The Henderson City Council adopted the 2023-24 budget at its regular monthly meeting Monday evening, but it was not a unanimous vote. The budget was approved on a 3-2 vote, with three council members absent. Council members Jason Spriggs, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Lamont Noel voted to approve the budget, with Garry Daeke and Mike Rainey casting a ‘no’ vote.
Council members Melissa Elliott, Sara Coffey and Marion Brodie Williams were not present at the meeting. Daeke said Monday evening to WIZS after the meeting that although he was in favor of raising revenues, he thought the 3.8 cent tax increase was too much. Rainey said that the upcoming revaluation would bring extra revenue to the city’s coffers as well.
Mayor Eddie Ellington said if he had been called to break a tie vote, he would have voted against approval of the budget.
“The city’s budget is of the utmost importance and will have major consequences for the following fiscal year,” Ellington told WIZS News. “I have expressed my concerns during the budget work sessions and I am against raising our city tax rate and placing the burden on our taxpaying citizens, especially during this time of uncertainty with a county wide property value revaluation already underway.”
The budget includes a 3.8-cent tax increase and sanitation fee increases, but as of now, no increases in water and sewer rates.
The tax rate in the new budget is .75, up from .71 per $100 valuation, and the sanitation fee will rise to $32, up from $29.
The $23.4 million budget calls for a $1,500 bonus for all full-time employees of the city in lieu of a COLA (cost of living adjustment), except members of the police department, whose salary increases were approved in March.
The council received the budget on May 8, and had several work sessions and offered at least one public hearing since then. The increases in the tax and sanitation fees is expected to add more than $500,000 to the city’s coffers.
These proposed increases would be the first since 2014, and Blackmon said there could be a slight increase in the water rate in the near future, now that financing for the Kerr Lake Regional Water System has been secured.
“Additional revenues will help sustain a stable fund balance to balance the budget and to help meet increased costs related to salaries, utilities, supplies such as chemicals, and other expenses impacted by inflation,” Blackmon told WIZS last week.
Some of the capital outlay expenditures budget highlights include IT upgrades police vehicles and equipment, fire truck upfitting and redevelopment.
Capital projects include McGregor Hall signage, Food Truck Court and redevelopment through land purchasing initiatives.
The Council also voted unanimously 5-0 to approve the request for purchase of bulletproof vests. Police Chief Marcus Barrow said the vests have a five-year life expectancy. The department has just hired four new officers, and the vests, which are custom made for each officer, will be provided. Barrow said the department is hoping to get additional funds from the N.C. League of Municipalities to help defray the cost of the vests.
The city is a step shy of designating a “social district,” which allows for public consumption of alcohol within a specifically defined area of downtown. The council approved giving the city manager authority to say “yay” or “nay” when event organizers request permission for the public to consume alcohol during particular events, upon his first receiving a recommendation on the request from a committee comprised largely of public safety officials.
Council also approved a request from Recreation and Parks to pursue a $150,000 grant from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation as it continues with construction of the new park at William and Montgomery streets, on property that once was the site of the Vance Hotel.
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