FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
May 13 , 2010
 

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Cary Continues Cautious, Conservative Approach to Budgeting for Coming Year
Town Manager recommends no change in property tax or solid waste fee but utility rates to rise

CARY, NC – It will take about $348 million next year to keep Cary one of the greatest places in America to live, work, and raise a family, according to Town Manager Ben Shivar’s Fiscal Year (FY) 11 recommended budget.  The total operating budget is a modest 3.7 percent higher than its FY 10 predecessor, which was adopted last June to fund the current year’s initiatives.  Proposed reductions and limited new capital projects will keep Cary’s tax rate one of the lowest in the Triangle at 33 cents per $100 of valuation and keep garbage, recycling, and yard waste fees the same at $14 per month for residents.

“While we are beginning to see some signs that the economy may be improving, any recovery will be long and slow, which is why I’m recommending we continue into next fiscal year the very cautious and conservative approach that has kept core services intact and impacted citizens’ quality of life as little as possible,” said Town Manager Ben Shivar.  New spending will once again be extremely limited, including further delaying projects and keeping our workforce lean.”  Shivar is also proposing no new debt for general government projects.

The Town of Cary’s annual budget is divided into two parts:  a capital budget, which funds bricks and mortar projects like roads, buildings, and utility lines; and an operating budget, which funds the equipment, supplies, vehicles, and people needed to run programs and facilities.

While the coming year’s capital plan includes a handful of smaller projects such as open space acquisition, an elevated water storage tank, and the annual town-wide street improvement program, the primary driver of Shivar’s proposed $174 million capital portion of the budget is $128 million toward the State-mandated Western Wake Regional Wastewater Management Facilities (WWRWMF), which will allow Cary, Morrisville, Apex, and Holly Springs to comply with the State’s requirement to return water to the Cape Fear River Basin

To pay for their share of the $330 million project, Cary water and sewer customers will once again see a rise in rates. Shivar is proposing a 7.4 percent increase this year—about $5.60 more a month for a residential Cary customer using 7,000 gallons of water. About 4.6 percent of the change is directly tied to the WWRWMF; the remainder of the rise (about 2.8 percent) is related to the recessionary slowdown in new development as well as lower per capita demand.

Shivar’s recommended FY 11 operating portion of the budget totals $173 million. The modest 3.7 percent increase from the current year’s adopted operating budget is due in part to 12 new positions’ being proposed, including four that will be needed for the new Cary Community Arts Center. Shivar is also recommending hiring three additional police officers to begin developing a new neighborhood crime prevention program as well as one school resource officer for the new Mills Park Middle School. At the same time, Shivar is recommending the formal elimination of 31 vacant positions, which will save the Town about $1.5 million next year.

Over the last several years, Cary averaged 27 new positions each year just to keep pace with the growing community’s needs. Counting the 12 new positions and the 31 eliminated positions the Town’s total recommended staffing will be reduced to 1,140, or about 8.1 staff members for each 1,000 Cary residents -- one of the lowest staff-to-citizen ratios in the state for a large municipality and down from 8.5 at the start of FY 10.

The Cary Town Council’s first budget work session is slated for May 18, 2010. Discussions are expected to include a review of the overall operating and capital budgets and the limited number of new positions’ being recommended.  Another work session is on the calendar for June 8 if needed.  Work sessions are open to the public, begin at 5:30 p.m., and are held at Cary Town Hall. 

In addition to attending work sessions, interested citizens are invited to comment on the proposed budget during two upcoming regular Town Council meetings: Thursday, May 27 and Wednesday, June 9. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and are held in the Council Chambers at Cary Town Hall, 316 North Academy St.

Any changes to Shivar’s recommended budget will be listed separately and voted on in conjunction with approval of the entire budget at the regular Council meeting on June 24. North Carolina law requires local governments to adopt a balanced budget by June 30 since the new fiscal year starts July 1.

The complete Town of Cary proposed budget is available at www.townofcary.org. Printed copies of the budget are also available for review at the Town Clerk’s Office in Town Hall, at the Cary public library on South Academy Street, and at the West Regional Library, 4000 Louis Stephens Drive.

The Town of Cary’s annual budget is a work and financial plan designed to implement the Town Council’s vision for the community as articulated in the organization’s mission statement and goals and initiatives.

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MEDIA NOTE:  Town Manager Ben Shivar will review the budget with any interested reporters in an informal, round-table fashion at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, May 14 in the Administration Department of Cary Town Hall, 316 N. Academy Street.

PRIMARY CONTACTS:  
Ben Shivar, Town Manager, (919) 469-4002
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951