Despite Helene, Burke County had an excellent fiscal year, county manager said

Burke County had a highly successful fiscal year, according to County Manager Brian Epley, but it wasn’t without a major, $11 million setback that dropped the county’s fund balance from a healthy 25% down to 19.5%.

Its name was Helene.

Nearly a year ago, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. Epley said Burke County spent $11 million addressing county facility needs, community emergency management, and recovery needs.

If not for Helene, the county’s general fund would have gained $2.5 million, and its fund balance would have surpassed the Board of Commissioners’ goal of 25% with a fund balance of 28.5%.

Despite the setback, meeting the goal of a 25% fund balance is still attainable for the coming budget year, Epley said.

Epley shared a presentation with the board at Monday’s regular meeting that not only covered Helene’s dent in Burke County’s 2024-25 budget but also highlights from the fiscal year.

Highlights included an employee turnover rate that stayed below 10%, capital projects such as the new animal shelter progressing on schedule and under budget and working through a backlog of more than 300 Department of Social Services child welfare cases — plus, for the first time in a decade, Epley said law enforcement and EMS experienced a period of being fully staffed.

As of June 30 — the final day of the county’s fiscal year — revenue stood at $133,877,826. Expenses were at $107,506,428.

Ad Valorem taxes were the county’s largest source of revenue at 53.64%, followed by sales taxes at 16.17%. Next was restricted intergovernmental revenue at 15.37%, then sales and services at 7.04%. The last few sources of revenue were labeled as other/miscellaneous at 3.52%, permits and fees at 2.36%, and investment earnings at 1.90%.

Public safety accounted for 30% of the county’s expenditures. Next, human service was 26%. Education was the third highest expense, at 23%, followed by general government at 15%. Cultural and recreation expenses were 3% and economic development was 2%.

“I think it was an incredibly successful fiscal year,” Epley said. “Certainly not one without challenges, but in the wake of those challenges, I could not be more proud to serve this board.”

COMMISSIONERS APPROVE CHANGE IN PLAT REVIEW PROCESS

Later in the meeting, Deputy County Manager and Planning Director Alan Glines presented a proposal to consolidate the plat review process.

Glines said plat reviews involve two components: the zoning and watershed review and the plat standards review. Both involve municipal planners.

Under the proposed change, municipal planning directors would handle zoning and watershed reviews, then forward plats to Burke County Community Development staff for the plat standards review.

After the meeting, Glines explained that consolidating the process will improve accuracy and compliance with General Statute 47-30.

Glines said many people choose to subdivide their land when they sell to another person.

“This (change) will ensure that there are accurate plats, so that when the land is transferred, things are properly recorded and the information is accurate as far as ownership and other things, (so) there’s not confusion about who owns the land, (and) about what the plat was showing,” Glines said.

Commissioners unanimously approved the change.

COMMISSIONER UPDATES

Commissioner Randy Burns announced that he is now part of the North Carolina Workforce and Innovation Commission (EWIC), an at-large member of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC), and an at-large member of the NCACC board of directors.