County Manager Recommends $2.5 Billion Operating Budget for FY2025 (2024)

Mecklenburg County Manager Dena R. Diorio today presented her recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2025 to the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.

The $2.5 billion recommended budget features a 5.5% increase, or $130 million, over the current FY2024 operating budget. To fund the critical services provided every day by Mecklenburg County and invest for the future, the County manager recommends a tax rate of 48.81 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That represents a 1.5 cent increase in the tax rate—one cent that was previously scheduled to fund the Capital Improvement Plan adopted last year, and a half cent to maintain Mecklenburg County’s services.

The FY2025 budget works to achieve several broad goals:

• Fund programs and services that align with the Board’s priorities, including early childhood development, educational attainment, environmental stewardship, health access, housing insecurity, workforce development, and racial disparities.
  
• Maintain exceptional service in an environment of falling revenues and reduced resources.
  
• Demonstrate prudent decisions to protect Mecklenburg County’s financial strength.
  
• Strengthen Mecklenburg County through investments that build resiliency and ensure a positive impact on everyone.

Recommended Operating Budget

The primary theme of the FY2025 recommended budget is maintenance of current services, investing in Board priorities, and funding our critical partners, all while minimizing the financial impact on taxpayers. This is amid a period of shrinking revenues and the expiration of pandemic-era funding. Plus, there is loss of revenue at the Sheriff’s Office due to its decision to no longer house federal inmates ($12.3 million); Register of Deeds Office due to a slowing housing market and higher interest rates ($5.7 million); and lost Medicaid reimbursem*nts ($2.3 million).

Board Priorities

The FY2025 recommended budget includes a total of $146 million in new funding for the Board of County Commissioners’ priorities:

• Health Access
  
• Housing Insecurity
  
• Educational Attainment
  
• Workforce Development
  
• Environmental Stewardship
  
• Early Childhood Development
  
• Reducing Racial Disparities
  

Health Access

The FY2025 recommended budget includes $7.5 million in new resources related to health access.

• $2.8 million for Medic fleet replacement (12 ambulances and technology).
  
• $820,000 for Youth and Family Services emergency shelter.
  
• $266,000 for a dental mobile unit supported by a dentist and dental hygienist.
  
• $100,000 for the Save a Smile program which helps uninsured pediatric patients.
  
• $350,000 for increased costs of vaccines in the immunization program.
  
• $450,000 for more temporary medical staff to help new Medicaid patients.
  
• $250,000 for a one-time contribution to the capital campaign for Charlotte is Home Center to provide legal and healthcare services to refugee & immigrant populations.
  
• $250,000 for contracted interpreting to support growing service needs.
  
• $220,000 to provide fresh food at the Community Resource Center pantries, increasing cost for food a congregate meal and mobile market sites, and a position to support the mobile market.
  
• $150,000 for Pat’s Place to increase service at the Child Advocacy Center.
  
• $84,000 for a health program supervisor for the interpreter team.
  
• $30,000 for increased stipends for Nursing Home Advisory Board members.

Housing Insecurity

The County manager recommends $16.9 million in new funding to help residents achieve housing security.

• $14.7 million one-time affordable housing fund allocations for A Home for All and $2.6 million for critical home repair.
  
• $1 million for six-months operating for Forest Pointe Place permanent supportive housing.
  
• $537,000 for NOAH project payments and administration.
  
• $280,000 for re-entry housing agreements that were initiated with ARPA funding.
  
• $200,000 increase for Legal Aid of NC to serve and additional 200 clients.
  
• $98,000 contract increases for Roof Above.

Educational Attainment

The FY2025 recommended budget includes $46.4 million in additional operating funding for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Of that amount, 65% will go directly to employees, including:

• $10.2 million for salary increases for locally funded staff.
  
• $7.4 million to increase supplements with a focus on more tenured teachers.
  
• $13.8 million to begin raising minimum salaries to $20 per hour, which includes $4 million in one-time bonuses.
  
• $33 million for repairs and maintenance of existing facilities, $10 million over historical allocations.
  
• Additional dollars for support charter school enrollment, utility increases, opening of two new schools, cyber security, and new devices for students.

Workforce Development

From advanced manufacturing to healthcare to computer technology, Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) is the first choice of many residents who are working toward economic mobility and a successful future, and a key partner in addressing Mecklenburg County’s workforce development priority. The County manager recommends:

• $2.1 million in additional operating funding for CPCC.
  
• $6.8 million in capital maintenance, including $3 million in one-time funding.

The County is further investing in workforce development with:

• $844,000 million to continue the MeckSuccess pilot program, which provides a two-generation approach for education, job readiness, and other services to help achieve economic mobility.
  
• $683,000 to continue education & employment trips that were initiated with ARPA funds.
  
• $185,000 to continue the PIVOT internship program in northern Mecklenburg County that creates pathways for high school students in manufacturing.
  
• $50,000 for the Office of Economic Development’s Career Expo for job readiness training and career workshops.

The County manager also recommends $5.4 million to advance workforce development through the Arts and Culture plan. The Arts and Culture Plan is a comprehensive approach to provide a stable funding stream that enables artists and creatives to practice their passion, earn a living wage, and offer cultural experiences to the entire community.

Environmental Stewardship

The FY2025 recommended budget invests $47.2 million to advance the Environmental Leadership Action Plan. These investments include:

• $35 million for land acquisition and tree preservation.
  
• $4.6 million for deep energy facility retrofits and onsite solar.
  
• $2.8 million for 56 new electric vehicles in the County’s fleet.
  
• $2 million for farmland preservation.
  
• $1.1 million for electric vehicle charging stations.
  
• $877,000 for maintenance of parks, greenways, and open space.
  
• $485,000 to increase the County’s funding for the Cooperative Extension program.
  
• $120,000 for a study of bacteria in ponds and necessary treatments.
  
• $150,000 for a pilot program for solar panel installation subsidies for low to moderate income residents.

Early Childhood Development

• Using current resources, increase the per child per month support from $900 to $925 for MECK Pre-K and N.C. Pre-K.
  
• $394,000 for increased funding of childcare subsidies for clients in unified workforce development, Food and Nutrition Services clients, and foster families.

Asset and Facility Management

• $1.3 million for increases in maintenance and operating costs.
  
• $492,000 for guard service and weapons screening at Southeast and Northwest health clinics and Park and Recreation’s administration building.

Child, Family, and Adult Services

• $220,000 to sustain the Mobile Market, which brings fresh fruits, vegetables, and groceries to areas of Mecklenburg County with limited access and provides fresh produce at CRC food pantries and congregate meal sites.
  
• $704,000 for increases in In-Home Aid services for up to 220 clients.
  
• $250,000 for additional interpreter and translation services.
  
• $820,000 for a facility in partnership with StarMed to provide 12 additional emergency placements beds.
  
• $683,000 to continue educational and employment trips initiated through ARPA funding for seniors through the Mecklenburg Transportation System (MTS), the County’s adult services transportation program.

Community Support Services

• $540,000 for three licensed clinicians and one clinical supervisor for domestic violence counseling services.
  
• $475,000 to sustain three additional social workers and one coordinator position for coordinated entry due to increased demand at Ella B Scarborough Community Resource Center.
  
• $100,000 to support Safe Alliance’s Lake Norman satellite office which provides services to victims of domestic violence in northern Mecklenburg County.

Criminal Justice Services

• $114,000 to continue the peer support services program which assists clients in overcoming barriers and lowering the recidivism rate.
  
• $235,000 for three pre-trial managers to manage increased caseloads.
  
• $110,000 for a licensed clinician for pre-trial services particularly for clients experiencing behavioral health challenges.

Investments in People

Mecklenburg County has more than 6,000 employees serving 1.1 million residents every day. The recommended budget invests $33.6 million for employees.

• $14.3 million for a 3% across-the-board pay increase.
  
• $12.1 million for a performance-based pay increase averaging 2.5%.
  
• $3.4 million for the County’s contribution to the local government employee retirement system.
  
• $276,000 for law enforcement for special separation pay.
  
• $251,000 for employee recruitment and training.
  
• $244,000 for three new HR staff: senior benefits analyst, HR assistant director, and compensation analyst.

Information Technology

• $2.9 million for cost increases associated with software and hardware contracts and other IT-related services.

Park and Recreation

• $1.3 million for maintenance, operation, and 15 full-time positions to support new greenway miles, Ezelle Farm Park, Monroe Road Park, Mint Hill Park, newly acquired land, and Knights View Elementary recreational partnership.
  
• $236,000 for additional maintenance at athletic fields and shelters.

Fund Balance

Mecklenburg County’s fund balance is the primary resource for unexpected or emergency situations. Use of dollars from fund balance is restricted to one-time, non-recurring costs, and has helped fund many new initiatives that address the Board priorities. Fund balance is currently $149.5 million over the policy minimum for one-time expenses. The recommended budget utilizes $104 million in fund balance.

What’s Next?

The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing to receive citizen input on the FY2025 recommended budget. The public hearing is scheduled for:

• Thursday, May 23, at 6 p.m.
  
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, Meeting Chamber, 600 E. Fourth St., Charlotte, N.C. 28202
  
• Speakers can sign up at the meeting, or register or comment in advance:
  • Visit BOCC.MeckNC.gov/Clerk to register online.
    
  • Call 980-314-2914
    
  • Email [emailprotected]

The deadline to submit comments or register in advance is Wednesday, May 22 at 5 p.m.

Following the public hearing, the Board will hold a straw vote session on May 30. The Board is scheduled to adopt the budget at its regular meeting on June 4 at 6 p.m. The public hearing, straw vote sessions, and adoption meeting can be viewed at Watch.MeckNC.gov.

The Fiscal Year 2025 budget will take effect July 1, 2024.

The County manager’s recommendation and additional information are available at Budget.MeckNC.gov. A recording of the presentation can be viewed at Watch.MeckNC.gov.

Watch the Presentation