A tale of two budgets.
That title doesn’t exactly scream “bestseller.”
But if an author were so inclined, he or she could write a fairly fascinating novel about the two spending ledgers just passed by the Macon County Board of Commissioners and the Town of Highlands.
On Thursday night the Highlands board of commissioners put the final signature on the 2023-24 budget. After months of discussions, special meetings and a day-long retreat, the board members were satisfied with the approximately $29 million in spending for the next fiscal year.
While there were disagreements along the way, it was never anything close to contentious, and the board practiced what it preached in terms of compromising and putting the best interest of the town as a whole above all else.
In the 2023-24 budget there will be six new fulltime firefighters hired to give the town 24/7 fire service. There will be parks and recreation improvements, roads will be paved, there will be upgrades to the town’s water treatment plant, electric utility, and yes there will be pay raises for town employees.
No budget is ever perfect, and no commissioner ever gets all the things they want either put in, or taken out, but the Highlands budget was done the right way with everyone having a clear understanding of the process and the end goal.
On Monday night, the Macon County Board of Commissioners passed its annual budget after a longer and more painstaking process. County manager Derek Roland presented a revenue-neutral budget, meaning the county’s anticipated revenues matched its proposed expenditures, and as he always does, Roland used conservative revenue numbers to hopefully ensure the county never has a shortfall.
Because revenue is at an all-time high for the county, the budget increased from the year prior. A fact that didn’t sit well with a portion of the board. A vote on the document failed 3-2 on June 13 after some spirited discussion about line items for county employee pay raises and education spending.
On Monday, with a July 1 deadline looming, the board passed the county budget and provided a deep breath of relief for not only county employees but everyone who relies on county services. By a 4-1 vote, with commissioner John Shearl dissenting, the board ended the budget season and moved forward.
Budget season is very rarely must-see drama, but it was in 2023. Let’s be glad it’s in the rear view mirror.