Local Politics
  1. Home
  2. US
  3. North Carolina
  4. Midway
  5. Issues

FYE 2027 Budget

Context

The Town of Midway's General Fund budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 (FYE 6/30/27), prepared by Town Manager Brock Hall in his first budget cycle and adopted by the Town Council as Budget Ordinance 26-02. The Town runs a single General Fund; there is no water or sewer enterprise fund in the budget (sewer tap and capital recovery fees appear only in the fee schedule, with $0 budgeted as revenue), and no new debt is anticipated. Council's goals in the Budget Message: conservative revenue and expenditure projections, a historically strong fund balance, minimal debt, and cash funding for nearly all recurring expenses and capital outlay.

Adopted totals (Ordinance 26-02, adopted June 1, 2026; unchanged in total by the August amendment)

  • General Fund appropriations and revenues: $2,367,600, with $0 fund balance appropriated.
  • Appropriations by department: Governing Board $63,600; Administration $578,000; Public Safety $80,000 (Davidson County Sheriff contract); Public Works $545,000; Parks & Recreation $995,000; Planning & Zoning $39,000 (county planning contract); Community & Economic Development $67,000.
  • Property tax rate: $0.05 per $100, unchanged. As adopted June 1 it was levied on an estimated base of $657,006,471 and the ordinance stated a revenue-neutral rate of $0.03 per $100 (required after the revaluation). The Town Charter bars proposing an increase of more than $0.10 without a majority vote of qualified voters.
  • Revenues as adopted June 1: ad valorem $308,300 (current $284,000, prior $3,000, motor vehicle $23,000, penalties $800, discounts -$2,500); sales and use tax $1,737,000; solid waste disposal tax $3,500; ABC revenue $18,000; utility and franchise taxes $140,000; investment earnings $150,000; pavilion rental $10,000; gazebo rental $800. Sales tax is about 75% of the Town's revenue.
  • Finance Officer may transfer up to $5,000 between line items, with a report at the next Council meeting.

August 3, 2026 amendment (called Ordinance 27-01 in the minutes): because of the state revaluation moratorium the levy base reverts to $397,500,885, the revenue-neutral rate language is removed, current ad valorem is cut to $188,000 (total ad valorem $212,300) and sales tax raised to $1,833,000 (other taxes $1,854,500). Total revenue and appropriations stay $2,367,600 and the rate stays $0.05. Council approved it unanimously (Moon/Alcorn).

Fee changes: none were made. Council kept the fee schedule as is at the March 19 session; see Fee Schedule Ordinance 26-03.

Major line items (budget book, FYE 6/30/27)

  • Administration: compensation $225,000; retirement (state system) $35,000; payroll tax $22,000; group health $17,000; legal and professional $75,000 (the Town Attorney, engineering, internal accounting); contracted services $70,000; codify ordinances $25,000; maintenance and repairs $25,000 (up from $20,000, as agreed in work sessions); insurance and bonding $20,000. Supplemental retirement is not funded.
  • Public Works: solid waste and recycling contract $417,000; street lights $50,000; mowing $50,000; poles $20,000; Christmas decorations $5,000; special projects $3,000.
  • Parks & Recreation: Town Park enhancements and upgrades $400,000; mowing and seeding $110,000; repairs and maintenance $108,000; staff compensation $120,000; staff equipment $80,000; restroom and rental area cleaning $70,000; utilities $35,000; operating costs $40,000; trail maintenance $25,000.
  • Community & Economic Development: STEAM grants to six area schools $24,000; non-profit grants $10,000; Davidson County economic development $10,000; 20th anniversary celebration $20,000 (see Town 20th Anniversary Celebration); special events (Christmas parade, tree lighting) $3,000.
  • Governing Board: compensation $33,000; professional development $10,600; accounting and audit $10,000.
  • Staffing decisions in the work sessions: a 3% cost-of-living raise for park staff and the Town Clerk; Town contributions to a 401(k) were rejected by consensus on April 23; board compensation unchanged.

Budget Message highlights (dated May 4, 2026): presented at $2,367,600 and "fundamentally conservative"; the elected body aims to balance residential quality of life with business opportunity and improve recreational amenities; no fund balance appropriation; tax rate unchanged at five cents; services offered are solid waste and recycling, streetlights, land use planning, zoning and code enforcement (county contract), public safety (county contract) and the Town Park; the budget is balanced under the NC Budget and Fiscal Control Act; public hearing set for June 1; confirmed bank depositories are First National Bank, Home Trust Bank, North Carolina Capital Trust and Encore Bank.

Path to adoption: first draft $2,395,000 (March 19), $2,384,600 (April 23), $2,367,600 as presented May 4 and adopted June 1.

Status

Adopted June 1, 2026 (Ordinance 26-02, unanimous; McAlpine moved, Edwards seconded; public hearing advertised in The Dispatch May 19, no speakers) and amended August 3, 2026 for the revaluation moratorium. Year-to-date: July income $176,818 (7.5% of budget) and expenses $87,237 (3.7%); August income $447,805 (18.9%) and expenses $191,516 (8.1%). FY 2026 closed with net revenue of about $1,058,150, and the audit by Tony Brewer is expected to be presented in December. Open items: the ordinance number for the August amendment is written 27-01 in the minutes (the same number the minutes give a September project ordinance amendment whose document reads 27-02), so verify against the Town Clerk's copies.

Budget documents

The specific file URLs for the budget book and the two ordinance PDFs are not recorded in the project notes; the notes in Skills/MidwayGovernment give the town's budget page and meeting list, and the meeting documents below come from the town's 2026 council meeting list.

Log

  • 2026-08-03 - Town Council - Council unanimously amended the budget (Ordinance 27-01) after the revaluation moratorium: base back to $397,500,885, ad valorem down to $188,000, sales tax up to $1,833,000, total still $2,367,600.
  • 2026-06-01 - Town Council - Public hearing, no speakers; Budget Ordinance 26-02 adopted unanimously ($2,367,600, 5 cents, no fund balance); fee schedule adopted separately.
  • 2026-05-04 - Town Council - Brock Hall presented the proposed budget and Budget Message ($2,367,600); hearing set for June 1 (Leonard/Edwards); John Byrum commended Hall's first budget.
  • 2026-04-23 - Town Council Budget Work Session - Work session: budget cut $11,000 to $2,384,600; 3% COLA for park staff and Clerk; Town 401(k) contribution rejected; 5-cent rate confirmed; draft resolution on property tax limits requested.
  • 2026-04-06 - Town Council - Second budget workshop moved from April 16 to April 23 (Leonard/Edwards).
  • 2026-03-19 - Town Council Budget Work Session - First work session: $2,395,000 proposal, revaluation, compensation, fee schedule unchanged, action items on maintenance and decorations.
  • 2026-03-02 - Town Council - Hall reminded Council the March 19 workshop was the first official budget meeting.
  • 2026-02-19 - Town Council Vision Session - Preliminary budget shown: conservative revenue, cybersecurity raised as a priority by Byrum, staff asked to bring fee, pay and benefit ideas.
  • 2026-01-05 - Town Council - Council set the Vision Session and two budget workshop dates.