Commission to hear budget comments
By Steve Herring
Published in News on May 31, 2015 1:50 AM
Wayne County's proposed 2015-16 budget of $177,854,151 will be open for public comment Tuesday during a hearing before the county board of commissioners.
The public hearing will start at 9:15 a.m. The meeting will begin with an agenda briefing at 8 a.m., followed by the formal session at 9 a.m. Both will be held in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
Also on the agenda is the first of what is expected to be several budget workshops that also are open to the public.
A county budget has to be approved by July 1.
During the budget unveiling this past Thursday, commissioners set a four-minute time limit for people who speak during the public hearing.
That time could be longer should commissioners ask questions.
A copy of the budget proposal will be on file for public inspection in the office of the clerk to the board in room 470 of the courthouse annex at 224 E. Walnut St., and at the Wayne County Public Library at 1001 E. Ash St.
It also will be available for viewing on the county website, www.waynegov.com.
The proposal includes a small tax cut -- reducing the rate from 66.65 cents to 66.5 cents per $100 of property value.
It would eliminate several positions, but add 28 detention officers for the new jail.
Under the proposal, $600,000 is set aside for 2 percent merit pay increase for employees and an additional $300,000 to make sub-par salaries more competitive.
There are no fee increases.
However, there are two changes in fire district taxes. Elroy's will drop from 6.5 cents to 6.25 cent per $100 of property value while Patetown's will increase from 5 to 6.25 cents.
In other business Tuesday, commissioners will be asked to approve a reduction in a Goldsboro-Wayne Transportation Authority fee.
The authority is proposing to reduce its rural general public fare from $8 per one-way trip to $5, effective July 1. Authority officials said the reduction will bring the fee in line with those of similar services across the state.
The reduction's impact on revenue is expected to be "negligible" since more people will be able to afford the service, the officials said.
The board also will consider motions to approve:
* The final subdivision plat for North Landing, Section 2.
* A road-naming resolution to honor William Grey Bailey.
*Items on the consent agenda include: Health Department patient fees, eligibility and bad debt write-off policy; 2015-2017 fire protection district commission appointments; establishing a public hearing on June 16 at 9:15 a.m. on the Hazard Mitigation Plan update; application for present use value from Alice Kornegay, guardian for Nathan and Kaylee McKinney; application for property tax exclusion from Brogden United Methodist Church; and budget amendments.
Public comments will be taken at 10 a.m. when people will have four minutes to speak on their topic of choice.