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Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.
McMillen discussed the $49,268,824 proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Vance County Budget as presented to the Vance County Board of Commissioners at their May 4, 2020, meeting and as discussed in Board work sessions on May 12 and 13.
A public hearing to receive citizens’ comments on the proposed budget will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 1. To adhere to current social distancing guidelines, the public is asked to email comments regarding the budget to Vance County Clerk Kelly Grissom at KGrissom@vancecounty.org prior to the hearing or up to 24 hours after the hearing.
The $49.27 million budget represents a decrease of $84,750 from the current year’s amended budget, due in large part to the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the projection of lower revenues, particularly sales tax revenues, in the new fiscal year.
McMillen said coronavirus will have an impact on the economy and local budgets well into the new fiscal year, and possibly for the remainder of 2020.
“Economists are saying it will have an impact at least through the first quarter of the new fiscal year and maybe through the second quarter, which takes us through the end of the calendar year,” McMillen stated. “We haven’t seen the full impact of the current fiscal year yet because revenues come in three months after the sale, so we’ll see that impact in June, the last month of our current fiscal year.”
Considering a continued pattern of minimal revenue growth, uncertainty around the virus, no proposed tax increase and more funding requests this year than in previous years, McMillen said it was not feasible to include approximately $3.5 million in requested funding in the new budget.
“When we talked early in the spring, we said this was the year we really needed to have a tax increase, but when coronavirus came around, we were able to present a budget without a tax increase,” McMillen said. “If we funded all requests, we’d have to raise taxes 13.5 cents just to cover the $3.5 million.”
Among the items not included in the budget:
- 12 of 15 requested new positions across various County departments;
- A $100,000 increase to Vance County Schools funding;
- Approximately $500,000 in requested roof repairs and renovation costs at Vance-Granville Community College
McMillen said the proposed budget allows Vance County Commissioners to meet top priorities and goals set at the Board’s planning retreat in January, including:
- Funding a community paramedic (EMS) position
- Completing renovations of the former Eaton Johnson Middle School building to house the Vance County Department of Social Services with an anticipated completion date of June 2021.
- Increasing jobs and investments through economic development – additional marketing funds included in the Henderson-Vance Economic Development budget.
To hear the interview with McMillen in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.