MAXTON — Maxton residents will see a 5% increase in water and sewer rates once the town’s 2023-24 fiscal year budget goes into effect on July 1.
During their regularly scheduled business meeting, Maxton’s Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $5.2 million budget that was significantly lower than the current year’s $6.2 million budget. This is primarily due to the lack of American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding, which accounted for more than $700,000 in the current year’s budget.
ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill, approved by the U.S. Congress and signed by the president, aimed at aiding the country’s recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in recession.
The vast majority of the budget will go toward the town’s police department, about $1.1 million. A total of $725,550 is going to administrative costs, $578,400 will go to public works and $33,500 to the town’s recreation department. The town expects $147,200 in Powell Bill revenue, a slight dip of about $3,000 from the current year’s budget. More than $700,000 is also budgeted for water and sewer.
Maxton’s finance officer told members of the public that the rate increase would make the town more eligible for grants geared toward replacing and upgrading the town’s water and sewer infrastructure and would increase the town’s revenue by about $20,000 annually.
A public hearing was held on the water and sewer rate hikes and the proposed budget, but no one from the public spoke for or against either matter.
During the meeting, the commissioners approved the budget without discussion, but the mayor clarified that several meetings were held throughout the month where the budget was discussed at length.
“Much work has been done,” Mayor Paul Davis said.
In other money matters, the commissioners voted and approved the creation of capital line items for each of the town’s advisory boards in the budget. The line items will include funds received from donations to the boards that would be separate from the general fund and that can roll over from year to year.
The commissioners also approved a request for a special-use permit to operate an air curtain incinerator within the town’s limits. The device is used to burn wood waste items like trees and brush.
Before the vote, members of the public questioned the commissioners on the potential effects the incinerator could have on the town’s air quality and if there would be an odor.
”Is that going to be a problem for Maxton based on the location? What’s the long-term effect,” Maxton resident Shelton Spencer asked.
Mayor Davis said he did not foresee the incinerator becoming an issue.
“We don’t anticipate any problem from this at all … This is done in a lot of places,” Davis said.
In other business, the commissioners OK’ed a zoning request to rezone a property at 401 W. Martin Luther King Dr. in Maxton from a single-family residential district to a multiple-family residential district to allow for the addition of a duplex. Kingdom Investments LLC made the request.
Also, during the meeting, members of the public were introduced to the town’s now clerk, Cynthia Encynosa. She takes the place of Micheal Causer, who has been with the town since 2020.
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