PINEHURST — Pinehurst will follow the lead of just about everyone else around the county with a tight budget heading in the 2012-13 fiscal year.
Officials with the city of Pinehurst held a public hearing concerned the proposed budget for the 2012/2013 fiscal year beginning October 1, 2012.
“It is a little tighter this year,” Joe Parkhurst, city administrator said. “ Expenditures are 5% higher and retirement participation is higher.”
The budget also includes the matching funds for the Keep Orange Beautiful grant and the CDBG grant.
“It will also include adding a few more street lights,” Parkhurst said. “We have phased in a few streetlights each year.”
The budget also includes a projected 2% salary increase for employees.
“We did not give everyone a raise,” Dan Barclay, mayor pro-tem said. “We just made sure to include it in the budget so that when the time comes to decide on such matters it would be available.”
The council approved the adoption of the proposed budget after the public hearing was closed.
The second public hearing was the first of two for the proposal to raise more revenues from property tax than the previous year.
“We are not increasing the tax rate,” Barclay said. “There is no change.”
The tax rate is determined by comparing the adjusted figure from the current year to an unadjusted figure of the coming year.
“The city is not increasing anything,” Debbie Cormier, city secretary said.
By law, the city must hold a public hearing on the tax rate - even if there is no change.
Under the proposed tax rate if a resident of Pinehurst had a $100,000 valued home last year and has a $100,000 valued home this year, they will see $0 difference in taxes.
The second public hearing for the tax rate will be 2 p.m. Thursday, September 13 in the council chambers.
The council will vote to adopt the tax rate at the 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 25 at the regular council meeting.
