Alamance County budget squeezes into 58-cent tax rate

May 24--GRAHAM -- "It is a lean budget, it is very tight," said County Manager Bryan Hagood. "We have been creative with this budget; it doesn't do everything we would like, I'll be the first to tell you."

Big picture

$174,914,946: recommended total 2018 -- 19 budget;

$150,894,043: recommended general fund, which covers most government services;

$162,235,090: requested by county departments, schools system and community college.

An 8.2-cent property tax increase would make up that $11.3 million gap.

Jobs

* 14.5 new positions requested, including four 911 telecommunicators at county Central Communications, an IT network technician, librarians and a real estate transfer clerk.

* Five new positions recommended in this budget, four of which, in the Department of Social Services, will be reimbursed by state and federal funds. The fifth is a new code inspector to keep the department's response time short at construction picks up.

"Inspections are through the roof," Hagood said.

$142,958 retention plan;

* Four of top nine high-turnover positions are in emergency services, so Hagood is proposing a 2 percent raise to retain those county employees.

"In my opinion we are in crisis mode with this level of turnover," Hagood said.

$418,166 merit plan;

* As much as 2 percent merit raises for employees who qualify based on their evaluations in departments that reach 75 percent of their goals.

"If I were working for this county," Commissioner Bob Byrd said, "I think the air would be let out of my sails to know this was the budget being recommended."

$744,907 employee health insurance -- a $67 increase in monthly premiums paid for county employees, bringing them to $702 per employee. Employee-paid premiums will stay the same.

Debt

$9,858,983: paid in debt service, a 3 percent increase from this year;

* $4,711,697 of which comes from restricted sales taxes, generally dedicated to education spending, and lottery funds.

* $5,035,158: payments for the Alamance-Burlington School System's $22 million in bonds and $4 million in installment payments;

* $2,511,027 on Alamance Community College's $21 million in bonds;

* $2,312,798 on the county's $5.8 million in installments.

Buildings and fixing

$6,662,798: capital plan

* $2,562,798 of which is the 2018-19 capital plan;

* $2,312,798 of which is for debt service;

* And $250,000 of which is for projects in 2018 -- 2019 -- roofs and HVAC projects.

* The other $4.1 million is $1.2 million for the mental health Diversion and Restoration Center, paid from a Cardinal Innovations grant, and $2.9 million for the animal shelter not due until it is complete next year.

* An additional $247,320 in projects was requested, like the $112,000 equestrian complex in Cedarock Park and $81,133 to replace aging IT network infrastructure.

* $54,187: recommended for $10,000 or less maintenance projects not funded by the county's Capital Improvement Program.

Alamance Community College

$3,718,111 in county funds, $2.5 million or nearly 40 percent less than requested, but $54,909 more than this year;

* $440,000 in repair and maintenance.

The allocation was based on 2 percent of the estimated growth in property tax revenues, Hagood said.

Equipment

$400,009: requests including vaccine refrigerators for the Health Department, new security systems, and a $294,589 microwave project for Central Communications to get away from copper phone lines.

* $45,000 recommended for a $33,000 tractor for the Parks Department, and $12,000 for bulletproof security doors at the Department of Social Services, which a grant.

"County dollarwise, we're looking at $33,000," Hagood said.

Vehicles

$755,070 requested, including $350,000 for 12 replacement vehicles for the Sheriff's Office, a new $195,000 ambulance and two trucks for the Parks Department.

$527,499 recommended, including nine replacement vehicles. Three more will be paid for from the department's performance management funds, which departments earn by meeting goals and cutting costs.

* The Emergency Medical services will get two remounted ambulances at $110,000 each and a medic unit for $45,000.

"So we did lose a new ambulance in this recommended budget," Hagood said.

* $252,150 in library materials requested, $200,000 recommended.

* $5,327,702 for the 12 county fire districts paid for by out-of-district property taxes, none of which is asking for a tax increase.

The county landfill will close the construction and demolition area, or cell, which is running out of room. The C and D cell charge was $32 per ton. Now, that refuse will go into the regular lined cell at $38 per ton.

Reporter Isaac Groves can be reached at igroves@thetimesnews.com or 336-506-3045. Follow him on Twitter at @tnigroves.

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