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The Southampton County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday, May 23, to adopt an $89,090,551 county budget for fiscal year 2023-24, as well as the most recently proposed FY 2024 tax levies and fees.

NEW TAX RATES

The adopted real estate tax rate keeps the rate the same at 89 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The personal property tax rate under the categories of general and public service corporations increases from $4.60 to $4.70 per $100 of assessed value. There is also a 10-cent increase in the farm machinery/single product category, from $1.15 to $1.25.

All other categories of personal property have rates that are unchanged from FY 2023.

FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOLS

The local funding for Southampton County Public Schools in the approved budget is $12,604,194, which includes operating money and debt service money.

Southampton Deputy County Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Lynette C. Lowe had previously noted that compared to the FY 22-23 county budget, this total represents a $100,000 decrease, coming from the operating fund.

During the May 23 meeting, Northwest District Supervisor and Board Vice Chair William Hart Gillette made a motion to move $100,000 from the administration, attendance and health category within the school’s proposed budget to the category of instruction, noting the Board of Supervisors’ intent that these funds go to teachers.

The motion passed without opposition.

In its initial presentation to the Board of Supervisors on April 12, SCPS had requested a more than $3.1 million increase in local funding compared to FY 22-23, resulting in a total request of $15,885,665.

BOARD PLANNING SESSION RETREAT

Southampton County Administrator Brian S. Thrower requested the board move money in the budget May 23 to increase funding for the Board of Supervisors’ planning session retreat.

“One of the most important things you all can do as a governing body is to set the vision and priorities for the locality and to do a real planning retreat session,” he said.

He noted that funding for the retreat in the initial proposed budget was $15,000, and initial board discussion led to that being reduced to $10,000. He said the budget committee discussed the funding and ultimately cut it down to $5,000.

“I’m requesting you increase that line item back to $9,500, which is the absolute bare minimum that I need to properly put that back together for you,” he said, noting that a retreat facilitator he has used with other localities in the past is willing to give the county a discount.

He said he was willing to forgo a couple conferences he was set to attend, for which $2,500 had been designated, and he also proposed pulling $2,000 from the supervisory training line to bring the board planning session retreat line up to $9,500.

The motion to make these changes passed without opposition.

EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR

Northwest District Supervisor David B. Everett expressed a desire for Southampton County to have its own emergency services coordinator rather than sharing one with Franklin, as was proposed in the draft budget. 

He ultimately agreed to continue the discussion at a later date.

He made a motion that the board leave the $75,000 that had been set aside for an emergency services coordinator in the budget until the board talks further and determines what course of action it would like to take.

The motion passed without opposition.