FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
June 25, 2010

Cary Town Council Approves Conservative Budget

CARY, NC – At their regular meeting last night, the Cary Town Council adopted a $348 million budget that keeps the property tax rate unchanged at 33 cents per $100 valuation and holds the residential garbage, recycling and yard waste fees the same at $14 per month. The total operating budget is a modest 3.7 percent higher than its Fiscal Year 2010 predecessor, which was adopted last June to fund the current year’s initiatives. 

Highlights of the adopted budget include $128 million for 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. It also reserves $2.7 million for street improvements and other transportation initiatives, $3 million for fire and $700,000 for park renovations and $2.8 million for general government including $700,000 for open space.

The adopted budget includes the addition of 12 new positions, four of which will be needed toward the end of the fiscal year for the new Cary Community Arts Center, which is expected to open in late Spring 2011. Three police officers will be hired to begin developing a new neighborhood crime prevention program as well as one school resource for the new Mills Park Middle School. With the adoption of the budget, 31.25 vacant positions will be eliminated, saving the Town about $1.5 million next year. Town staff will be reduced to 1,140.375 full-time equivalents, or about 8.1 staff members for each 1,000 Cary residents, which is one of the lowest citizen to staff ratios for a large community in North Carolina.

This year’s budget season began in February with a full month dedicated specifically to collecting budget priorities from citizens. During the spring, the Town Council held two work sessions to review and discuss the manager’s recommended budget. In addition, the Town Council held a public hearing at each of its regular Council meetings held on May 27 and June 9. The changes to the Manager’s recommended budget that the Council approved were 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 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:
 
Mission Statement:
At the Town of Cary we focus everyday on enriching the lives of our citizens by creating an exceptional environment and providing exemplary services that enable our community to thrive and prosper.

 Goals and Initiatives:
• Achieve a well-planned community using innovative and proactive planning approaches and techniques
• Ensure that roads, water and waste water facilities, parks and other infrastructure exists for the existing citizens and for the future needs identified in the comprehensive plan
• Achieve a stable and strong financial position by accurately estimating, prudently allocating and managing financial resources
• Achieve a high level of service to the citizens in a promptly, reliable, responsive and cost-effective manner

While the Town of Cary proposed budget is already available online, the adopted budget is expected to be available by the end of August at www.townofcary.org. Printed copies of the final adopted budget are also expected to be available by the end of August for review at Town Hall and at the Cary public library in downtown Cary and at the West Regional Library, 4000 Louis Stephens Drive.

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PRIMARY CONTACTS:  
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951