The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners met Monday to consider the budget for fiscal year 2024-2025.
“The budget reflects the town board and staff’s commitment to providing high quality and low cost services that provide safe and secure neighborhoods that are fundamental to the quality of life and economic vitality that we seek,” said town manager Jonathan Franklin, who presented the proposal, put together by town staff, to the board.
The proposed budget comes in at $11,093,912, at an unchanged tax rate of $0.44.
The budget includes a proposed municipal vehicle tax of $30 per vehicle annually, a $0.94 per month increase in solid waste rates to $11.28 annually, a 5.3% cost-of-living increase and a 2% merit bonus for town employees. It also includes funding for an additional community police officer.
After discussion, the budget hearing was continued to June.
The board also discussed the NCDOT Truck Route Signage Project, intended to change truck routes to keep large truck trafic out of downtown.
“In 2022, the board cited this as a priority for safety in downtown as well as additional support of economic development in downtown,” said engineering director Kent Jackson. “They adopted a resolution asking NCDOT to reassign the truck route along highway 87 and eventually onto 64-bypass and return back to 15-501N.”
Though approval has been given for the change, there’s currently a one-year delay in receiving new highway signage and NCDOT is holding the town to a 50% cost share of the $250,000 project cost. In addition, NCDOT plans to update the route down the line once Chatham Parkway is completed and to designate it as part of the route.
“The main question at hand is, do we want to spend $125,000 to have signage relocated for two to three years, for it to then be moved again?” Franklin asked. “And the other question is, why would Chatham Parkway be designated that? I’d like to hear the answer to that question first.”
This decisions, too, will be considered next month.
And following up on a previous item, the commissioners approved a conditional rezoning request for a proposed storage site located on US Highway 64 Business West.
The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will next meet June 10.