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GATESVILLE – Following several workshops, the Gates County Board of Commissioners formally approved the FY 2024-25 General Fund budget at their regularly scheduled meeting here June 19.

The $16,938,690 budget maintains the current ad valorem (property tax) rate at 84 cents per $100 of value. It also includes a five percent cost of living increase for county employees.

Public Safety ($4,857,319) will receive the majority of the local tax dollars. Included within that department are the Sheriff’s Office ($1,692,437) and Gates County Rescue & EMS ($1,059,685).

The new budget earmarks $3,160,000 for education, which includes $2,953,000 for current expenditures and $200,000 in capital outlay, both for Gates County Public Schools, and $7,000 for the College of the Albemarle.

General Government gains $3,149,012 from the new budget. The top three departments there are Building and Grounds ($948,851), Finance and Information Technology ($712,824), and Administration ($434,103).

Human Services is budgeted $2,536,424. The Department of Social Services will receive the lion’s share of those funds ($1,881,489).

Rounding out the expenditures from the new budget are Transfers to Other Funds ($1,061,255), Debt Service ($855,131), Economic Development ($812,234), and Culture & Recreation ($507,315).

Property taxes ($8,834,282), state sales tax ($3,509,300), and federal and state grants ($1,523,903) are the main sources of revenue for the FY 2024-25 budget.

There was a public hearing regarding the budget scheduled at last week’s meeting. No one offered any comments.

Following that hearing, the board approved the budget without objection.

The commissioners also approved the county’s capital improvement plan, which uses funds the county received from last year’s state budget. That plan is in several phases as follows:

Phase 1 – two new 500 gallon per minute deep wells ($302,047).

Phase 2 – Water tank replacement (300,000 gallon capacity) in Gatesville ($260,100).

Phase 3 – 12-inch PVC fire suppression line extension in Gatesville to Lewis Mill Road ($362,250).

Phase 4 – Bennetts Creek directional bore and water main extension ($45,568).

Phase 5 – Water and sewer system upgrades ($45,725).

Phase 6 – Water Plant building upgrades ($60,975).

Phase 7 – Carter Road / Trotman Creek water main replacement / directional bore ($14,000).

Phase 8 – U.S. 158 12-inch water main extension to Merchants Commerce Center ($274,683).

Phase 9 – Merchants Millpond State Park sewer force main extension ($56,800).