By ELENA MARSH
Staff Writer
The Moore County budget season concluded recently when the Board of Commissioners approved a 1.5-cent rollback in the property tax rate from 31 cents for every $100 of property value to 29.5 cents.
Now, a penny on the county general fund is anticipated to generate more than $2.2 million in revenue. The approved budget is $237.2 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
As in years past, the Board of Commissioners prioritized a budget that would lower the tax rate while also keeping consistent with its goal of funding education and public safety. Including debt service, public schools were allocated the highest percentage of property tax revenue, followed by public safety and human services.
“I want to congratulate our staff for such a great job on the budget,” said Commissioner Nick Picerno.
Each year, the budget is designed by the Moore County Budget Task Force over the course of three months. Chairman Kurt Cook and Vice Chair Picerno sit on the task force.
The property tax reduction comes a year before the county conducts its every-four-years property revaluation, a process that could lead to higher land values and higher property tax bills. Governments frequently — but not always — reduce their tax rates in revaluation years to account for the higher property values. They call that a “revenue neutral” budget.
Two previous revaluation years, 2020 and 2024, show notable changes in the tax rate. In 2020, major projects included Sandhills Community College’s anticipated $20 million debt and a $103 million debt repayment on construction bonds for multiple elementary school projects. That year also folded in the new courthouse project, the $12 million North Moore High expansion project, and the $25 million McDeeds Creek Elementary School project.
Four years later, in fiscal year 2024, sales tax remained strong, and the rate dropped, a trend the county is hoping to continue.
This year, Moore County Schools is funded at more than $55 million, including debt service. Behind state funding, county money makes up the second largest part of the school district’s budget. The county and district operate according to a funding formula that allocates 38.5 percent of budgeted sales and property taxes — based on 33 cents per $100 of property valuation — to the school district.
Sandhills Community College is set to see total local funding of $8.3 million.
This upcoming fiscal year sees an addition of 4.5 full-time positions for the county, including an assistant fire marshal, a road sign technician, a library technician, a deputy sheriff, and a building and permitting inspector.
General fund positions removed for this fiscal year include two positions from the Department of Social Services and two from the Health Department. The decision to cut the positions from this year’s budget is due to the long length of time the unfunded positions have been vacant.
Contact Elena Marsh at (910) 693-2484 or elena@thepilot.com.
