Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Southampton County Administrator Brian S. Thrower presented his proposed fiscal year 2026 county budget to the county’s Board of Supervisors on April 9, with the budget standing at $87,887,099.

In a memorandum to the board, he noted that the proposed General Fund budget totaled $28,189,486, included no tax increases and a 3% Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) increase for full-time employees.

He noted that one new locally funded paralegal position was included in the commonwealth’s attorney’s office budget.

The proposed FY26 School Fund budget totals $38,487,049, he stated, noting that this includes local funding of $11,644,980, which breaks down into $9,115,046 for operations and $2,529,934 for debt service.

“The proposed total for operations ($9,115,046) represents level funding from the FY25 approved budget,” he stated.

Members of the Southampton County School Board and Southampton County Public Schools administration expressed hope at the School Board’s April 14 meeting that the division’s budget presentation to the Board of Supervisors on April 9 would persuade it to increase local funding to the schools. 

SCPS is requesting $14,049,056 from the county for FY26, representing an increase of $2,499,745 from the school division’s local funding for FY25.

Thrower’s proposed budget includes a separate listing for the School Food Services Fund, which he proposes receive $1,549,148.

The Building Fund in Thrower’s budget receives $11,370,568; the Enterprise Fund (Water and Sewer) receives $4,977,323; and the Public Assistance Fund (Social Services) receives $3,313,525.

The proposed budget for the Enterprise Fund includes a $5 increase to all water and sewer rates and a 3% COLA increase for full-time employees.

“These rate increases support your adopted Financial Policy Guidelines by lessening the reliance on the General Fund to cover expenses, i.e. having the Water and Sewer Fund operate more like a self-sustaining enterprise fund over time,” Thrower stated.

He noted that the Building Fund, proposed to total $11.4 million, primarily includes revenues and expenses associated with the courthouse project, the radio system project, fire and rescue capital projects and other related building and vehicle expenses.

The Public Assistance Fund, proposed to total $3.3 million, supports the functions of the county’s local Social Services Department, Thrower stated, adding that the majority of funding for this service is provided by the state.

The Board of Supervisors has held budget work sessions on April 9 and 16 and was set to continue budget discussion at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, April 22, with the request on the agenda to authorize advertisement of the proposed budget and to conduct a public hearing to be held Monday, May 14, at 6 p.m.