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WARSAW — There was a full house at the Warsaw Board of Commissioners held on June 10, as Town Manager Lea Turner presented the proposed FY 2024-25 budget.
Among the highlights for the proposed budget is a 5% cost of living adjustment for all full-time employees, a 10% increase for water/sewer user rates, and increases in the recreation fee schedule.
“There are no outstanding loans at this time. Our taxes remain at $0.57 per $100 valuation. We have an estimated taxation of $226,441,939. This is an anticipated collection rate of 97%. The only changes to the fee schedule were a 10% increase to water and sewer funds for sewer revenue due to inflation costs,” ,” said Turner, explaining that they need to continue making their debt service payment and also need to begin a capital improvement fund for capital expenses.
Residents expressed their dissatisfaction with the increase on water/sewer rates adding that the services they are receiving are below standard.
Angela B. Mainor expressed her dissatisfaction with the proposed recreation fee schedule, adding that charging $120 per hour to rent a place, and $350 to rent the kitchen was outrageous. “You won’t have nobody to rent the place anymore.”
Mayor A.J. Connors explained that these funds are to help whenever repairs are needed. Residents also disagreed with the proposed 5% salary increase.
Marzella Morrisey voiced concerns that the budget allocated for Dream Works ($268,850), who is contracted by the town, was higher than the budget allocated for the town’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“We’re overlooking the things necessary for the people of Warsaw,” said Morrisey, questioning how a contracted service is allocated more funding than the Parks and Recreation Department, emphasizing that the department needs funding to repair a park that has been in terrible conditions for a while. She also questioned the proposed raise.
“On this floor last year, without even looking at your budget, you gave everybody a $5,000 increase across the board… Now this year, Duke Energy increased my light bill and every citizen’s in Warsaw, and that was the kind of message that was delivered to us – that all of these increases are happening, and so, everybody needs a 5% increase… The town budget that our manager has proposed to us is not for the people of Warsaw. The population in Warsaw is at least 74% seniors on a fixed income, and we don’t make that kind of money to pay for all the increases that you all are asking for,” said Morrisey.
“The employees of this town work diligently to do what we ask them to do, whether it’s to clean up a dead animal off the side of the road … or whether it’s to be at a scene where somebody has been shot … the reality is these individuals that work for this town work hard. I’ve seen it, I’ve been there, they’ve been out in the snow, they’re out in the rain, whether it’s lightning, thunder, they’re out there doing the job that many of us know we would not want to do. So when they’re only getting a 5% raise this year that’s not a terrible thing,” said Mayor Connors in response to the complaints.
Morrisey insisted that she felt the citizens’ needs were not taken into consideration when the proposed budget was put together.
“I would not come before you guys if you all were serving the citizens of Warsaw to the best of your ability. But I’ve been here a long time and I’ve been coming to all the town’s meetings over a period of almost 20 years. I have notes, minutes, all the minutes, and I’ve seen minutes change from month to month and all kinds of issues… I don’t see you going in the right direction, because you’re not really serving the citizens,” said Morrisey.
“I say that 5% increase is not necessary when you’ve got to increase things for citizens of Warsaw who can hardly afford to eat. It’s not. It’s not the young folk that own food stamps that are going to those food banks.”
Commissioner Ebony Wills-Wells recommended for the board to revisit the budget. After some discussion, the board scheduled a meeting for another budget workshop to be held June 18 at 6 p.m.
In other business:
Mike Barnette with McDavid Associates conducted a public hearing to share information about the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure contract to repair Well # 3. The $3 million grant will enable the town to renovate the well located on North Gum Street, and will put it back in operation. It will add a filter train to the existing water treatment plant, which is at 144 Pumphouse Lane, and it will construct approximately 7,400 linear feet of raw water line to connect that well to the treatment plant according to Barnette.
The board appointed Al Searles to fill in the seat left by the late Commissioner Russell Eason. He will be sworn in at the next board meeting and will serve until the municipal elections in July 2025.
