Stanfield residents can expect property taxes to stay the same during the next fiscal year.

At their last meeting, the town council approved a 2018-19 fiscal year budget that maintains the current 32 cent per $100 valuation property tax rate.

However, while property taxes will stay the same, rates will not.

The town’s water and sewer rates are slated to go up 2 percent come July. For the average household (four people using about 400 gallons a day) that will represent an increase of about $36 more a year for water and about $17 more a year for sewer.

As for the town’s overall budget, that will total about $1.29 million. Those monies will be split between the general fund (used for governmental activities) and the enterprise fund (water and sewer operations).

The former fund occupies the lion’s share of that. About $855,000 — or 73 percent of the budget — will go into the general fund next fiscal year. Of that money, about $396,000 — or 46 percent of the general fund — is dedicated to public safety expenses.

Another $230,000 of the general fund — or 27 percent — will go to salaries and benefits for administrative, maintenance and parks/recreation employees. The rest goes mostly to waste disposal fees, electricity costs, materials, property maintenance/repairs and legal/insurance fees.

In the enterprise fund, about $354,000 is budgeted during the next fiscal year. About $237,000 —  or 67 percent of the enterprise fund — will go directly into operational costs.  Another $73,000 — or about 21 percent — will go to employee salaries and benefits.

The rest will go to miscellaneous costs such as equipment purchases, equipment maintenance and insurance/liability.

Between the two funds, Stanfield’s overall budget has gone up almost 7 percent since last year.

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At the Stanfield Town Council’s last meeting, councilors also:

• Announced that they completed a beautification project last month. Using a $350 grant from Keep Stanly Beautiful, staff installed a number of planters along the sidewalks of West Stanly Street.
• Recognized Officer Chris McDaniel for completing coursework with the UNC School of Government to become a certified zoning official. McDaniel will now serve as the zoning enforcement officer for the town of Stanfield.
• Approved a new police policy that will enable the Stanfield Police Department to maintain at least two undercover police cars on its force at all times.

Contact Shannon Beamon at (704) 982-2121 ext. 24, or shannon@stanlynewspress.com.