County Manager Greer presents FY2027 recommended budget; tax rate held at 49.9 cents

County Manager Greer presented the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners with a FY2027 recommended budget on May 21, proposing a general fund of $398,317,286 and maintaining the county tax rate at 49.9 cents. Because the meeting lacked a quorum, the board received the presentation but took no formal action.

Greer framed the recommendation around the board’s strategic priorities — including health and wellness, public safety, economic prosperity, smart growth, transparency, recreation and education — and said staff prepared the plan to be fiscally prudent amid slowing local revenue growth. “This recommended budget was prepared with those goals and initiatives with fiscal prudence in mind,” Greer said.

He cited inflation of 3.8% (as of April 30, 2026) as a pressure on costs and identified key revenue estimates: ad valorem taxes were presented as roughly $185.4 million, motor vehicle tax collections at $18.3 million (a combined ~ $203 million), and sales tax budgeted at $81,323,501. Greer said ad valorem taxes represent about 47% of general fund revenues and that the county is projecting a 6.48% increase in assessed ad valorem receipts as presented.

To balance the budget, Greer said staff used fund balance for one-time expenditures, listing $3,283,048 for that purpose and referencing a programmatic public-health fund balance figure given in the presentation; the transcript contained inconsistent totals when those fund-balance figures were read aloud and they were not reconciled on the record. Greer also said the recommended budget incorporated reductions to several programs (he named Connected Care, the barber shop program, Uber transportation and the Unite program) and recommended abolishing 77 positions countywide (a figure he gave of about $5,490,184 in salary savings). He specifically noted that the Department of Social Services relinquished 61 positions as part of those reductions and thanked DSS director Brenda Jackson for that action.

Greer recommended approving five of 16 requested general-fund positions — roughly $700,000 in new personnel costs — including an IT-support specialist for emergency services and several legal-office hires. He recommended funding 17 replacement vehicles at about $1.6 million (out of 68 requests totaling roughly $5.7 million) and presented department capital requests netting about $1.9 million after anticipated reimbursements.

On education, Greer said Cumberland County Schools requested $110,284,233 and he recommended $105,809,536 for the district (a roughly 2% increase in current expense), including $3.1 million for school resource officers, crossing guards and school health nurses. Fayetteville Technical Community College asked for $17,168,545 in current expense and large capital for a new building; Greer recommended $16,575,000 for current expense and only $1.5 million for FTCC capital, saying larger capital support would strain the county’s debt model.

Enterprise and special funds highlighted included the Crown Complex Fund (food and beverage tax revenue) at a recommended $10,753,921 and an occupancy-tax projection of $2,025,355. The recommended solid-waste enterprise budget totaled $30,445,645 and included proposed fee changes (for example, $46/ton for shingles and furniture, compost fees ranging $25–$100 depending on size, and a $60/ton transfer rate) and capital-improvement plans for equipment and replacement schedules.

Greer said total all-funds spending would be about $656,507,949 and reiterated that the manager’s recommendation is to hold the county tax rate at 49.9 cents; he thanked budget and departmental staff and provided a series of budget-work-session dates and two public hearings on June 1 (9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.). The budget materials are posted at the county website provided in the presentation.

Commissioner Tyson thanked staff for a comprehensive presentation and said he looked forward to working through the adoption process. “Thank you for that comprehensive budget presentation,” Tyson said. Commissioner Patel also thanked staff and said she was pleased with the county’s relative financial position. Because a quorum was not present, the board did not take votes on the budget; the chair later entertained a motion to adjourn, which was made, seconded and carried “without objection.”