There was an item on Tuesday evening’s agenda for a discussion about Town Manager Kip Padgett’s 2019-2020 budget but town board members said they had nothing to add, leaving the spending plan for next year as Padgett proposed.
The tax rate remains at 52 cents per $100 valuation on property, with 11 cents allocated to the independent Wake Forest Fire Department.
If all goes as expected when the town receives a report from a consultant, planning to incorporate the fire department into town government will begin this fall with the fire department becoming a town department in the 2020-2021 budget. Chief Financial Officer Aileen Staples said she expects to delay a bond referendum until 2022 “to see what the entire impacts are of the fire department becoming a town department.” She said she expects those impacts to be “pretty significant.” The fire department has asked the town to undertake the study about joining the town in large part because municipal employees have a better retirement plan.
This year’s estimated tax base is $5,658,775,000, an increase of $511,738,535 over last year’s estimated tax base. Each cent of the tax rate provides $554,560 in town revenue based on a 98 percent collection rate, but the town has averaged over 99 percent in collections in recent years.
The town will add six full-time positions through the year, will provide merit pay and a career ladder for some departments and will see no increase in its health insurance premiums because it has joined NCHIP, a cooperative effort to tamp down health insurance costs.
Most of the general fund revenues, 60 percent, are from the property taxes, but a sizable chunk, 24 percent, comes from intergovernmental funding such as sales tax, beer and wine tax, permits and fees, ABC revenue and grants. This year’s budget total is $48,025,900.
In the electric fund, the separate operations for the town’s electric service, there are no rate adjustments though there will be an update of the rate study. There are three new positions: an office assistant for the new electric department location on Unicon Drive, a meter assistant and a groundman, a new position. Padgett said it is difficult to find linemen for the department so he is proposing training one – or more – through something like an apprentice program, with a high school graduate or older person learning the job from the ground up.
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Town commissioners also had a short presentation by Candace Davis, the assistant to the town manager, about the two-year update for its strategic priorities. The goals remain the same – economic development, a safe and connected community, a values-based organizational culture and fiscal strength – but the tasks change as priorities are achieved, such as the new aquatic center.
Under the goal of economic development and the strategy of fostering an environment that supports growth and expansion, you will find some intriguing new tasks such as partnering with organizations to develop an entrepreneur program. It appears the town is working with two regional technology incubators and local tech partners to develop a program. Another note says: “Anticipate agreements to be executed this summer for a site in Downtown Wake Forest.” And “Grow WRAL TechWire community spotlight partnerships with technology focused businesses.”
Then there is the partnership between the town and the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to develop property the seminary owns into a live-work-play technology park. The notes say the plan is “Currently going through Electricities site certification program. Estimated completion in Fall 2019. DFI (not explained) performing market analysis. Expected completion Fall 2019. RFQ (request for qualifications) released for site engineering and architectural services.”
That last means the town and seminary are seeking out engineers and architects for the project. We hope it will be unveiled in the near future.
Other tasks include partnering with Ting to provide additional fiber network near businesses.
A task we all could applaud is to maintain the tree canopy in town at 45 percent or greater. The ways the town could act would include contracting with nonprofits to plant trees on private property, revise the town rules to encourage more tree save areas, increase the required open space for new development, provide development incentives for tree preservation above what is required, and create and market the tree memorial/honorary tree program.
At the end of the work session, Padgett announced town hall will be closed at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The water will be shut off overnight at town hall only because of a water connection needed at the East Owen Avenue downtown streetscape project. He also said the aquatic center and the spray ground have a lot of children and adults using them. “It is great to see so many citizens enjoying both water features.
The town commissioners are expected to vote on the new budget at their June 18 meeting.
