A public hearing is scheduled Tuesday for the fiscal year 2019-20 budget during the meeting of the Anson County commissioners.
The budget was made available for the public on May 22. It can be viewed at the clerk’s office in the Anson County Government Center at 101 S. Greene St. in Wadesboro. It is also available at the Hampton B. Allen Library at 120 S. Greene St.
The board’s meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. is in the commissioners’ board room on the second floor of the Government Center. Each speaker about the budget will be limited to three minutes.
The board encourages all who come to speak to be civil and courteous.
Among the items in the budget are:
• a cost of living adjustment raise of 5 percent for employees.
• increased contributions to Anson County Schools and South Piedmont Community College, each by 8 percent to $200,000. Each of these are through Article 524 sales tax.
• increased contribution to the Anson Economic Development Partnership by 8 percent to $200,000; $85,000 for a comprehensive land-use plan as a precursor to county-wide zoning; and an update to the county website.
• $200,000 for financial and tax software; $40,000 for laptops at the Department of Social Services; $10,000 for computers at the Health Department; a cardiac monitor for the emergency medical services; and $2,800 for laptops for provisional voting at three districts.
• $99,170 for local government retirement contribution, a required increase by the state to the retirement system for all employees; $23,000 to establish a part-time litter pickup program; $7,800 in costs for employee assistance program for all employees; $2,400 for downtown parking at the corner of Wade and Rutherford streets; increased funding to the Forestry Service; and maintained funding to the Sandhills Center.
The proposed budget does not include funding new positions. There were 19 full-time employee requests made.