In a workshop held at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center on May 14, County Commissioners reviewed the proposed budget for 2019/2020. The proposal under consideration does not raise property taxes, keeping the rate at 84 cents per $100 of accessed value.
Other highlights of the budget, which are included in the budget overview provided, include a 37 percent allocation to Education; 22 percent to Human Services; 19 percent to Public Safety; 10 percent to Community Services; 6 percent to General Government; and 6 percent in the “Other” category.
The budget preparation season officially began at the Board’s Planning Retreat this past February. During these planning sessions, Board Members discussed current programs and provided staff guidance. The County Manager then informed department managers of program ideas that the Board expressed interest in when making recommendations for the proposed 2019/2020 budget. Individual departmental meetings were held form late March to early April to review budget requests and to finalize expenditures. Revenues were the last item to be addressed, because much of the property tax information and the year-to-date historical data was not available until late April. The revenue and expenditures were finalized at the end of April, after another full review of revenues, expenditures and projected fund balance, with the recommended budget being presented to Commissioners at the May 6 meeting of the Board.
Goals listed in the proposal, which were communicated during individual budget work sessions, monthly meetings and in the annual planning retreat include, among others: 1. a conservative estimate of revenues and expenditures to avoid expectations of performance that are not realistic; 2. the creation of an atmosphere where efforts to “spend down” during the fiscal year are discouraged; 3. the presentation of a budget that maintains the current level of programs and services provided by County departments to the public, without a reduction unless those reductions are caused by State or Federal reductions; 4. the presentation of a budget that does not supplant funding cuts by the State or Federal governments, but instead reduces those programs and informs the public of the associated impacts; and 5. the presentation of a budget that re-evaluates all expenditures in order to offset projected losses in revenues so that, in light of the current economic conditions, a tax increase is not needed for general government operations but allows for policy review and potential service reductions or exansions based on other policy directives.
The estimated tax base of $4,946,048,430 for fiscal year 2019/2020 is projected to provide revenues of $41,102,256 at the recommended tax rate of 84 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation, assuming a 98.93 percent collection rate. The recommended budget also appropriates $2,313,755 from fund balance in order to maintain current levels of county-provided programs and services, without an increase in the tax rate.
Residents and those interested in the budget can request to see it at the County Manager’s Office on Williamsboro Street in Oxford or at any of the four library branches in Oxford, Creedmoor, Stovall and Berea.
A public hearing to receive comments on the proposed budget will be held on Monday, May 20 at 7 p.m. (or shortly thereafter) in the Auditorium, Granville Expo and Convention Center. All interested are encouraged to attend.
To view a copy of the proposed budget, click here: http://www.granvillecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/FY-2020-Granville-County-Proposed-Budget.pdf.
For details about service expansions and requests, please visit either the County Manager’s office on Williamsboro Street or any one of the four branches of the Granville County Library System in Oxford, Creedmoor, Stovall and Berea.