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WINTON – Hertford County’s new budget for FY 2024-25 is now officially approved and includes raises for all county employees.

At their regularly scheduled meeting here Monday evening, the county’s Board of Commissioners, in a 5-0 vote, gave the green light for a $30,278,407 General Fund budget. That amount is slightly higher than the $30,145,172 budget presented at the board’s meeting on June 3.

“The board, at their last budget work session, adjusted the budget to include a two percent cost of living raise for employees who are not part of the third phase of salary adjustments,” said interim County Manager Kevin Patterson at this past Monday’s meeting.

Patterson later explained that the first phase of the salary adjustments, one that raised those making minimum wage to $30,000 annually, became effective during FY 2022-23. The second phase was done during the current year budget (FY 2023-24).

“The third phase (FY 2024-25) is for the more senior employees. All others will receive a two percent raise,” Patterson noted.

The newly approved budget maintains the current ad valorem (property tax) rate of 84 cents per $100 of value.

Of the $30.1 million General Fund budget, Public Safety will receive the greatest share of those dollars ($9,238,754). Of that, the Sheriff’s Department ($2,815,577), Detention Center ($2,362,167), and Emergency Medical Services ($1,955,693) will gain the largest share.

Human Services is earmarked $6,069,807 in the new budget. The county’s Department of Social Services tops that list with $3,271,392.

The expenditure for Education is $5,557,598. The lion’s share of those funds will go to the current expenses of the county’s public schools ($4,252,063) while Roanoke-Chowan Community College will receive $1,044,035.

The remainder of the expenditures are $5,950,158 for General Government; $1,648,564 to pay for annual debt service (loans used to build the county courthouse/administration offices, DSS Building #1, and Ahoskie Elementary School); $523,885 for Economic and Physical Development; and $269,641 for Special Appropriations (tax money donated to non-profit/community based organizations).

The largest generator of revenue for the new budget comes from ad valorem taxes ($13,786,088), state sales tax ($6,467,000), and vehicle taxes ($1,899,000). Meanwhile, Social Services gains nearly $3 million of its budget through the transfer of intergovernmental funds from the state and federal levels.

The FY 2024-25 General Fund was balanced by appropriating $2,585,447 from the county’s fund balance.

The new budget becomes effective July 1.