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Good morning neighbors,
Last night, Alamance County commissioners rejected a proposed property tax increase and instead approved a reduced spending plan of $239.4 million, which includes drawing about $4 million from county government savings in fiscal year 2026-27.
In a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed to trim some taxpayer spending and postpone some planned capital projects, including cutting $1 million initially floated for new sheriff’s office vehicles.
Earlier this year, in a bid to avoid further use of the county’s emergency reserve balance – which can impact credit ratings – County Manager Heidi York proposed a 2.3% property tax rate increase to fund a prospective $278 million budget. York has cautioned against using reserve funds in order to keep the balance at 15% of annual spending, which is already 5% below the board’s policy. Monday’s decision is projected to leave the unassigned reserve fund balance at roughly 12%.
“We really won't know what our unassigned fund balance is until the audit is complete,” York told commissioners at the budget work session. “It is a shot in the dark.”
Although there’s no rate hike on the horizon, some homeowners may still face a higher tax bill next year as the countywide tax assessment is expected to assign higher values to property in many places.
Chair Kelly Allen, Vice Chair Steve Carter, and Commissioners Powell and Priola voted in favor of the amended budget proposal. Commissioner Pam Thompson voted against it, saying she would not support using the county’s savings to “pay our bills.” The budget takes effect July 1.
“That fund balance is that pot of gold at the end of some rainbow that I've yet to find,” Thompson said.
Besides the budget, zoning (or lack thereof) has been top of mind for many across the county lately.
Over the past several weeks, dozens of southeast Alamance residents have voiced their concerns at county commissioner meetings over large proposed subdivisions in their rural neighborhoods. They’ve also hosted their own community meetings attended by local and state elected officials.
We previously reported that our county is one of 20 in North Carolina without countywide zoning. Without it, these kinds of developments aren’t subject to approval by the county planning board or commissioners.
Commissioners have asked the planning board and staff to revise the county’s Rural Preservation Ordinance proposal, presented in August last year. On Thursday, the planning board approved a subcommittee to speed up the process of updating the ordinance in hopes of getting it in front of commissioners for a vote before the end of the year.
This week’s feature stories explore not only what zoning is, but the push and pull that land use regulations have faced in Alamance County, how we got there and what surrounding counties have done in the face of similar population growth. This reporting was done in collaboration with The News & Observer’s Orange County reporter Tammy Grubb – who has lived in rural Alamance County for decades.
Now, let’s dive in. |
