BY KARISSA MILLER

The Iredell County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Tuesday on its fiscal year 2023-2024 budget.

The public hearing will take place at 6 p.m. at Government Center, 200 S. Center Street in Statesville, inside the commissioners’ meeting room.

Commissioners met with county department heads and concluded discussions on the $323.6 million budget in May during their budget retreat planning sessions.

The proposed budget represents a 25 percent increase in spending from the current budget of $258.7 million.

County Manager Beth Mull recommended that commissioners reduce the property tax rate from 53.75 cents per $100 valuation to 50 cents per $100 valuation.

That does not mean property owners will see a reduction in their tax bills.

As a result of the recent countywide property revaluation, the county’s tax base has increased by about 40 percent since the last revaluation, according to unofficial projections.

Counties are required to calculate and publish the revenue-neutral tax rate, which is the rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as last year. Iredell County’s revenue-neutral tax rate is 39.86 cents per $100 valuation.

Employee Raises

The proposed budget calls for a 5 percent pay scale adjustment, which will increase the county’s entry level pay in an effort to fill some of their open positions with “good qualified applicants,” Mull said.

She’s also recommending a 4 percent merit increase that will be paid to all existing staff beginning July 1.

New Positions

The proposed budget calls for funding 30 new full-time positions and two part-time positions during the upcoming fiscal year.

Among the new positions are:

• Fourteen new positions in the Department of Social Services, including an attorney and two specialists in the child welfare division and 11 income maintenance positions to create another team as a result of the Medicaid expansion. The 11 income maintenance positions will be funded for six months, so they will be added in January.
• Eight EMS positions, which will be funded for six months and only filled once the other vacancies are filled.
• Two positions in the county’s IT Department; one application developer and another system analyst with a GIS focus.
• One part-time election specialist in the Elections Department.

Education Funding

The county funds three educational entities in the county: Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mooresville Graded Schools and Mitchell Community College.

In the proposed budget, the county’s allocation will increase to $2,223 per student, up from $2,056 over the current budget. That’s an 8.12 percent increase.

• I-SS will receive $52.3 million, up from $49.4 million, (6 percent increase);
• MGSD will receive $14.7 million, up from $13.5 million, (9 percent increase); and
• Mitchell will receive $4.84 million, up from $4.49 million (7 percent increase)

Fire & Rescue Funding

Iredell has an all-county fire tax that is used to fund fire services. The fire tax will remain at 9 cents per $100 valuation. Each department will see a 23 percent increase in operational funding.