While the budget is balanced with a 81-cent per $100 valuation — the same as last year — County Manager Jim Haynes warned commissioners there may be factors affecting the budget beyond the county’s control depending on what the state of North Carolina’s needs will be.
The budget is $3 million less than the current one.
All county employees will take five furloughs – days off without pay — during the year to save $500,000. And the county’s contribution to employees’ 401k retirement accounts was reduced from seven to five percent.
Expected revenue in the budget will decrease in the new year to begin July 1 because of decreasing sales taxes.
Haynes said he was informed that it might take five years for sales tax revenues to recover to last year’s amount.
Commissioner John Garner pointed out one of Haynes’ comments in his budget letter referring to state control as being significant.
It reads:
“County commissioners from across this state should work together to not only fend off attempts to pass more and more responsibility from the state to counties, but also to obtain some relief from all the unfunded mandates that are already in place as well.
“One example we may have to deal with sooner rather than later is the road maintenance expense the state would like to share with the counties.”
Haynes warned that something may happen since the state has a $4.5 billion shortfall so far in its budget.
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Commissioners approved appointments to several boards including:
n Hugh Lee was reappointed to the Richmond Community College Board of Trustees.
n Jim Brown was reappointed to the Pee Dee Region Workforce Development Board.
n Alice M. Warrick was reappointed to the Richmond County Jury Commission.
n Bonnie Bright was reappointed to the Richmond County Public Library System Board of Trustees.
n Jason Perakis and Mark Rhyne were reappointed as extraterritorial jurisdiction representatives on the Rockingham Board of Adjustment and Appeals.
n George Crump, Maj. James Clemmons and Rich Meinecke were reappointed to the Richmond County Criminal Justice Partnership Program.
n Pat Chappell and Rita Melton were reappointed to the Richmond County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee.
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Other items considered at Monday’s commission meeting include:
n Jordans Court, a road off Ponderosa Drive near N.C. 177 North, Hamlet, in the Orchard Acres Subdivision, was approved by commissioners to be added to the state maintenance system.
n Commissioners were told that if they wanted to accept steering committee seats with the National Association of Counties that attending meetings would be at their own expense under the current travel freeze restrictions.
n Commissioners approved a right-of-way agreement with the N.C. Department of Transportation along Old Charlotte Highway, Rockingham, in preparation for the installation of a 24-inch water line for expansion of the county water treatment facility. The county is seeking a grant for the expansion.
n Commissioners were notified the county has applied for $600,000 to partially fund the water line extension to the Fox Road area through the N.C. Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance for an Urgent Needs Community Development Block Grant.
n During May, 2.1 tons of litter were removed from Richmond County highways. Three community service workers worked 118 hours along with county employees.
n Commissioners approved an encroachment contract agreement with NCDOT concerning the U.S. 1 Bypass from Fox Road to U.S. 74 Business.
n Commissioners approved renaming Development Drive in the Richmond County Industrial Park as Sportsman Drive in recognition of Big Rock Sports and a road in front of the Ritz Craft facility to be named Ritz Craft Drive.
n Commissioners rezoned property at the intersection of U.S. 1 and N.C. 177 from Rural Residential to Highway Commercial. The property contains a small convenience store and gasoline pumps.
n A public hearing was set for July 13 to consider an amendment to the Richmond County Zoning Ordinance allowing non-conforming structures in residential areas as long as they are less than 25 percent of the minimum required.
n Haynes said the Fox Road water line extension is ready to go as soon as all grants are approved and authorization is given by the Environmental Protection Agency.
n Contact reporter Tom MacCallum at 997-3111, ext. 15; e-mail tmaccallum@yourdailyjournal.com.
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