All commissioners present: Chairman Chad Stewart, Tony Braswell,
Ted Godwin, Patrick Harris, Butch Lawter, Fred Smith, Larry Wood


COMMISSIONER SMITH PRESSES FOR SCHOOL FUNDING
FREEZE WITH REASONS BEYOND CRITICAL RACE THEORY

Each year a member of the Board of Commissioners is designated to negotiate with school officials and others to work out agreements about funding levels in upcoming budgets. Commissioner Harris was handed that duty this year and he made the motion to adopt the 2021-22 budget including conditional funding for Johnston's schools linked to a requested policy on Critical Race Theory.

However, it was Commissioner Smith who once again led the charge on that issue during Monday's final budget session, and he added two more reasons for keeping the schools' current-expense appropriation unchanged, at least for now. Both are based on decisions at the state level about the coming year's funding for schools.

Johnston's school leaders have said the local system is projected by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to experience an enrollment loss of 1,250 students this coming year, resulting in a possible $5.8 million loss of state funding for Johnston's schools.

"We don't know whether that's going to materialize or not," Commissioner Smith said. "If, in fact, the budget is cut... we would at that time fund any shortfall in the per-pupil allowance."

The other factor Mr. Smith cited for holding local school spending in check just now is uncertainty over what the N.C. General Assembly will decide on salaries for school teachers and other employees. The county funding request from Johnston's school board covers 5% salary raises; Mr. Smith (a former state senator) believes the Legislature do less than that.

Stephen Britt, the school system's chief of finance, pointed out that the guessing game about salaries is nothing new. "In North Carolina we kinda do things backwards," he said. "We really should get our state budget first and then build our local budget off of what the state dictates to us."

Mr. Britt noted that state funding accounts for about 70% of the operating budget for Johnston's public schools.

APPROPRIATIONS ADDED TO THE FINAL BUDGET
TO BE COVERED BY A CUT IN EXPECTED SURPLUS

A long list of appropriations was added to County Manager Rick Hester's proposed budget before its adoption at Monday's meeting. And that was done despite an additional two-cent cut in the county's property-tax rate beyond a one-cent cut recommended by Mr. Hester.

How was that accomplished?

First of all, commissioners were told that a $2-million reduction in the county's revenue forecast because of the extra tax cut would be offset by a $2-million increase in anticipated sales-tax receipts after a surprisingly strong year for local retail sales despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Then, funding for the added appropriations came from a reduction in the coming year's anticipated General Fund surplus --- from $14 million in Mr. Hester's proposed budget to $8.7 million in the final budget. The county manager had recommended putting that surplus money in reserve for upcoming capital needs, especially new county office quarters likely to be built after completion of the new Detention Center and Public Safety Center now under construction.

Here's a rundown of appropriations added to Mr. Hester's original 2021-22 budget:

• Full funding of Johnston Community College's request for county allocations of $4,853,910 for operating expenses and $2,091,176 for capital projects.

• $1,573,340 to help the Town of Smithfield construct a second water-main connection across the Neuse River into West Smithfield (site of the new Amazon distribution center under construction).

• An increase from $600,000 to $1,200,000 in the Economic Development budget for a speculative industrial-building program.

• An increase from $589,000 to $610,000 for the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield. (The Town of Smithfield's annual appropriation to the library remains at $270,000.)

• $200,000 for Johnston Regional Airport to set aside for matching grants.

• $150,000 reserved for renovation of the Town of Micro's community building.

• $125,193 to cover the cost of extra help in the District Attorney's Office "until the State of North Carolina adopts (its) budget" and funds the positions, which were added by the state this past year to attack a backlog of cases building up during the coronavirus pandemic.

• $100,000 to help pay for a new home in Selma for My Kid's Club (following a previous $75,000 donation for that project).

• $75,000 for Harbor to continue serving victims of domestic violence.

• $60,000 for a proposed veterans' memorial at Benson, $29,108 for a similar project at Four Oaks.

• $50,000 to the Partnership for Children of Johnston County.

• $50,000 to Project Access, which provides low-cost medical care to needy persons who don't qualify for Medicaid.

• $40,000 for Pleasant Grove Community Building renovations.

• $25,000 to the Moccasin Creek Service District for a drainage study.

• $15,000 to the Clayton Fire Department, $9,000 to the Princeton Fire Department for contracted technical rescue services.

• $21,000 to the Smithfield Rescue Mission.

• $15,000 for Re-Entry, a program assisting persons who have been imprisoned.

• $10,000 for Johnston County Special Olympics.

• An increase from $124,615 to $143,000 for the N.C. Forest Service.

• An increase from $6,000 to $11,000 for the state's Beaver Management Assistance Program offered to Johnston landowners.


3% PAY RAISES FOR EMPLOYEES, MORE FOR OFFICIALS

The new budget provides money to raise the salaries of all county employees by 3% in July, followed by individual performance-pay raises up to 2% in September. The budget resolution also sets the salaries of four officers that are appointed by the Board of Commissioners: $217,990 for County Manager Hester (raised from $203,159), $167,880 for County Attorney Jennifer Slusser (up from $152,065), $122,384 for Tax Administrator Jocelyn Andrews (up from $111,320), and $76,502 for Clerk to the Board Paula Woodard (up from $ 72,217). Salaries set for the Board of Commissioners: $15,275 for each member (raised from $ 13,016) and $16,803 for the chairman (up from $ 14,317).


WATER & SEWER RATES RISING FOR RURAL CUSTOMERS

Effective with the new budget July 1, water and sewer rates for customers of the county's rural system will be higher: monthly base for water used by a typical customer to rise from $19 to $21, rate per 1,000 gallons to rise from $3.90 to $4.15 (up to 5,000 gallons; additional charges above that amount); base rate for sewer service to rise from $30 to $31, rate per 1,000 gallons from $6.55 to $6.90.


TAX RATES HIKED IN NINE RURAL FIRE DISTRICTS

The budget resolution sets property-tax rates for rural fire districts as follows:
• Cleveland --- from 7.25 to 9.25 cents per $100 valuation.
• Princeton --- from 5 to 10 cents.
• Kenly --- from 8 to 10 cents.
• Meadow --- from 7 to 11 cents.
• Micro --- from 10 to 12 cents.
• Benson --- from 10 to 12 cents.
• Corinth Holder --- from 10 to 11 cents.
• Bethany --- from 10 to 12 cents.
• Brogden --- from 8 to 10 cents.
• Blackman’s Crossroads --- from 8 to 13 cents.


STATE LOAN OF $83 MILLION FOR NEW SEWAGE PLANT

The board accepted a loan of $83,351,542 from the N.C. Division of Environmental Quality for construction of a new wastewater-treatment plant on county property off N.C. 210 west of Smithfield. That plant will eventually replace the county's existing facility on the Neuse River closer to Smithfield that was temporarily put out of commission by Hurricane Matthew's record flood in 2016. The state loan, from a revolving fund for such projects, is due to be repaid by customers of the county's sewer system over 20 years at an interest rate of 1.1%.


FOUR APPOINTED TO NURSING HOME ADVISORY BOARD

Commissioners appointed LaNarda N. Williamson, James Purington, Lasita Purington, and Heather Norman to initial one-year terms on Johnston County's Nursing Home / Adult Care Home Community Advisory Board. All have completed training required by the state. Five vacancies remain on the advisory board.


SUMMER LEARNING WEEK TARGETS YOUNGSTERS

The board adopted a resolution proclaiming July 12-16 as Summer Learning Week in Johnston. Speaking for the Partnership for Children, Lee Colbert told commissioners the observance is part of a national campaign to encourage youngsters to read. He said plans are to provide 300 stuffed animals for children to "adopt" as listeners to their daily readings.