County Manager Dena R. Diorio presented her Fiscal Year 2020 Recommended Budget to the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) today.
The $1.9-billion Recommended Budget is an increase of $158 million, or 9.1 percent, over the current Fiscal Year 2019 operating budget. It rolls back the tax rate 25 percent from 82.32 cents to 61.69 cents per $100 of assessed value.
For example, if a $250,000 home increased by 40.41 percent, following the revaluation, then the new value of the home will be $350,000. When calculated with the Manager’s proposed tax rate of 61.69 cents, the tax increase will equal less than $9 a month.
Funding highlights include:
Public Health Funding
- Total investment of $83.7 million, an increase of $4.4 million for Fiscal Year 2020
- $125,000 to increase funding for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program
- $424,000 for the expansion of PrEP usage and awareness and funding to sustain HIV/STI testing in non-traditional locations
- $103,000 for the addition of an environmental health specialist for County pool inspections
- $725,000 in funding for six additional senior environmental health specialists and one supervisor for food and facilities
- Collectively $256,000 in funding for two school health nurse supervisors, two medical assistants for vaccine administration and to cover the costs of school health nurse certification exams
Department of Social Services Funding
- Total investment of $161.2 million, an increase of $4.7 million for Fiscal Year 2020
- $153,000 for homebound meal delivery expansion
- $391,000 to cover the costs for Special Assistance Program increases
- $312,000 in funding for Kindship Care provider payments
- $340,000 in funding for foster care expenses based on Raise the Age (effective Dec. 1, 2019)
Affordable Housing Funding
- Total investment of $22.5 million, including a $15.2-million increase for Fiscal Year 2020
- $11.2 million to establish a new rental subsidy program
- $500,000 to cover the expansion of Legal Aid of North Carolina offices at the County’s Billingsley campus and funding for Legal Aid of North Carolina to provide eviction assistance services to tenants
- $1.3 million to fund “Keeping Families Together”
- $1 million to fund Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repair Program
- Community Support Services funding of $50,000 for client benefits to assist the homeless access housing
- $204,000 for two positions in Community Support Services to support the Community’s Continuum of Care Program. The Continuum of Care Program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness
- $170,000 for the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
MECK Pre-K and Early Childhood Education Funding
- Total investment of $36.9 million for Fiscal Year 2020, an increase of $21.1 million for Fiscal Year 2020
- $14 million to help clear the childcare waitlist
- $7 million to bring the total number of children served to 1,242
Mental Health Support Funding
- Total investment of $44.4 million, a $6.8-million increase for Fiscal Year 2020
- $400,000 for therapeutic foster care to support the costs of emergency and regular placements for children
- $114,000 in funding for two full-time social workers who will provide screenings for adverse childhood experiences at public health clinics and provide referrals to individuals in need of care
- $5.7 million for school mental health support staff, which includes 27 social workers, 10 psychologists, 10 counselors, eight coordinators and training
Park and Greenways Funding
- Total investment of $51.2 million, including a $12.8-million increase for Fiscal Year 2020
- $2.8 million in funding for 39 new positions
Reducing Racial Disparities Funding
- Total investment of $8.1 million, including a $6.3-million increase for Fiscal Year 2020
- $3.3 million to establish a Small Business Micro Loan Fund
- $250,000 to fund an assessment of the County’s MWSBE Program
- $150,000 for the Arts and Science Council’s “Culture Blocks” program
- $485,000 to purchase a mobile library and hire a mobile library program coordinator
Employee Investments Funding
- $15 million in recurring funding for a 5.5 percent “Across the Board” increase, except temporary workers
- No premium increases
- Waived health insurance premium deductions for the last pay period in November
- $190,000 for the annual cost to support the salary increase for regular full-time employees to $15 an hour
- Pet Insurance (employees purchase)
- County employees will now receive an extra day during the Christmas holiday. The change will allow the County’s holiday schedule to be consistent with the State’s holiday schedule
- Beginning July 1, County employees will have access to “Meck Passes” at no cost for access to all existing recreation centers, the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center, Ray’s Splash Planet and ultimately our regional recreation centers
Sheriff’s Office Bonuses
- $2.3 million to cover bonuses for all sworn and certified detention officers of the Sheriff’s Office
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Funding
- Total investment of $534 million, an increase of $50 million, or 10.2 percent over the current operating budget
- $8 million to increase the local supplement for teachers. This increase will make CMS teachers the highest paid school district in the state by one percentage point
- $7.4 million to fund salary increases for locally funded employees
- $7.2 million to begin phase one market adjustments for hourly staff, bringing their rate to $13.22 an hour
- $4.3 million for increased costs for health insurance and retirement contributions
- $6.2 million for charter school enrollment growth
- $650,000 to support the costs for new and expanding facilities
- $6.1 million for building services and preventive maintenance
- $3 million for IT system modernization
- $4.6 million in capital funds for school security enhancements across the district
Central Piedmont Community College Funding
- Total investment of $41.8 million, an increase of $1.1 million for Fiscal Year 2020
- Capital repair and maintenance
- Salaries and wages for locally funded employees
Next Steps:
The BOCC will hold a public hearing to receive input on the FY2020 Recommended Budget on Thursday, May 9 at 6 p.m. in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center Meeting Chamber. Residents can register to speak here. Following the public hearing, the Board will hold a Straw Vote session on May 28-29, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., in the Valerie C. Woodard Conference Center, 3205 Freedom Drive, Suite 4009, Charlotte. The Board is scheduled to adopt the Fiscal Year 2020 Recommended Budget on Tuesday, June 4. The Fiscal Year 2020 Budget will take effect July 1, 2019.