FARMVILLE — Farmville Board of Commissioners heard requests from non-governmental community organizations and discussed the upcoming town budget for fiscal year 2024-25 at their May 6 meeting.
Representatives from the Farmville Community Arts Council, Farmville Community Garden and H.B. Sugg and Sam D. Bundy schools addressed the board with their requests.
The Arts Council requested $6,000 from the town for interior upgrades in the lobby and theater areas.
Arts Council executive director Fred Austin thanked board members for their continued support and shared that in 2022 Pitt County’s cultural arts community generated over $18 million dollars in revenue, according to a survey by Americans for the Arts.
“We wanted to illustrate that impact. We do have an economic impact in the community,” Austin said, adding that cultural arts also promote better living and encourage people to come to the area.
“In the last 30 days, (the Farmville Community Arts Council) has had over 2,000 guests come to Farmville. The funding is very important to us as a nonprofit.”
Zac Hackney, president of the Farmville Community Garden, said the garden has “seen an explosion of interest” in the last year.
The garden requested $2,500 to help maintain and beautify the garden space, to purchase gardening supplies, to assist with food distribution, and to provide educational materials.
He noted that the garden does have its own source of income by selling peppers to make chili. The money helps to fund the garden’s website and pays for insurance, Hackney said.
H.B. Sugg and Sam D. Bundy Schools requested $4,000 to help continue and maintain its Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, program. Money would be used to purchase classroom and instructional supplies for students.
“Our goal is to help students with their future success in a changing world,” said fifth-grade teacher Matt Daniel. “It helps teachers introduce study habits, helps with setting goals, and organization.”
Sugg/Bundy is the first school in Pitt County to begin AVID in elementary school, said kindergarten teacher Jamie Britt, stating it has been beneficial to all students including her kindergartners.
Funding requests were also received in writing from several other organizations: Farmville Middle School requested $1,500; Farmville Rescue & EMS requested $12,000 for upgrades to the building and installments of a camera system; The Farmville Senior Council requested $8,000 for transportation and communication services for events for seniors; and Pitt County Council on Aging requested $11,830 for its Meals on Wheels Program which provides meals to seniors.
Town manager David Hodgkins distributed a draft of the 2024-25 fiscal year budget and shared highlights of upcoming information.
The $21 million plan is a 5.3 percent increase from the past year, however, with inflation and rising operational costs, this was to be expected according to Hodgkins.
There is also uncertainty with the budget due to Pitt County’s recent property revaluation. The county is still hearing appeals of property values from taxpayers and the town has not received the final total for tax base for budgeting purposes.
The budget proposes a reduced rate of the town’s ad valorem tax rate of 46 cents per $100 of assessed value — a 3 cent reduction from last year — to relieve some of the impact on the town’s real property owners from the revaluation.
Increases are expected to the town’s water, sewer and electric rates.
Retail water rates are proposed to increase by 3.5 percent to maintain a sustainable rate structure, meet capital project needs, and offset a planned 3.35 percent bulk water rate increase from Greenville Utilities Commission.
Retail sewer rates are also proposed to increase by 5 percent to maintain a sustainable rate structure, meet capital needs and offset a planned 3.9 percent increase in charges from the town’s wastewater treatment plant operator, Veolia North America.
Retail electric rates are proposed to increase by 1.2 percent. This is based off an electric rate study conducted in November 2022, which documented the need to increase rates to help maintain a sustainable rate structure, address high cost of supplies and materials, and meet capital projects. This is the third of three proposed increases recommended by the study and will be the last, Hodgkins said.
The town will pass along an increase of 3.5 percent in its solid waste collection fees to offset a rate increase based on the Consumer Price Index being imposed by GFL Environmental.
The budget does not propose any appropriation of unrestricted or undesignated fund balance in the general, water, sewer or electric funds, which will allow for the town’s reserves to grow and provide for future needs, Hodgkins added.
Powell Bill funds in the amount of $176,500 are proposed to help finance street resurfacing, sidewalk construction, stormwater improvements, and repair of existing sidewalks around town.
The town will continue with its longevity pay plan for full-time employees with significant tenure in the town as well as its merit pay for performance program.
A 4 percent market adjustment is recommended for regular status full and part-time employees. Last year, the town conducted an Employee Pay and regular Classification Plan update to help bring positions up to their market rate.
No new staff positions are proposed.
Funding for several capital purchases and projects including street resurfacing, construction of sidewalk segments, sidewalk repairs, miscellaneous utility system upgrades, new computer equipment, a police vehicle, improvements at Town Hall and the Community Center, and improvements to town parks and playgrounds are also included.
Funding for the Farmville Fire Department’s new station is also proposed with financing currently pending, Hodgkins said.
The town will hold a budget workshop at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Farmville Public Library and the budget’s public hearing is scheduled for the June 3 Board of Commissioners meeting.
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