The Fayetteville City Council is scheduled to hold its third and possibly final budget work session on Thursday afternoon at City Hall.
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m.
The council is considering a proposed $248.25 million budget for fiscal year 2022-23. The property tax rate would remain at 49.95 cents per $100 valuation.
“It’s the last one scheduled,” said Jodi Phelps, a spokeswoman for the city, adding that the council members have the option to schedule another work session if they think further discussion is needed.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 13 at City Hall during the council’s regular Monday meeting. That meeting should begin at 7 p.m.
“We’ve got to adopt a balanced budget,” City Manager Doug Hewett has said. “So if something comes in, we’ve got to figure out how to raise additional revenue or what we’re going to do less of to be able to accommodate it. But that is absolutely the council’s choice.”
The council already has provided guidance on plans for affordable housing, sidewalks, bike lanes, paving city streets and transportation needs.
The council also has discussed increasing starting salaries for all city employees, including seasonal part-time help, to $15 an hour.
During previous work sessions, council members have discussed some items that are not included in the recommended budget and how to best fund those projects. Those include an aquatic center, a multiple-court basketball facility and youth mentoring programs.
The city is currently operating on a $240.3 million budget.
The city’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30, and city management and staff work to develop a recommended budget from December through April each fiscal year.
The budget must be adopted by June 30.
Limited seating will be available at City Hall for Monday’s public hearing. The meeting will be streamed on FayTV.net and the FayTV app on any streaming device and shown on Spectrum community cable Channel 7, Phelps said.
It also will be recorded for the city's YouTube channel.
Michael Futch covers Fayetteville and education for CityView TODAY. He can be reached at mfutch@cityviewnc.com. Have a news tip? Email news@CityViewTODAY.com.
