Residents get first look at new Havelock budget

Property taxes won’t budge under this year’s proposed budget, but George Liner said Havelock commissioners are just delaying the inevitable.

Liner, the only resident to speak in Monday evening’s public hearing on Havelock’s proposed $17.9-million budget for the next fiscal year, said growth will force city leaders to raise taxes eventually. He questioned whether the absence of a tax increase was politically motivated.

“I’m just not sure if it was more driven by the upcoming election,” he said. “In any case, I feel you have just put off what is coming, and that is a larger tax increase next year if the city is to provide the same level of service and keep departments operational.”

He noted that a large increase, like the 18.5-cent tax hike proposed for Carteret County, “would be a hard pill for Havelock to swallow,” though he did compliment commissioners for their effort to present a balanced budget.

Lee Tillman, city finance director, explained that the 2007-08 tally is the result of “performance-based budgeting” that required city departments to submit benchmarks and relate budget requests to meeting specific goals.

The $17.9-million budget includes $8,932, 247 for the general fund, $6,501,997 for the sewer fund and $2,079, 525 for the water fund, according to Tillman’s presentation.

The Havelock Police Department will get the largest slice of the $8.9 million general fund pie — a $2.6-million budget that will pay for two new police officers to begin work in January. Animal Control, which operates through the police department, will receive a budget of $71, 188.

Havelock’s lean proposed budget left some requests unfunded, including an assistant fire chief position for the Havelock Fire Department and a recreation program coordinator position for the senior center.

The Havelock-Craven County Public Library is funded at $35,552 under the city’s budget—considerably less than requested.

Commissioners are scheduled to hold a second public hearing on the budget at 6 p.m. Monday and hope to formally adopt the budget at their June 25 meeting. It would take effect on July 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year.

WANT TO GO?

Havelock Board of Commissioners

Public hearing, 2007-08 budget

• 6 p.m. Monday

• Havelock City Hall