop is tentatively scheduled for June 5 at 1 p.m. and a public hearing will follow at 3 p.m.
The board of commissioners is set to consider adopting the 2023-24 budget at its June 19 meeting.
Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: 5 takeaways from Brunswick County’s proposed 2024 budget
