Halifax County Manager Tony Brown Monday will present the proposed 2015-2016 fiscal year budget to commissioners.
The meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. in the board of commissioners room at the Historic Courthouse in Halifax.
The budget will be available for public inspection after it is presented prior to the June 1 public hearing.
“This year's budget has some particular points of interest as it is following the county's most recent revaluation and the county-wide values of properties decreased an average of 7 percent,” the county manager said in a statement. “Counties are required by law to complete a revaluation every eight years.”
The last revaluation was in 2007 and commissioners opted to go to a four-year cycle which means the next assessment will be completed in 2019.
“The recession and the subsequent average drop in values county-wide is very unusual for counties completing revaluations in most recent years,” Brown said. “Counties in North Carolina are seeing decreases in values, which, in turn, requires a tax rate adjustment just to remain revenue neutral.”
Brown stressed in the statement the adjustment is not a tax rate increase. “It is a tax rate adjustment to bring in the same amount of revenue as brought in by the previous rate. It is also known as a hold harmless rate.”
Brown said there has been some misinformation spread in recent days regarding the adjustment, incorrectly calling it a tax increase. “There is no property tax increase this year. In fact, Halifax County government has not had a property tax increase in 12 years. The circulated information also states that county employees are receiving salary increases. The budget proposes a 2 percent (cost of living adjustment).”
The county manager stated that employees have not received this adjustment in a number of years. “As a whole, county employees' salaries are seven percent less than those doing the same jobs in neighboring counties. There are even some employees who qualify for assistance at the Department of Social Services.”
The official public hearing on the budget will be held June 1 at 9:30 a.m. Final budget adoption will be June 15 at 9:30 a.m.