Nash County manager proposes $136.9M general fund budget with 2.75% COLA; board splits over sheriff vehicles and school funding

Nash County officials heard a policy‑heavy budget presentation on May 18 as the county manager laid out the recommended FY27 spending plan and attendant policy moves.

The manager said the proposed total FY27 budget across all funds is $160,707,492 and the general fund operational budget is $136,868,984, a 6.4% increase over FY26. The recommended tax rate remains 63¢ per $100 valuation; staff assumed a conservative 98% collection rate. "The recommended budget is balanced," the manager told commissioners, and includes a 2.75% cost‑of‑living adjustment for full‑time and permanent part‑time employees beginning July 1, 2026.

Major allocations and policy items:

- $956,785 recommended to align human services salaries with market data identified by the ongoing 1/3 salary study;
- 14 new positions proposed (10 for public safety, including three deputies, a detention corporal and additions in EMS);
- Capital plan items, replacing vehicles and equipment, and $3.1M for county capital improvements (vehicle replacements, admin building repairs, radio and fingerprint equipment for the sheriff's office);
- Fund balance appropriations for capital totaling $3,826,920.

Board debate highlighted two political flash points: sheriff fleet replacements and K‑12 funding. The sheriff requested 18 new vehicles to address a large fleet replacement need; commissioners exchanged competing views about relying on asset‑forfeiture funds, the proper replacement cadence, and the county's available fund balance. A motion to add the vehicles by consensus failed on a raised‑hand vote, and several members asked staff for a detailed inventory and past purchase history before finalizing an additional funding request.

On education, staff proposed maintaining total Nash County Public Schools funding (roughly $26.56M) while noting per‑pupil allocations have risen because enrollment has dropped by about 1,700 students over three years; some commissioners urged that the county do more for schools, while others argued growth and public‑safety capital needs justify the current approach.

Next steps: the manager set a public hearing on June 1, 2026, and plans to present the final budget ordinance for adoption June 15, 2026. Commissioners asked staff for department‑level detail on capital items and a county‑by‑county fund‑balance comparison to help frame the final decisions.

Quotation: "This budget provides the resources needed to ensure the delivery of governmental services in a fiscally responsible manner," the manager said. Commissioner discussion included direct appeals for more supporting data before accepting new recurring costs or sizable non‑recurring capital additions.

Outcome: The manager presented the recommended budget and obtained direction for follow‑up; no final budget ordinance was adopted that day.