Rockingham unveils budget for 2023-24 fiscal year

ROCKINGHAM — Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump gave the first glimpse at the city’s annual budget at their May meeting.

Crump said it’s a “strong” budget that will help maintain the current operations of the city. There is no tax, water and sewer, or industrial use increase; the only increase is a $2 increase in monthly sanitation services. There is an allocation of $747,000 in the fund balance for the 2023-24 year.

A budget workshop for department heads has been planned for the morning of Wednesday, June 7. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, June 13, at the next city council meeting.

“I feel good about this budget as any of them we’ve ever done,” said council man Bennett Deane. “We’ve been good stewards of the taxpayers money…A lot of cities would feel fortunate to be in the situation we’re in with a strong budget like this.”

Crump said that the city has been able to add a lot of capital equipment that has not been unavailable in past budgets. He also added that they’ve been able to gather the most earned interest from investments since 2001.

The tax collection rate remains at a solid 99%. The city has promoted Fontella Watkins to fulfill the tax collection role following the passing of Shannon Pankey last month.

“We lost a really good lady in Shannon Pankey,” said councilman Steve Morris. “God puts people like her on Earth to do good for other people and she exercised that to the best of her ability. She was a doer for others. Our condolences to the family.”

“Not only was Shannon a great person, but she was a very effective tax collector,” Deane continued. “You look back historically…over the last seven or eight years, it was around 99%. It’s hard to get any better than that. She certainly leaves a void.”

There is a 4% cost of living adjustment for all city employees “across the board,” which is one of the largest in a long time, according to Crump.

“It’s very good with the cost of living, consumer price index, being what it is, and what we’re seeing in the pressures with salaries…to retain folks in critical areas that require certification,” he continued. “We need to do it to keep our pay scale competitive with the market share.”

Not in the budget, but still very much making an impact, is the city’s use of the American Rescue Plan Act funds. Crump said they were able to spend $2.7 million for the purchase of necessary capital equipment (such as the $475,000 purchase of a 2022 Custom E-one Fire Engine in 2021), mid-year bonuses and raises, parking lot and downtown structural improvements, and increasing sewer access and service. Morris said that city employees have been very “creative” in finding ways to effectively use the money and be reimbursed; Crump said that the goal of all of their decisions was the long-term effect on city operations.

Mayor John Hutchinson agreed with the other council members that it’s a strong budget. More details and information regarding the budget will be available at the June 7 work session.