Property taxes could fall from 95 cents to 87 cents per $100 of valuation

BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON

COLUMBIA — The Tyrrell County Board of Commissioners cut approximately $162,000 in expenses from the proposed 2025-26 fiscal year budget during a meeting held Wednesday, June 18.

Although more than 50 residents packed into the Tyrrell County Office Building’s conference room — some even standing outside to listen. Because it was a recessed work session, no public comment was allowed during the session.

Among the biggest budget reductions were cuts to the Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office, including:

• Elimination of a new F-250 truck (a total cost of $72,240)
• A $10,000 reduction for a planned F-150 purchase
• Removal of funding for a partition installation in a prisoner transport vehicle ($15,000)

The board also reduced a proposed county employee pay raise from 3% to 2%, a savings of $30,039. Another cut was for $16,000, which eliminated funding for audio and recording equipment and new chairs for the conference room. The board also cut some funding for the Register of Deeds office for record preservation.

Tax Rate Confusion Clarified

During the meeting, Board Chairman Nathan Everett corrected a mistake that had been published in a prior article by The Albemarle Observer, which erroneously reported that the tax rate would change. In reality, the current tax rate is 95 cents, with the proposed cut bringing it down to 87 cents following Wednesday’s adjustments.

As presented on Monday, the proposed budget would have brought the tax rate down from 95 cents to 90 cents.

After the meeting, County Manager David Clegg explained that a “revenue-neutral” rate of 78 cents — adjusted for the state-mandated growth rate of 1.12% — was provided to the commissioners as required by state law. That rate, based on the most recent valuation from last year, would theoretically generate the same revenue as the previous valuation tax rate of 95 cents. Clegg emphasized that this figure is often misunderstood and does not account for rising costs such as fuel, utilities, or other operational needs.

Clegg also noted that even after the reductions, Tyrrell County continues to operate with the smallest county budget in North Carolina. Last fiscal year’s budget was $9,326,268, while the currently proposed budget is $9,471,739.

Tensions and Transparency Questions

The meeting was not without contention. Commissioner Robert Thompson — who had encouraged residents to attend — repeatedly clashed with Everett. Thompson said he prefer that the budget stay with the revenue-neutral rate of 78 cents. Everett noted that the rate doesn’t take into account expansion of programming, higher costs, etc.

Thompson noted that the people aren’t going out and buying more with the amount of money they have, and the county shoudn’t either. He noted the library — which has a $163,425 funding request, an increase of $10,512 from last year — provides enough programming for the county and doesn’t need to add more.

At one point, Thompson pressed for information on ABC Store revenues, as he did during the meeting held Monday.

Everett reminded him that he explained during Monday’s meeting that the county no longer manages those accounts. He said Terry Somers handled the agency’s books as well as worked for the county, but quit recently.

The Tyrrell County ABC Board is not a county entity. While the county managed its accounting in the past, it now has its own accountant. The board is responsible for disclosing its financial data.

The ABC Board has a budget hearing at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 23. Its audit is a public record. Its proposed budget is available for inspection in Clegg’s office.

Thompson also said he had requested salary impact data tied to the proposed pay raise. Everett disputed that claim.

After the session, Thompson said he was “fighting for the residents.”

Public Hearing Questions

A public hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 30, when residents will have an opportunity to weigh in. Several attendees expressed frustration that the venue will not be moved from the conference room to accommodate the possibly large crowd.

A copy of the county’s proposed fiscal year 2025-26 budget is available for review at Clegg’s office.

The commissioners, Clegg and County Clerk Penny Owens stated that state law requires public meetings and hearings to be held in the location listed in official notices, which in this case was the Commissioners’ Meeting Room. The hearing has already been advertised.