Fiscal Year 2023-2024

Recommended Budget Highlights

The Fiscal Year 2023-2024 recommended budget was presented to the Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 15. The recommended budget has a $590.8 million spending plan and can be viewed here. Video of the presentation and slides may be viewed at the bottom of this page. Several highlights of the recommended budget are included here:

• No tax or fee increases: the county-wide tax rate of 45.5 cents per $100 of assessed value is maintained.
• Investments in public schools: the total recommended funding for public schools across all funding categories – current expense, capital, debt service and pre-k classrooms – is $129,115,746 million. This meets the school system at their ADM (per-student) request and also funds $10.7 million for school capital needs, which is $6 million over the previous year and will fund a significant amount of the school’s request with the remaining needs funded in subsequent years as their capacity to do the projects allows.
• Use of escrow funds from hospital sale: the budget includes a total of $15.2 million from the county’s Mental and Behavioral Health Fund and Revenue Stabilization Fund to support a continued tax rate decrease that was adopted last year, fund the continued work of the community building plan and fund programs that support the board-adopted Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategic Plan.
• Affordable housing initiatives: furthering the county’s commitment to workforce housing initiatives, the budget includes $3 million in funding for year two of the Board’s 5-year, $15 million Workforce Housing Services Program to help increase the supply of residential units, retain existing affordable housing stock and increase residents’ access to those homes. 
• Community building initiatives: investments continue in the recommended budget to help provide resources to students and families, including the Port City United Connect Center and school-based Community Resource Coordinators, expansion of violence prevention and mediation programs, capacity building for nonprofits, Pre-K expansion, career and technical scholarships and more.
• Mental health and substance use disorder initiatives: new initiatives are being introduced in the recommended budget that further the county’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategy, utilizing the escrow fund as well as opioid settlement funds. The initiatives focus on education and outreach, access to services and treatment and sustainable recovery and wellbeing. More information about these investments can be viewed here          .
• Capital planning for the future: major capital improvements and investments are in the recommendation, including renovations for a medical detox and crisis stabilization facility on Robin Hood Road, renovations for the CFCC nursing facility, a Northchase library branch, Parks improvements, two new fire stations (on Gordon Road and in Castle Hayne) and investments in sewer and water infrastructure in the northern area of the county.

You may view a video of the presentation to the Board of Commissioners below and download a PDF file of the slide presentation.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the recommended budget on Monday, June 5 at 4 p.m. and will then adopt a final budget in June.