The Pender County Board of County Commissioners approved a $111.5 million operating budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025-2026 on June 26th, a 4.7% increase from the FY 2024-2025 budget. The Board has also approved a $30.2 million budget for Pender County Utility Funds and combined Special Revenue Fund budgets of over $48 million. The tax rate is unchanged at $0.7375 per $100 of valuation. The budget also includes over $29 million for Pender County Schools (PCS) and an increased appropriation of more than $4 million for PCS capital outlay needs.
Two main priorities are addressed in the operating budget: maintenance of the tax rate and recruitment and retention of employees. Despite the introduction of new school debt service from the 2024 school bond, as well as debt payments beginning for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Law Enforcement Center (LEC) buildings, the current tax rate remains steady. Another budget goal was addressing the needs of current employees through improving pay structure and incentivizing hard-to-fill positions. The operating budget includes a 3.0% COLA for all employees, a one-step increase for employees who have been with the county for 1+ years, and $150,000 for an employee merit pool. Additionally, four deputy sheriffs and four detention officer positions beginning January 1 are included, emphasizing the county's commitment to public safety and facility preparation. Finally, over 220 positions are reclassified, improving salaries in social services, the Sheriff’s Office, E911, and Inspections. Lastly, 24 fleet vehicles meeting the county replacement policy are included.
The Pender County Utilities budget also includes seven new positions in Water Operations, Inspections, Centralized Maintenance, Water Treatment, and Solid Waste, as well as over two dozen reclassifications for improved departmental structure. Finally, the utility operating budget funds the purchase of 10 vehicles to improve service and continue to move operations in-house. We are confident these additions will continue to aid in the expansion of the water and sewer operations and serve the over 13,000 PCU customers.
To view the approved fiscal year 2025–26 budget, visit the Finance page.