New Hanover County

New Hanover County’s 2018-19 Budget Invests in Residents

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners has adopted a $332.9 million balanced budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019 that includes a 1.5 cent cut in the property tax rate. The adopted budget can now be viewed online.

This is the second consecutive year the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners have cut taxes, and it will result in a cumulative savings of $9.8 million to taxpayers. The new tax rate is 55.5 cents per $100 of value.

The adopted budget advances the priorities set by the Board of Commissioners in the county’s strategic plan. Among other initiatives, the FY19 budget:

• Provides $108.7 million to support public schools, which is an increase of 25% over the past five years. In comparison, the public school’s population has grown by 7.54% in the same timeframe.
• Invests nearly $1 million of additional resources for school safety and mental health by adding one school detective, five more school resource officers, three school-based mental health therapists, and two school nurses.
• Addresses the opioid crisis by providing nearly $1.2 million to support programs and facilities to treat substance use disorders.
• Funds more than $1.6 million in strategic economic development initiatives that will encourage private investment, bring more diverse and higher-wage jobs, and enhance quality of life.
• Provides a market and merit salary increase for eligible employees, and implements a living wage standard so that full-time employees will earn a minimum of $31,200 per year, or no less than $15 an hour for authorized, part-time standard-hour employees.

“The commissioners directed and adopted a budget that is a clear reflection of their priorities and the community’s needs,” said County Manager Chris Coudriet. “It leaves more money in taxpayers’ pockets, all while increasing funding for our public schools, adding more resources for school safety and mental health, supporting initiatives to help fight the opioid crisis, and making strategic economic development investments to improve our county.”

The FY19 Adopted Budget can be viewed on the county’s webpage.

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Release Contact:
Jessica Loeper
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
910-798-7461

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