Pitt County Budget Approved, Taxes to Stay Put

The Pitt County Board of Commissioners approved the 2009-10 budget Tuesday following a public hearing that did not have any speakers.

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The commissioners held a public hearing on the proposed budget and no one took the opportunity to comment on the proposal before the board unanimously approved it. The board immediately approved the budget that will not increase taxes in Pitt County.

The board approved the $206.4 million budget that is a 6.5 percent reduction from the current year's. The budget keeps the ad valorem tax rate at 66.5 cents per $100 valuation.

The budget includes $34.9 million for Pitt County Schools, an increase of $408,360 over the current year's budget.

Education takes up nearly 25 percent of the 2009-10 county budget. The county also increased funding to Pitt Community College by $217,146.

The budget will also fund the opening of the 192-bed detention center expansion.

It also includes the restoration of a $25,000 Community Schools and Recreation grant match program.

County Manager Scott Elliot said the program would be paid for with funds taken from Sheppard Library, an allocation that was lowered at the request of the city of Greenville, and the elimination of a proposed $9,000 communication package for members of the board.

While the budget does not contain any new tax increases, it does include several fee changes. The tipping fee for residential construction and demolition - previously free - will rise to $40.

The EMS prices for basic transport, advanced I transport and advanced II transport will increase to $330, $390 and $565 respectively. These amounts are in line with Medicare reimbursement rates, Elliott said.

The Emergency Medical Services fund equals about $4.5 million, including a $200,000 transfer from the county's general fund and another $200,000 from the payment in lieu of taxes from Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

Local departments requested 50 new positions, but only 31 were recommended by the county manager. Thirty of those recommended positions are linked to staffing the new detention center scheduled to open during the summer.

The county employees' health insurance plan is dropping to 90 percent coverage with 10 percent co-insurance. Previously, the plan offered 100 percent coverage.

The commissioners also approved the recommendation of the Pitt County Democratic Party to replace retired Register of Deeds Judy Tart with Assistant Register of Deeds Deborah Barrington.

"Ms. Barrington comes highly recommended by her supervisor, the former Register of Deeds Judy Tart," Pitt County Democratic Party Chair Betsy Leech said. "Her resume includes more than 25 years, including 11 years as the Assistant, in the Register of Deeds office and substantial related education to prepare her for this position."

Barrington will fill the unexpired term which ends in December 2012. Tart announced her resignation effective June 1 at the April 25 Democratic Convention. She served for 11 years.

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