Holly Ridge council to discuss, take action on proposed budget

June 10--No tax hike is slated for the proposed fiscal year 2014-15 budget in the Town of Holly Ridge.

Holly Ridge Town Council will meet tonight for a public hearing and possible adoption of the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, according to town documents. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight at Town Hall at 212 North Dyson St.

According to draft minutes from the May 20 budget workshop, Town Manager John Maiorano went over highlights of the proposed budget, including the recommended property tax rate of 41.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.

About half of the town's roughly $2 million budget is derived from property taxes, according to town documents.

At the May budget workshop, Maiorano told the board the town is legally obligated to maintain a revenue-neutral budget every four years during reevaluation years.

A recent revaluation did not drive all property values up, Maiorano told The Daily News on Monday.

He said the town's growth in residential construction helped stimulate the projected budget.

"It's not that property value went up everywhere. In some of our developments, it actually went down," Maiorano said.

The town's projected budget requires no rise in any user fees, "trash or recycling or anything like that," Maiorano said.

The budget includes a 13-percent increase for health insurance for the town's 20 staff members, he added.

Maiorano said that increase was a necessity.

"We did try to cut costs in all areas," he added.

The town also could approve a 10-percent increase in budgeted money for street lights in the town.

"That's something we try to do every year; we try to increase 10 percent each year because of the growth," Maiorano said.

Other highlights of the proposed budget for the next fiscal year include:

-- An additional $20,000 proposed for parks, grounds, revitalization, including upgrades of door coverings and porches at the Community Center

-- The purchase of two vehicles: one for maintenance to be paid in full and another for the police department to be financed

-- No fund balance appropriation required to balance the budget

-- No additional personnel requests

-- A $2,000 donation to Turkey Creek Fire Department, "because there is a bigger burden on them from Summerhouse and also Penny Lane," Maiorano told the board during the May 20 workshop.

On Monday, he said the town has no capital improvements that would drive up costs in the upcoming budget.

"The town is sitting in a good way at this time," he said.

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