Union County Manager Brian Mattews shared an update on the State of the County at the Chamber’s August 28th Public Policy Luncheon. The luncheon is the third in our quarterly series.
2024-2025 Budget
Matthews began his presentation with an overview of the county’s 2024-2025 budget, which maintained a flat tax rate of 58.80. The operating budget is $578.16 million. He highlighted some of the key investments and projects from the budget.
- Education: The county fully funded Union County Public Schools (UCPS) budget request of $130.6 million. That includes nearly $8 million in additional funding for UCPS, with charter schools receiving over $14 million. The school system will also add five more School Resource Officers. South Piedmont Community College will see a 7.2% increase in funding.
- EMS and Public Safety: Union EMS received capital funds for improvements, including the implementation of a tiered response system. The Sheriff’s Office recently opened a new administration building, housing the county’s first full-service crime lab, funded by a public safety bond.
- South Piedmont Regional Autopsy Center: The State is giving Union County $20 million to build a regional autopsy center, as well as $2 million annually for operations. This facility will serve Union and surrounding counties, enhancing forensic pathology services in the region.
Water and Sewer Infrastructure
The County recently updated its Water/Sewer Master Plan. It includes a 7.25% rate increase for water customers and a 6% increase for sewer customers. The increases will be used to expand the water and wastewater treatment facilities including 12 Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility, Catawba River Water Treatment Facility, Yadkin Regional Water Supply, and more. The County expects to spend over $603 million dollars over the next 10 years on that work.
- 12-Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility: Bids are out for the expansion of 12-Mile Creek to increase capacity from 7.5 million gallons a day to 9 million gallons. That work is expected to start in the next few months.
- Catawba River Water Treatment Plant: Expansion work there is expected to increase capacity by 16 million gallons per day.
- Transmission Capacity and Interceptor Sewers: The County is making investments to improve the lines that lead to treatment plants.
Economic Development and Community Initiatives
Union County continues to see strong economic growth. Leading industries including Plastics, Logistics, Aerospace, and Construction Materials have contributed to a $575 million capital investment in the county since July 2021. The labor force has grown by 11,000 people, with unemployment dropping to 3.1%.
Economic Development
There is still work to do to more appropriately balance the tax base. Currently, Union County is about 85% residential and about 15% commercial. Experts estimate a 70% residential and 30% commercial is a stronger balance.
One way the County is working to grow the business community is through Agribusiness. This includes the BARN project. BARN stands for “Building Agricultural Resources and Nutrition.” The food-related facility is focused on supporting local agriculture and food businesses.
It will include a 20,000 square foot building with a kitchen, specialized processing spaces, a food truck corral, and more. The project is a partnership between the Cooperative Extension, Monroe-Union County Economic Development Commission, Town of Wingate, Wingate University, and Union County.
Future Planning
As the county’s population has grown by nearly 30% since 2010, the Board of Commissioners is working on a Rural Land Use Plan to preserve Union County’s rural character amidst development pressures. Additionally, the county’s regular property reappraisal process is set for 2025, ensuring residents’ taxes are based on current market values.
Property owners will receive notices of their updated valuation early in 2025. In June, the Board of Commissioners expect to adopt a new tax rate, and tax bills based on the new values will be sent in August.
Last modified: November 19, 2024
