Like every County in North Carolina, Mecklenburg County must adopt an annual budget by July 1 for the fiscal year that ends June 30.
The next budget cycle begins as soon as the current budget is passed, and work is well underway to develop the next Manager’s Recommended Fiscal Year Budget to be presented in May.
From that point, the Board of County Commissioners holds a series of meetings and a public hearing and then decide on the County’s spending plan and property tax rate to support it.
Between now and then, we want to hear what you think the County’s priorities should be, and this year there are more opportunities than ever to provide your input.
FY2023 BOCC Budget Retreat
Resident Budget Priority Survey
The
Resident Budget Priority Survey is a dynamic feedback tool where County residents were are asked to provide their budget priorities by ranking services by level of importance to the County’s future. The results will be shared with the Board of County Commissioners at the Annual Budget Retreat and will be published in an Interactive Dashboard that can be used to filter and view survey results by district, age, race/ethnicity, income, and more.
Participatory Budgeting: Your Ideas, Your Impact.
Mecklenburg County is offering an additional way for residents to get involved in the budget process for FY2023! Mecklenburg County is implementing PB Meck, its
participatory budgeting program.
Participatory Budgeting allows residents to determine how to best address the needs of their communities by turning ideas into actual project proposals, voting on which projects to fund, with winning projects being funded by the County.
Residents will work with community volunteers representing each County Commissioner district to identify projects. Funding will be divided evenly among the County Commissioner districts. Residents across the County will offer their ideas. Ideas will be vetted by County staff and then voted on by County residents. Winning proposals will be funded with the expectation that all projects will be complete within 18 months.
The Balancing Act Budget Simulator
The
Meck Budget Simulator is a tool designed to allow County residents to show us how they would balance the budget. Visit this link to learn specific details about Mecklenburg County revenue sources and expense categories and create a balanced budget based on what is important to you. Submit your balanced budget for County leaders to view. Residents may also submit individual comments and share the tool online.
Property Tax Estimator
Use the
Property Tax Estimator to see how changes to the rate would impact your annual County tax bill.
Board of County Commissioner Budget Priorities
Racial Disparities: Ensure that investments by the County focus on closing racial and ethnic gaps so that race does not predict one's success, while also improving outcomes for all. Race will be interwoven into the Board Priorities below through policies, practices, and procedures that seek to eliminate the root causes of racial disparities with the hope that all people in Mecklenburg County have an equitable opportunity to thrive in the community.
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Affordable Housing: Evaluate new housing opportunities that are affordable to residents in need.
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Education Attainment Gaps: Link existing allocations to strategies and targets to improve college and career readiness outcomes for all students.
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Environmental Leadership: Implement the Environmental Leadership Action Plan.
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Meck Pre-K: Continue implementation of voluntary, universal public pre-k for all eligible 4-year-old children.
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Workforce Development: Provide leadership and align communication with job seekers and employers.