The Lenoir County Commissioners recently passed the budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year by a 5-2 vote. The fiscal year begins July 1 and the budget will be $64.2 million, about $965,000 more than the current year’s budget.
1. Property tax
The property tax will be raised from 80 cents per $100 to 83.5 cents, the first increase in seven years. From 2006-2008, the property tax was 84 cents per $100 and dropped to 80 cents in 2009, remaining at that rate until this year.
2. General fund summary of revenue
The revenue of the Lenoir County general fund comes from five categories. Of the $64.2 million budget, 52 percent comes from property tax, 23 percent from inter-governmental revenues, 12 percent from other revenue services, 10 percent from sales tax and 3 percent from appropriations taken out of the fund balance.
3. School fines
During the 2012-13 fiscal year, Lenoir County collected an estimated $397,250 in school fines; almost $36,000 more than the 2011-12 year. The fines collected are returned to the Lenoir County School System and used to assist with operations.
4. County employees
There will be 467 employees working for the county of Lenoir this year compared to 470 last year. Overall, three jobs were created and six were lost. All employees will receive a 2 percent increase as a cost-of-living adjustment. The three jobs created — one in the Sheriff’s Office and two communications positions due to a merger with Jones County’s E-911 service — will be funded by outside sources. Lenoir County is projected to save about $400,000 with these actions.
5. Fund balance
There will be $1.98 million taken out of the county’s fund balance this year. The money will be used to keep from cutting services or raise taxes even more. The county will hold expenditures as a means to save money.
6. Other revenue services
There was minimal growth between last year’s revenue stream and the current one. The general fund rose $335,000 to $7.62 million. Projected revenue increases will come from concealed weapons fees, commission on pay phones in jail, transfers from the school capital fund and more.
7. Organizational support
County support of community organizations will go unchanged in the 2013-14 fiscal year. The Community Council for Arts ($7,500), Council on Aging ($22,500), Flynn Home ($7,500) and N.C. Forest Resources ($92,000) will operate on the same amounts from last year’s budget.
8. Debt service
Lenoir County will pay $8.13 million this year in order to make payments on public improvement bonds, school bonds, refunding bonds, the Shell building No. 3 loan and the jail construction loan. The amount will drop to $7.96 million next year.
9. Capital outlays
The county has asked for $340,000 in order to purchase eight law enforcement vehicles and one ambulance. This year’s budget is requesting $2.54 million in capital outlays compared to 2.36 million last year.
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1075 or at Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at JuniousSmithIII.
