The Vance County Board of Commissioners meets this evening for its regular monthly meeting. County Manager C. Renee Perry is scheduled to present the proposed 2025-26 budget.
The new budget must be approved by July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.
Information included in the agenda packet notes that Perry will present the proposed budget but will discuss in greater detail budget particulars during future work sessions.
it is expected that commissioners will schedule those budget work sessions in advance of the June 2 regular monthly meeting, which is when the public hearing on the budget will take place.
The 2024-25 budget came in at about $57.8 million.
At the time it was presented, the current budget was praised for being only about a 1 percent increase over the previous budget, but it didn’t have any money for jail renovations or a new EMS building, two big-ticket items that the county is considering.
Rising health insurance costs and cost-of-living increases are other items that may affect the budget that Perry will roll out to commissioners. County employees got a 4 percent COLA increase last year.
While it’s probably the most anticipated item on the commissioners’ agenda, the budget is not the only item. Here are a few other items the commissioners are likely to act on:
- A recent rezoning request for property on N.C. 39 South near Epsom. Perry is recommending that commissioners deny the request because it is not consistent with the county’s 1996 Land Use plan. Plans to put in a subdivision were met with some pushback by some county residents who spoke at the March commissioners’ meeting and commissioners requested then that the request be studied further.
- Granting the audit contract for 2024-25 is also under consideration. Included in tonight’s agenda is a recommendation that the county engage Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams, & Co.to conduct the annual audit. The fee is $61,500. The county still will send out requests for proposals, however.
- May 18-24 is National EMS Week, which Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones is requesting commissioners to officially recognize. There’s a proclamation for commissioners to approve that highlights the dedication of EMS professionals and promotes awareness of the critical role that EMS plays in public health.
- Increase the minimum salary for social worker positions in the county. The N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services “has expressed serious concern regarding the welfare of children in our county, which is being significantly impacted by ongoing staff vacancies across all levels of the Social Work team. Competitive compensation is critical to recruiting and retaining qualified professionals to ensure that essential services and protections for vulnerable children are not compromised,” according to an explanation in the agenda packet. Perry proposes a one-grade or two-grade increase in salaries for county social workers. Right now, the salary is $52,797; Perry proposes an increase to $55,172. She also proposes that the county consider building in more flexibility to the position, including allowing telework options that other nearby counties offer.
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