Johnston County Manager Releases Proposed $364 Million 2024-2025 Budget

SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Manager Rick Hester released his proposed 2024-2025 fiscal year budget today (Wednesday). The $364.5 million spending plan would keep the 69 cents property tax rate per $100 valuation unchanged next year.

Budget expenses are up 3.7 percent over the current year’s adopted budget.

The county manager’s proposal includes $93,322,000 for Johnston County Public Schools for current expense plus an additional $3 million for capital outlay. JCPS had requested $111,809.946 for current expense and $28,814,361 in capital outlay.

Johnston Community College would receive $6,912,390 in current expense plus $1.2 million for capital outlay during 2024-25.

Numerous new positions are included in the budget request. They include:

Social Services – 36 positions (includes some federal reimbursements)
Emergency Services – 7 positions
Public Health – 5 positions
911 Communications – 4 positions
Building Inspections – 1 position
Veterans Service Office – 1 position
Internal Audit – 1 position
Board of Elections – 1 position
Technology Services – 1 position
Public Utilities – 9 positions

Mr. Hester is proposing a pay increase for all county employees in July 2024 with a potential performance pay adjustment in October 2024. The amount of the proposed increases has not been finalized.

Fee increases are proposed by the Planning Department, Building Inspections, Public Utilities, and Solid Waste. They include higher water and wastewater fees effective September 1, 2024.

Solid waste fees increases include a $3 increase in the tipping fee at the landfill, from $45 to $48 ton, effective August 1, 2024.  There is no proposed decal fee or separate fee on tax bills for solid waste convenience centers.

The fire service advisory workgroup is recommending a 14 cents countywide tax rate, and that recommendation is included with the proposed budget.

Mr. Hester said one of the goals each year is to present a proposed budget that is sustainable and allows for future debt capacity for large capital projects.

The first public hearing on the county manager’s spending plan is scheduled June 3, 2024. Additional public meetings are planned on June 10 and June 17. By state law, the budget must be adopted by June 30.

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14 COMMENTS

  1. “Fee increases are proposed by the Planning Department, Building Inspections, Public Utilities, and Solid Waste. They include higher water and wastewater fees effective September 1, 2024.”

    Isn’t a FEE Increase just a euphemism for TAX Increase? 🤔
    Political play on words.

    • The $364.5 million spending plan would keep the 69 cents property tax rate per $100 valuation unchanged next year.

      • It is a hidden tax as you cannot go without water and sewer. Yes , it is a tax. They just change the name. Some people are so gullible.

        • And on top of that, the county has a Monopoly on water and sewer. The even sell it to most of the municipalities in JoCo.

        • Mr. Payne those fee increases are user based instead of being imposed on every tax payer, like the school system funding even when you don’t have a child enrolled. It’s hard to please everyone, however this was the smartest move forward at this time.

  2. The tax property tax rate may not change now but don’t forget the property tax reevaluation and that is going to be a nifty increase so this keeping the tax rate the same is nothing more than a big pile of BS!

  3. The residents of JoCo have no one to blame for these increases but themselves!!!! They keep electing the same people who will approve these rate hikes in this budget.

  4. You are so right Steve, these knuggle dragging conservative Trump supporters are clueless to our closet democrats in our county offices that has moved the revaluation form every eight years up to every four years to capsure those higher home values four years earlier. That’s right these knuggle dragging conservative has no idea they are writing a bigger check for thier property taxes? They really think thier property taxes has been cut and among the lowest in the state? Our JCPS needs these extra of millions of dollars to indoctrinate thier kids with and to support Hamas protesting the Israel!!! VOTE BLUE UNTIL WE ARE THROUGH!!! Laughing all the way to the secluded voting drop boxes with boxes of just found ballots!!! Yes we will stop counting ballots in blue states on election night at 10 PM to keep Biden in office!!!

  5. I didn’t take common core math so feel free to help correct any miscalculations. If home values were to double for example, property tax collection would in turn double resulting in a 100% net profit regardless of the tax rate not increasing. Think on a larger scale for example, inflation as a hidden strategy to increase tax revenue across the board without touching any tax codes. Oh how easily the American dream was taken from us and how close we are to not having a middle class. For a better understanding of the current playbook, simply research the Cloward–Piven strategy.

    • This article is speaking to the 2024 tax rate. The revaluation is for tax year 2025. The tax rate for 2025 will not be set until the summer of 2025, and JoCo will most likely lower the rate to be “revenue neutral” as Wake County recently did.

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