Murphy – A 10-minute break helped the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners overcome an impasse and reduce a looming property tax increase to 3 cents.
The commissioners considered significant reductions to a proposed 3 cent cost-of-living adjustment for county employees, and contemplated cutting teachers’ 3 percent supplement, during their final budget work session Monday night. The board reached an agreement during a short intermission near the end of the session and reduced each of those numbers to 2.75 cents, while finding a different way to cut costs by reducing the Board of Education’s annual appropriation by $600,000 instead of $500,000.
The school system additionally lost $373,506 that would have been allocated for the The Learning Center Charter School, which will close its doors June 30.
The commissioners will vote on approving the 2022-23 budget ordinance Wednesday, June 29.
County Manager Randy Wiggins’ original recommended budget included a 10-cent property tax hike – an increase of 20 percent – but both he and the board always expected that number to be significantly reduced.
“Three cents,” Commissioner Jan Griggs said. “I just wanted to make sure everyone heard that.”
Commissioner Cal Stiles added, “That’s where we needed to be.”
The board discussed lowering both the county employee cost of living adjustment and the teacher pay supplement to 1.5 cents apiece before a short intermission near the end of the session.
While the budget work sessions have focused heavily on ways to reduce costs, the commissioners approved a number of expenses aimed at benefiting the county.
The board approved $65,462 for a grant writer-administrator position, which was proposed by Griggs.
“I think potentially we can save an awful lot of money if we get some grants,” Eichenbaum said.
Westmoreland asked for $70,000 toward an amphitheater that will likely be located somewhere around Konehete Park. Westmoreland said he believes there’s a good chance the town of Murphy will approve another $70,000 toward the structure.
“This was not my idea, I wish it was,” he said. “Wendy Alexander came to me with this.
“If you think about it, the Town of Murphy has absolutely no stage for any type of gathering, whatever it may be. When we have fireworks, we could have bluegrass music before the fireworks, the veterans could do their things there ... so I think it’s a super good idea.”