Fletcher town manager proposes 29.5¢ tax rate to fund fire protections, personnel and repairs

The town manager presented a proposed FY2026–27 balanced budget of about $10.5 million and recommended raising Fletcher’s property tax rate from 28¢ to 29.5¢ per $100 of assessed value to cover growing costs for contracted fire protection, personnel and capital repairs.

The recommendation, delivered at a council budget workshop, would allocate 12¢ of the proposed 29.5¢ rate to contracted fire protection and 17.5¢ to town-administered services. "I have to present a balanced budget," the town manager said, adding that the increase represents a 1.5¢ change and would support fire‑station repairs, added personnel and higher health‑insurance costs.

Why it matters: the largest drivers are Fletcher Fire & Rescue contract costs — including flood damage repairs to Station 3 (Naples) and upgrades at Station 2 (Hooper Creek) — and rising personnel-related expenses such as health insurance and cost‑of‑living adjustments. The manager said Fletcher Fire & Rescue plans a 3% cost‑of‑living increase for staff and is requesting additional personnel over the next three years to maintain service levels.

The manager also proposed restoring a part‑time planner to a full‑time position, citing heavier planning, zoning and stormwater (MS4) compliance work: "there's more demands on planning and zoning now," he said, arguing the town needs dedicated capacity for code enforcement and permit review.

On revenues, the manager described a mixed outlook: modest property‑value growth, a stronger sales‑tax picture, but declines in some business‑personal property and utility‑sales tax distributions. He noted the town uses conservative revenue estimates and expects to plug final county assessor valuations into the budget in mid‑May before advertising the budget for public comment.

Capital priorities and timing: the manager recommended shifting 0.5¢ of the levy from CIP to operations this year (reducing CIP from 6¢ to 5.5¢). Debt‑service items include town hall improvements and the Highway 25 land acquisition; proposed year‑one cash projects include three police vehicles, town‑hall painting, park equipment and a sewer‑line replacement at Biltmore Community Park. A planned garbage‑truck purchase was excluded from the year‑one CIP because of timing; the manager said the town may bring that item as a budget amendment when financing and lead times are clearer.

Council members asked whether county or fire‑district decisions could affect the town’s contract costs. The manager said the county’s review process (FRAC) and the commissioners’ June meeting could change the county contribution and that the town’s recommendation represents a prudent, "worst‑case" planning number until the county finalizes its actions.

What happens next: the manager will incorporate final property‑value numbers from the assessor and present a revised budget at the council’s June 8 meeting for public comment; no budget adoption vote was held at the workshop.

Quotes in context: the town manager framed choices for funding and cuts across departments while repeatedly noting staff efforts to reduce operating requests and move smaller capital items into CIP. Council discussion at the end of the workshop produced a motion to adjourn without substantive change to the manager’s recommendations.

The council did not vote to adopt the budget at the workshop; the town manager will return with final numbers and the advertised budget for a public hearing in June.