The 2023-24 fiscal year state budget for North Carolina, whose completion has been highly anticipated since July 1, was finished late last month.

According to Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-67), Stanly County will receive appropriations in the neighborhood of $127 million.

Sasser credited North Carolina Sen. Carl Ford (R-33) and his policy advisor, Cody Huneycutt, for their efforts, along with state fire marshal Brian Taylor.

He said work on the budget started in March where legislators worked from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. three days a week.

“Most people think you’ve got this big pot and there’s $30 billion in it; you just spend it until it’s gone. It’s the furthest thing from the truth,” Sasser said.

He said there were “100-plus” plots for that money, including $1 billion salary increases for state employees, $1 billion for the state’s community college system and $1 billion on mental health.

“You determine all of that first, and then when all of your money’s spent, you go back and start talking on raises,” Sasser said.

He said the Senate passed a 2.5% raise for state employees, but the House was able to increase the number for teachers to a 7.5% average, with 7% for other state employees.

The new budget also cuts state personal income tax down to 4.5%, and if certain revenue triggers are met in future years, it could go as low as 2.49%.

Stanly’s airport will receive a sizeable portion of the funding, $66.25 million, to construct a regional Office of Emergency Management training facility. The money is in addition to $30 million received last budget.

The airport will receive an additional $6.6 million to connect new hangars under construction by three of Stanly’s biggest companies to the runways.

Stanly Community College will receive $23.5 million to build a Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) building at its Locust campus.

The City of Albemarle will receive $17 million for work at the Tuckertown water treatment plant, while Locust will receive $10 million for water and sewer improvements.

$1 million has been appropriated to extend sewer to Juneberry Ridge to further help the farm’s goal of building a luxury hotel on the property.

Passing the budget “has been a roller coaster,” Sasser said, “especially since July 1 when we didn’t get the budget passed…because of the casino stuff (going) in and out and all the politics.”

Sasser said the $30 million is the largest budget the state has ever had, adding the budget has “not one borrowed dime. We owe less money today than we owed six months ago. We are paying off the bonds and money we have borrowed.”

Sasser said he feels the state has “been going in the right direction all the time. As long as we keep bringing good jobs to North Carolina and we keep growing our economy, we will be able to give raises to our state employees.”

In a press release, Ford said, “Over the past decade, North Carolina Republicans have enacted smart, restrained budgets. Because of that responsibility, we’ve seen multi-billion dollar surpluses. This year’s budget builds on that with sweeping tax cuts and major infrastructure improvements. Rowan and Stanly counties will receive significant funding from the budget to address immediate needs and plan for the future.”

 

SCC	15,000,000
Stanly Magistrate position	55,000
Badin Historic Museum	500,000
Nehemiah Project	100,000
Norwood Museum	100,000
SCC	8,250,000
Stanly Ag Center	250,000
Stanly 911	1,000,000
Stanly Sheriff Office	300,000
Stanly YMCA	50,000
Juneberry Ridge Sewer Ext.	1,000,000
Live Again Minstries	100,000
West Stanly FD	150,000
Airport	6,600,000
Airport / OSFM	66,251,000
Albemarle	17,300,000
City of Locust	10,000,000
	127,506,000