Pender County passes $111 million budget, includes cutting funding for tourism department

BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — Pender County Commissioners passed a budget for the upcoming fiscal year by a 3-1 vote, with one commissioner absent.

The $111 million budget is around $3 million more than last year’s budget, due to an increase in population.

The tax rate of 73. 7 cents per 100 dollars of value stays the same.

A previous version of the budget had been voted down by a 4 to 1 vote back on June 16th.

Chairman Randy Burton said some of the concerns commissioners had about that version of the budget have been addressed.

“I think the biggest priority was our schools,” Burton said. “We went from their capital outlay for their maintenance and their schools from 2.9 that was given last year to them to over $4 million this year, trying to help them to catch up with some much needed maintenance. And then secondly our employees. They are getting an across-the-board reclassification; over 200 employees are getting reclassified. That’s going to bring them up a pay grade.”

Jimmy Tate was one such commissioner who had concerns and had wanted to see the tax rate go down.

But he said it was important to pass the budget so departments and groups can get the funding they need.

“I would love to see the tax reduction for our county as a whole,” Tate said. “I also thought about the good things in the budget tonight and what we’re doing. I don’t want to hold up our health and human services building and the process it is in right now.”

But one group that lost its funding was the county’s tourism development authority (TDA), which helps promote events such as the North Carolina Blueberry Festival.

Jerry Groves was the one commissioner voting against the budget.

He took issue with the TDA losing its nearly $240,000 budget and having that funding used elsewhere.

Pender County Tourism Director Olivia Dawson said this could hurt the county moving forward.

“This could have a negative impact, and at that point, that means you may spend more money on tourism later, and that you may not see the revenue streams as you were seeing before,” Dawson said. “It could make a significant impact.”

Burton said the tourism board will still remain in place, but the county will now take over certain aspects of highlighting its tourism.

“Social media, mailers, tourism magazines. And so like I’ve said before, I don’t think that Pender County lacks tourism. And we’ll be able to spread the word to come visit Pender throughout the nation.”

All 5 counties in WWAY’s coverage area have now passed their budgets, with all of the new budgets taking effect July 1st.