SPRING LAKE — The Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing Monday night on next year’s budget with representatives of the N.C. Local Government Commission and also hear draft ordinances on a business registration inventory and special event permits.
The work session will begin at 6 p.m., and the public hearing on the proposed 2023 budget will be held at 7 p.m. in a joint meeting of the Local Government Commission and the Spring Lake Board of Commissioners at the Grady Howard conference room at Spring Lake Town Hall.
Representatives of the Local Government Commission will attend virtually.
The proposed $8,087,053 budget does not increase the property tax rate and is conservative, according to David Erwin, finance director for the town and accounting and financial management adviser for the N.C. Department of the State Treasurer.
Other highlights include a hike in water and sewer fees and adding positions to address beautification, code enforcement and other compliance issues.
The water and sewer rate increases are because of blended components imposed by rate increases by the Fayetteville Public Works Commission, one of the town’s main sources of water, and by town officials’ desire to follow the rate model put together in a water and sewer study by engineering firm MacConnell and Associates in 2020.
The increase in rates will help address needed infrastructure upgrades.
Residents are encouraged to review the fiscal year 2024 budget at Spring Lake Town Hall or at https://www.nctreasurer.com/links/state-and-local-government-finance/lgc/town-spring-lake. Anyone who wants to sign up for public comment at the budget hearing may do so in the following ways:
If residents have questions regarding the budget, they can call the State & Local Government Finance Division at 919-814-4300.
This is the second year that the Local Government Commission has held a budget hearing. The first was in 2022 after the state took financial control of the Town of Spring Lake amid concerns of budget deficits, fiscal disarray and an investigation into missing money.
The commission will adopt the final budget at a special meeting on Monday, June 26 at 1:30 p.m. The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen will then vote to endorse the adoption of the budget at a later time.
The board is also expected to hear proposed ordinances considering the town keeping a database of all businesses currently operating inside town limits. Interim Town Manager Jason Williams, who is also the town fire chief, and Police Chief Dysoaneik Spellman are proposing the ordinance in order for the fire department to perform annual inspections and the police department to conduct routine check-ins.
The second ordinance proposed is an update of the special events permit to include the formation of a special events advisory committee and to better manage public safety at events with 75 attendees or more.
Town employees are also expected to showcase a new firetruck, a new caterpillar loader and other equipment that has recently been purchased. Residents are invited to see the new equipment before or after the meeting.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the Grady Howard conference room of Town Hall.
