No tax increases in Concord budget

Published 12:00 am Friday, June 10, 2011

CONCORD — The City Council has adopted a $207.7 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that contains no property tax increase or increases in water, wastewater or stormwater base charges or rates.
The budget will keep Concord residents’ property tax rate at 42 cents per $100 valuation, which Concord officials say is the lowest tax rate of full-service cities in North Carolina with a population over 35,000 that do not charge residents an extra solid waste fee.  
The General Fund budget of $64.4 million reflects a decrease of $1.8 million — or 2.8 percent — from the current budget.
The city’s press release also said the new budget “continues the trend of maintaining basic levels of service”?and keeps in place cuts made to the city’s budget starting in 2009 and totaling about $10.7 million.
Service improvements in solid waste will save the city $1.7 million dollars annually beginning this year, the press release said. A new residential recycling program begins July 5, along with changes in garbage and bulky waste collection.
The budget adds one new full-time school resource officer position.?It also eliminates 12 vacant staff positions for total savings of $507,985, and continues the freeze of 21 vacant staff positions for total savings of $748,088.