Citizens have a chance to weigh in on Mount Airy’s proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year during a public hearing today.
The hearing, required as part of the annual city budgeting process, will be held during a 6 p.m. meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.
City Manager Stan Farmer released the preliminary spending plan on May 19 and it has been available for public review in the Municipal Building since.
Budget elements that tend to spark concern among local residents — projected increases in the property tax rate or water-sewer charges — are not forecast for the next fiscal year that begins on July 1.
The proposed budget calls for the tax rate to stay at 60 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, in addition to no utility hikes. That tax rate has been in place since 2018, when city property taxes were raised by 25%
No tax hike is proposed despite the 2022-23 spending plan, totaling $18,437,250, being about 24% higher than the budget adopted in June 2021 for the present fiscal year, $14.9 million. It also is 7% above the adjusted spending plan for this year, which totaled $17,232,929 as of late March.
Those figures pertain to Mount Airy’s general fund spending, with the city maintaining a separate water-sewer budget that is supported by user fees under an enterprise fund arrangement. It is put at $7,409,750 for 2022-23.
The reason for the much-higher general fund package is the inclusion of about $3.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated to Mount Airy as part of a nationwide COVID-relief package.
Most of that money is earmarked for a long list of projects to be undertaken during the next fiscal year mainly including major building and equipment needs at City Hall, Reeves Community Center and elsewhere.
These have a total price tag of nearly $3 million, part of total capital investment fund expenditures projected at $4.43 million. This will enable the city to make needed facility improvements while also providing non-profit appropriations “to maximize community offerings,” Farmer states in a budget message.
It is proposed that $128,500 be taken from Mount Airy’s fund balance, or savings, to help finance the American Rescue Plan Act-designated projects.
Personnel costs account for 55% of the proposed general fund budget, with full-time municipal employees recommended to receive a $1,500 raise for the next fiscal year.
Special appropriations
One area of the preliminary budget that could generate some public hearing comments concerns special annual appropriations.
These are allocated to outside agencies that, while not part of city government, play vital roles in the community.
Last year this included $87,500 for the Surry Arts Council, $103,650 to the Mount Airy Public Library, $10,000 for Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, $7,500 to the Mount Airy Rescue Squad and $10,000 for Mount Airy-Surry County Airport, a total of $218,650.
For 2022-23, only the rescue squad ($7,500) and airport ($20,000) are listed for funding.
In lieu of a special appropriation, $206,996 is proposed for much-needed repairs to the Andy Griffith Playhouse, which houses the Surry Arts Council, and $197,322 for the library under the same scenario. Both buildings are owned by the municipality although the council and library operations are not under the municipal umbrella.
On the heels of the public hearing, the commissioners typically hold a special budget session later in June to discuss related issues and subsequently adopt the spending plan for the next fiscal year.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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