HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-2025-031- Discussion and Decisions on FY 2025-26 Operating Budget, County Fee Schedule, and Tax Rates �0
RES -2025 -031 � f S ) a`� i Attachment 1
Resolution of Intent to Adopt the FY2025 -26
Orange County Budget
The items outlined below summarize decisions that the Board acted upon June 5, 2025 in approving the
FY2025-26 Orange County Annual Operating Budget and the FY2025-26 (Year 1) Capital Investment Plan
Budget.
WHEREAS , the Orange County Board of Commissioners has considered the Orange County FY2025-26
Manager' s Recommended Budget and the FY2025 -26 Manager' s Recommended Capital Investment Plan
Budget ; and
WHEREAS , the Commissioners have agreed on certain modifications to the Manager' s Recommended
Budget as presented in the FY2025 -26 County Manager's Recommended Budget on May 6 , 2025 ; and to
the FY2025 -26 Manager' s Recommended Capital Investment Plan Budget as presented on April 1 , 2025 ;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED , that the Orange County Board of Commissioners expresses its
intent to adopt the FY2025-26 Orange County Budget Ordinance on Tuesday , June 17 , 2025 , based on the
following stipulations :
1 ) Property Tax Rates
a) The ad valorem property tax rate shall be set at 63 . 83 cents per $ 100 of assessed valuation .
b) The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District Tax shall beset at 14 . 79 cents per $ 100 of
assessed valuation .
c) The Fire District and Fire Service District tax rates shall be set at the following rates (all rates are
based on cents per $ 100 of assessed valuation ) :
• Cedar Grove 7 . 54
• Greater Chapel Hill Fire Service District 11 . 50
• Damascus 10 . 20
• Efland 8 . 38
• Eno 8 . 71
• Little River 5 . 35
• New Hope 12 . 50
• Orange Grove 7 . 00
• Orange Rural 9 . 21
• South Orange Fire Service District 8 . 17
• Southern Triangle Fire Service District 10 . 20
• White Cross 14 . 00
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RES =2025 =031 Attachment 1
2 ) County Employee Pay and Benefits Plan
Provide a County employee pay and benefits plan that includes :
a . 2 % wage increase for permanent employees in active status on June 30 , 2025 . Continuation of
Merit Pay Program on employees ' base salaries , payable in January 2026 , at tiers of $ 561 for
proficient performance ; $ 842 for superior performance or $ 1 , 122 for exceptional performance . Page
235
b . A change in the salary schedule recognizing $ 18 . 18 per hour as the living wage for permanent and
temporary employees and recognizing the 2 % wage increase , effective July 1 , 2025 . Page 237
c . Increase the per pay period County contribution to non - law enforcement employees ' supplemental
retirement accounts to $ 102 per paycheck , continue the mandated Law Enforcement Officer
contribution of 5 . 0% of salary . Page 251
d . Continue the County ' s required contribution to the Local Governmental Employees ' Retirement
System ( LGERS ) for all permanent employees . For FY 2025-26 , the Law Enforcement Officers '
( LEOs) rate increases from 15 . 10 to 16 . 10 percent of reported compensation , and all other
employees ' rate increases from 13 . 60 to 14 . 35 percent of reported compensation . Page 250
e . Continue to provide medical , dental , vision plans , and current voluntary benefit plans to employees .
Page 258
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RES =2025 -031 Attachment 1
3) Adjustments to Operating And Capital Budget
Amendment Sponsor Budget Page , Department Amendment General Fund Revenue General Fund Expense General Fund Total
Remove County Funding for Q1 of CJRD
OP-S01 Staff 126 &210 CJRD & Sheriff and Sheriffs Mental Health Staff due to ($501400) ($50,400)
restart of grant
OP-1301 Greene 148 Durham Tech Provide $44,379 in Article 46 Funds to ($501400)
Durham Tech to close operational gap
OP-1301 Greene 76 Economic Reduce $44,379 in Article 46 ($50,400)
Development
Increase CHCCS district tax by .38 cents,
generating $757,242 for the district.
OP-1302 Fowler 148 CHCCS Leaves district $1 ,058,455 short of $3,805 ($541205)
Continuation Estimate. County tax
collection fee will generate additional
funding for General Fund
Direct surplus from District Tax Collection
OP-B03A Fowler 178 Housing $3,805 ($501400)
Fee to LHA program
Increase LHA program budget by
OP-B03B Hamilton 178 Housing $100,000 $49,600
$100,000 to $374,000
OP-8038 Hamilton 194 Non- Decrease Social Justice Reserve Fund to
Departmental cover LHA ($ 100,000) ($50,400)
OP-B04 Carter 152 Emergency Continue Crisis Counselor contract with $97,211 $46,811
Services Town of Chapel Hill with General Funds.
OP-605 Portle-Ascott, Carter 85 Board of Fund 1 .0 FTE starting 1 /1 /2026 for $35,905 $82,716
Elections Election Coordinator
OP-B06 Carter 83 BoCC Apply 10% Travel and Training reduction
to Board of County Commissioners. ($2,540) $80, 176
Carter,Portie-Ascott, Reduce FY 25-26 tax increase by 1 .79
OP-607 Hamilton, McKee 230 & 148 Schools cents based on reduction of Transfer to ($5,906, 173) ($519001000) $86,349
School Capital for Pay-Go; see CIP-1314
Fund all board amendments, .03 cent tax
OP-B99 All increase, slight decrease to Fund $86,349 $0
Balance.
1-Grand Total r
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RES =2025 =031 Attachment 1
Amendment # Sponsor CIP Budget Page Department Amendment Year 1 Impact 10 Year CIP Impact
CIP-S01 Reduce Construction funds for Crisis Diversion -$285,000 -$285,000
Staff 53 AMS Facility, advanced to FY 24.25 in Budget
Amendment
CIP-S02 Piedmont Food Processing Center • Utilize Article 46 $0 $0
Staff 82 AMS funded Financing rather than Pay-as-you-Go Funding
for FY 26
CIP-S03 Evidence Storage Building reduce footage by -$1 ,278,500 -$ 11278 ,500
Staff 63 AMS anticipating moving Sheriffs Office and "hot storage"
to Link Center Renovations
CIP-SO4 Move "Justice System Space Needs" to years 1 and $1 ,4000000 $0
Staff 78 AMS 2, to renovate the Link Center and move the Sheriff
into the facility.
CIP-S05 145-148 CHCCS Update Recurring Capital and Article 46 Funding split $0 $0
Staff 161 -163 OCS Schools between districts to FY 26 Budgeted ADM, With
Article 46 excluding charter students
CIP-S06 Reduce Article 46 funding for schools to $63,921 in $63,921 -$767,440
146 CHCCS FY 25-26 based on revised sales tax projections, and
Staff 161 OCS Schools reduce 10 years to assume 4% growth from that
number.
CIP-B01 Bedford 52 AMS Reduce scope of Animal Services renovation to just -$298,720 -$298 ,720
USDA required
CIP-B02B Greene 57 Sustainability Remove funding in years 7 and 9 for Community $0 44241000
Resilience Hubs
CIP-B03 Remove window Coverings for Great Hall at -$611000 -$61 ,000
Bedford 76 AMS Seymour Center. Department to use MAP balance for
this expense instead
CIP-1304 Bedford 88 AMS Reduce scope of RENA renovation to $1 M, split $0 $0
between county and the municipalities
CIP-B05 Bedford 91 Sustainability Remove Solar Photovoltaic System for Hillsborough $0 -$532, 114
Commons in Years 2 and 3
CIP-606 Bedford 93 AMS Reduce Scope on Southern Human Services $0 -$9,628,672
Expansion/Renovation to only touch Health spaces.
CIP-607 Bedford 105 DEAPR Defer Blackwood Farm Park Equipment Purchases $0 41000000
to outside of 10 Year CIP window
CIP-B08A Bedford 106 DEAPR Half Conservation Easements Investments $0 -$750,000
CIP-B09A Bedford 110 DEAPR Half Lands Legacy investments $0 -$875,000
CIP-B10 Bedford 108 DEAPR Defer Fairview Park Expansion outside of 10 year $0 -$1 ,959,683
CIP window
CIP-911 Bedford 108 DEAPR Add funding for Soccer goals at Fairview Park in year $30, 000 $30,000
1 of CIP.
CIP•B12 Bedford 112 DEAPR Defer Millhouse Park outside of 10 ear CIP window $0 -$31450,000
CIP-B13 Bedford 117 DEAPR Defer Soccer.COM Phase II expansion outside of 10 $0 •$39960,000
year CIP
CIP-B14 Enable 1 .79 cent reduction in FY 25.26 tax increase -$500,000 4919001000
by amending School Capital Pay-Go Phase-in to
Cader,Podie-Ascott, $500k in year 1 , $6M in year 2, $10M in year 3.
Hamilton, McKee 131 -154 Schools Planning for Major Projects fully funded by
accelerating bond spending in year 1 and year 2.
Reduces 10 year Pay-Go Funding for School Major
Projects b $9.9 M.
Grand Total Change from Recommended Budget •$15057,141 -$3412401129
4) Changes in County Staff Positions ( Increase in FTE Approved ) .
Department Position Name Fund Start Date FTE
Asset Management Services Facilities Maintenance Technician I General Fund 7/1/2025 1 . 00
Solid Waste - Fleet iAutomotive Mechanic ' General Fund 10/1/2025 1 . 00
Solid Waste - Fleet Automotive Mechanic ! Genera I Fund 10/1/2025 1 . 00
Tax Administration Emergency Management Billing & Collection Technician I General Fund 7/1/2025 1 . 00
Board of Elections Elections Coordinator General Fund 11 1/1/2026 1 . 00
ICounty Manager - Arts Commission Program Coordinator Visitor's Bureau Fund 7/1/2025 , 1 . 00
ICJRD Clinical Coordinator Opioid Fund 7/1/2025 0 . 25
Totals 6. 25
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RES -2025 -031 Attachment 1
5) General Fund Appropriations for Local School Districts
The following FY2025-26 General Fund Appropriations for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
and Orange County Schools are approved :
a) Current Expense appropriation for local school districts totals $ 111 , 328 , 011 and equates to a
per pupil allocation of $5 , 877
1 ) The Current Expense appropriation to the Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools is
$64 , 752 , 786
2 ) The Current Expense appropriation to the Orange County Schools is $46 , 575 , 225 .
b) School Related Debt Service for local school districts totals $20 , 840 , 155 .
c) Additional net County funding for local school districts totals $7 , 782 , 006
( 1 ) School Resource Officers and School Health Nurses Contracts - total appropriation of
$4 , 124 , 806 to cover the costs of School Resource Officers in every middle and high
school , and a School Health Nurse in every elementary , middle , and high school in both
school systems .
(2 ) Recurring Capital — total pay-as-you -go funding of $3 , 621 , 200 to cover recurring capital
funding at both school districts and planning and design funds for bond projects .
(3) Enrollment Projections — total funding of $ 36 , 000 to contract with Carolina Demography
to provide enrollment projects for both districts . This is utilized in the annual SAPFO
process and is used to guide capital planning .
6 ) Capital Investment Plan Funding for FY2025 -26 (Year 1 )
The following FY2025-26 (Year 1 ) Capital Investment Plan Appropriations are approved :
a) Overall Total Capital Investment Plan Funding of $ 75 , 322 , 781
b) County Capital Projects Funding of $ 38 , 035 , 068
c) School Capital Projects Funding of $ 33 , 543 , 419
d ) Solid Waste Project Funding of $ 3 , 274 , 294 and Sportsplex Project Funding of $470 , 000
7 ) County Fee Schedule
To adopt the County Fee Schedule to include changes in the FY2025-26 Manager' s
Recommended Annual Operating Budget and approved by the Board of County Commissioners on
June 5 , 2025 ,
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