The Norlina Board of Commissioners on June 30 adopted a $1.6 budget for fiscal year 2022-23 that will maintain the current tax rate of 70 cents per $100 valuation.
No members of the community made comments during a budget public hearing which preceded the special meeting to adopt the budget.
The $757,766.22 general fund budget allocates funding as follows: $334,658.59 to the administrative department, $287,977 to the police department and $135,130.63 to streets and sanitation.
The following revenue is expected to be available to the general fund for fiscal year 2023: $253,766 in current year’s property tax, $8,000 in delinquent tax, $44,920.92 in vehicle tax, $382,108.36 in local option sales tax, $4,000 in beer and wine tax, $47,073.94 in franchise tax and $17,897 in the category of “other.”
The budget allocates a total of $852,625.47 to the water and sewer fund as follows: $770,725.47 for water and sewer operations and $81,900 for debt payments.
The adopted budget reflects a 50 cent increase in water rates and $1 increase in sewer rates. Rates per thousand gallons inside the town limits will be $6.50 for water and $7.50 for sewer. Rates per thousands gallons outside the town limits will be $7.75 for water and $9.75 for sewer.
The budget allocates $35,000 in the Powell Bill (or street aid) Fund for street maintenance.
ARPA funds
The adopted budget also reflects town appropriations of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Norlina has received the first tranche in the amount of $166,838.11. The total allocation is $333,676.22, with the remainder to be distributed within 12 months.
Funding may be used for the following categories of expenditures, to the extent authorized by state law:
• Support public health expenditures, by funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff;
• Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries and the public sector;
• Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extend of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic;
• Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors; and
• Invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructures and to expand access to broadband internet.
After consulting with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments for additional clarification, the town of Norlina decided to allocate its funding for the following government services through 2024: $111,225.41 for salaries for law enforcement services, $111,225.40 for salaries for parks and recreation services and $111,225.41 for salaries for general administration services.
The new fiscal year began on July 1.