FROM STAFF REPORTS
Mooresville town commissioners are scheduled to consider and approve the town’s budget for fiscal year 2020-2021 during a special meeting on Monday evening.
Town Manager Randy Hemann has presented a $70.84 million spending plan, which proposes maintaining the current property tax and water and rates. Overall spending would decline by nearly $5 million from the current budget.
The budget includes funding for three new firefighters for the second half of the year, two new telecommunicators for the police department and two new positions in the sanitation department. The positions are needed to meet an increased demand for services as a result of the town’s growth.
There’s also funding earmarked for two big trucks for sanitation, 17 police vehicles, and three staff vehicles for the fire-rescue department. There’s also money set aside for a dog park on Cornelius Road and a $125,000 increase in expenses for outside legal counsel.
Before the board approves the budget during Monday’s meeting — scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Charles Mack Citizen Center, residents will be able to comment during a public hearing. You may also email comments to publiccomment@mooresvillenc.gov.
The budget was prepared by a committee comprised of Hemann, the town’s assistant managers, chief financial officer and budget analyst. Spending requests from department heads totaled $78.9 percent and were trimmed by about 9 percent.
Those reductions were made partially to offset anticipated sales tax revenues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and a possible dip in property tax revenues in 2021.
During budget workshops with commissioners, Hemann told commissioners the plan maintains the current level of services and keeps the town on track to keep up with anticipated growth and development.
General fund expenses in the proposed budget are reduced from the current budget by 6.21 percent.
General Fund
♦ Salaries/Benefits: $35.6 million
♦ Operating Expenses: $13 million
♦ Debit Payments: $6.8 million
♦ Professional Services: $6.4 million
♦ Capital Outlay: $4.85 million
♦ Aid to Other Governments: $2.37 million
♦ Transfers: $1.73 million
Major Expenses
♦ $1.35 million for 17 patrol vehicles for the police department
♦ $446,000 for a public safety pay study
♦ $345,000 for new body/in-car cameras and Tasers for Police Department
♦ $325,000 for a new side-loader sanitation truck
♦ $292,000 for design for Fire Station 7
♦ $170,000 for a new rear-loader sanitation truck
♦ $125,000 for the Cornelius Road Dog Park
Meeting Information
Social distancing and CDC guidelines will be implemented during Monday’s meeting. Residents also watch live online at www.mooresvillenc.gov/live.