Faison’s budget discussions postponed

FAISON — Last week, the Faison Town Board conducted a public hearing prior to its regular meeting. Town officials spoke about the impact of recent property tax revaluations and the pressure this puts on homeowners. Due to the revaluations, many residents are seeing their property values nearly double, raising concerns about a corresponding sharp increase in tax bills.

They also discussed the possibility of reducing the local tax rate to alleviate this burden and help offset the effects of rising assessments.

“We moved up to 60 cents two years ago. And we did not plan any increase this year. And when the new evaluations came out, Duplin said they were going to drop theirs,” said Mayor Billy Ward, adding that the town could do the same thing to help residents.

Ward explained that while the revaluation process aims to reflect current market values, it also serves to increase revenue for local governments.

Town Clerk Sharon Lee noted that even with a rate cut, the town will still see an increase in revenue due to the higher property values. Lee presented data indicating that dropping the rate from the current 60 cents per $100 of assessed value to 55 cents, combined with an estimated property value increase of 35–50%, would still yield over $130,000 in additional revenue.

“I would drop it back down to 55 or 56. That’s what I would do to help people out,” said Lee. “To show them that we’re trying to help them. And we’re still going to have an increase in revenue even if you do that.”

The main challenge was timing, as the town needed to adopt its budget ordinance. However, to do that, they need the final property assessment data, which they typically receive in May or June.

“The problem is that the county’s not on the same schedule as us. So they don’t have to do it until next month,” explained Tyndal. “We’re kind of in the dark.”

Attendees voiced concerns that some property values have doubled, while others have increased only slightly.

“We’re going to go up from the county and the town,” said Lee. “I would say if your tax bill this year was $1,000, it’s going to be $2,000 next year if we don’t reduce our tax rate. And then the same thing with the county. If they don’t reduce it, it could be double.”

The board decided to table the discussion and announced that budget discussions, including the 2025 budget, tax rate, and the related ordinance, would be postponed until the June meeting.

Following the public hearing, the regular meeting began with a moment of silence in memory of Brent Turner, who passed away last month at the age of 48. After a heartfelt prayer, Ward read sympathy notes expressing gratitude for the community’s support and mourning the sudden loss of the public works employee. Tyndall read a resolution adopted by the town, honoring Turner’s contributions and ensuring his memory would be preserved in the town’s permanent records.

Ward announced the start of a new adult volleyball league last weekend. The recreation department also has upcoming summer programs, including basketball and flag football, with sign-ups already open.

The board addressed an error regarding an HVAC estimate from Anderson Heat and Air, and voted to approve the correct amount of $17,154.24. Additionally, minor changes were announced for the after-school program for the upcoming year, such as implementing a flat $45 weekly fee, regardless of attendance days. Tyndall explained these adjustments aim to better align with the program’s needs.

Lastly, the board discussed the condition of the town’s soccer field. Officials expressed frustration over being caught in a cycle of temporary fixes, particularly regarding areas that have worn down to bare dirt.

“We can’t get enough time off of it to fix it. So we’re still trying to figure out how to make a workaround on that part because we’re getting down to dirt,” said Tyndall.

Despite previous efforts to preserve the field by moving the goals and restricting access during the off-season, these measures were not consistently upheld, leading to further degradation.

“There is one way to ultimately fix it, but that’s going to come with a serious price tag,” said Tyndall, adding that ultimately they are trying to create a practice field.

The meeting also included personnel discussions, resulting in plans to hire two new employees.