Catawba County News

County Manager Mary Furtado Presents Recommended FY24/25 Budget

County Manager Mary Furtado Presents Recommended FY24/25 Budget

Published: May 13, 2024

Catawba County Manager Mary Furtado presented a recommended budget of $323,999,586 for Fiscal Year 2024/25 to the Board of Commissioners during the Board’s May 13 budget workshop. The full recommended budget and supporting documents are available online at www.CatawbaCountyNC.gov.

The County Manager’s recommended budget maintains a stable property tax rate of $0.3985 per $100 of valuation, which is the lowest in the region and the 8th lowest tax rate in North Carolina.

The total recommended budget increased by 8.1 percent driven primarily by inflationary pressures and planned fund investments in solid waste and water and sewer infrastructure. The General Fund budget recommendation of $250,435,039 reflects an increase of 3.6 percent, which is less than the annual rate of inflation.

The budget represents significant investments in quality of life in alignment with the Commissioners’ strategic priorities and direction. These investments include the implementation of plans covering a wide range of strategic focus areas such as economic development, education, community planning and development, and parks; additional public safety and public health staffing; and an increase to the local teacher salary supplement to assist the three local public school systems in attracting and retaining a qualified workforce.

“This budget invests in maintaining our core services and enhancing our good quality of life, both of which are vital to the well-being of our community and our residents,” said Furtado. “My recommendations are reflective of our longstanding tradition of conservative fiscal stewardship, which ensures we can address existing commitments while also allowing for resilience and adaptability as our community’s projected needs change over time.”

The recommended budget is balanced and prepared in accordance with the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

The Board of Commissioners will hold a budget workshop with County departments and outside agencies Wednesday, May 22, starting at 8:00 a.m. On Thursday, May 23, the Board will convene a Southeastern Catawba County Water & Sewer District budget hearing at 6:50 p.m., followed by a County budget public hearing. The Board is expected to approve a final budget for both the County and the Southeastern Catawba County Water & Sewer District during its regular meeting Monday, June 3, which begins at 6:50 p.m. The workshop, hearings, and regular meeting are all open to the public and will be held in the Board of Commissioners Meeting Room at the Catawba County Justice Center, 100 Government Center Drive, Newton, NC 28658.