On Tuesday, Wilmington City Council held its final regular meeting for the month of May.
The night began with Mayor Bill Saffo presenting employee recognition awards. These awards are given to employees who exemplify the values of service, teamwork, accountability, respect and safety.
“The reason that this is one of the most popular cities in America is because of the dedicated employees and the work goes into taking care of the City every single day,” Saffo said.
Council held a public hearing on the recommended 2023 Fiscal Year budget, totaling $251 million.
The Budget prioritizes employee compensation and retention, transportation projects, equity and inclusion, affordable housing, street rehabilitation, and infrastructure.
Under a proposed 1.42 cent tax rate increase, average homeowners would see their tax bill increase by roughly $3 per month.
“You can see the General Fund makes up the most of that, over 52 percent, at just over $130 million. Stormwater is just over $14 million, at 6 percent of the Budget, and Recycling and Waste is 4 percent, at $11 million,” said Budget Director Laura Mortell.
Next up in the process, Council will hold a work session on May 27th to discuss possible changes and will vote to approved the budget in June.
Council approved $577,000 for FEMA-scope repairs to the Wilmington Convention Center.
This will cover all remaining damage from Hurricane Florence, including repairs and improvements to exterior doors, floor barriers, storm shutters, smoke excavation louvers, and French drains.
For more on this meeting, you can head to wilmingtonnc.gov.
City Council will hold a budget work session at 8:30 a.m. on May 27 and will hold its next regular meeting on June 7th at 6:30 p.m.