Lenoir City Council hears proposal for 2024-2025 annual budget.
May 22—The city of Lenoir held its regular city council meeting on Tuesday, May 21, at 6 p.m., during which the city council briefly discussed a number of projects, awarded contracts, and presented the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2024-2025.
The city approved a resolution requesting that North Carolina Environmental Management Commission deny the Charlotte Water IBT transfer request that would raise the cap on the water Charlotte Water may transfer from the Catawba River basin to the Rocky River basin from 33 to 63 million gallons per day.
"The city of Lenoir and the Western Piedmont Region is considered a growth area ... with additional water needs in the future," read the resolution. "There's a valid concern that interbasin transfers of this magnitude may effectively subsidize growth in receiving areas using the limited water resources of the Catawba River Basin."
The council awarded two contracts, one to Barrs Recreation for $313,845 for the construction of a new splash pad at the Lenoir Rotary Soccer Complex on Zachs Fork Rd., and one to Mattern & Craig with a ceiling of $353,625 to build a safe pathway along Hospital Avenue between Harper Avenue to US 321.
City Manager Scott Hildebran presented the recommended fiscal year 2024-2025 budget, which was build around the council's priorities of improving employee recruitment and retention, code enforcement to improve beautification efforts, housing, supporting the Water/Sewer Capital Improvements Plan, and organizational and staffing needs. Here are some of the highlights:
— The general fund is $23,751,580 at the current property tax rate.
— The property tax and rescue readiness taxes remain the same at $0.57 and $0.0085 per $100 valuation, respectively. The total tax rate remains unchanged at $0.5785.
— The budget includes a $1 monthly increase in the Solid Waste fee from $12 to $13 per month.
— Policing remains the largest expense of the city at $7,569,543 (or 32%) per year, with public works and fire following at $5,593,807 (23%) and $5,522,654 (23%), respectively.
— Water and Sewer rates will increase 3.2%, resulting in an additional $1.75/month estimated cost for a typical customer.
— All city employees will see a 4% cost of living adjustment, while non-exempt sworn police and fire personal will enjoy a pay plan step adjustment of one grade.
— Additional changes are made to employee benefits to aid recruitment and retention.
— The budget includes $146,590 to cover the cost of a 23.8% increase in electrical rates for street lights.
— The budget allocates funds for street resurfacing, implementing the town's new Downtown Master Plan and expanding downtown decorations.
— The budget includes more than $100,000 for demolitions and foreclosures, with another $33,000 for the Western Piedmont Council of Governments' Code Enforcement Services to assist with nuisance and code enforcement.
— The city will be replacing and upgrading information technology infrastructure for operations and security improvement.
The city has multiple multi-year capital projects in place funded by the American Rescue Plan, state appropriations, grants (including the Community Development Block Grant) and private donations. Among the projects already in place are:
— Greenway connections and expansions
— Renovations to the aquatic center
— The Parks and Recreation master plan
— Improvements to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center
— Repair of the fire department sink hole
— The aforementioned Hospital Ave. sidewalk project
— Cybersecurity infrastructure
— Wayfinding signage
— Improvements to the Lenoir High School campus
— A Lenoir-Valdese Water Interconnection.
A full copy of Tuesday's presentation, as well as a complete copy of the proposed budget, may be found at cityoflenoir.com/budgetproposal. A public hearing on the budget is set to be held on Tuesday, June 4, at 6 p.m.
