On May 12, 2020 at the Davidson Board of Commissioners meeting, Town Manager Jamie Justice and Finance Director Piet Swart initiated the budget approval process by presenting the proposed budget for fiscal year 2020-2021 (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021).
All budget documents are available on our website at www.townofdavidson.org/budget
The recommended budget includes
• General fund budget of $12.4 million, a reduction from last year of 2.4%
• Stable tax rate at $.29 per $100 valuation
• No recommended fee increases
• Appropriate response to COVID-19 pandemic
• Plan for potential budget adjustment mid-year
• New capital funding strategy
VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING
Community members are invited to engage during the virtual public hearing scheduled for May 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts on the proposed FY 2020-21 Budget.
Article 1A of Chapter 166A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"NCGS§166A-19.24. Remote meetings during certain declarations of emergency (e) Public Hearings. – A public body may conduct any public hearing required or authorized by law during a remote meeting, and take action thereon, provided the public body allows for written comments on the subject of the public hearing to be submitted between publication of any required notice and 24 hours after the public hearing."
In order to ensure public participation, the following options prior to the budget public hearing will be available for public comment. These options were developed to allow different technologies to be used ensuring equitable and robust comment opportunities:
- Email: The public will be allowed to participate in the public hearing by sending written comments to bshores@townofdavidson.org of no more than 400 words via email. If the email is submitted by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, the comments will be read aloud at the meeting. In keeping with the board’s current procedures, only three minutes of verbal reading will be allowed per email. The deadline to submit by email is 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.
- Phone: The public will be able to call (704)940-9614 and leave a voicemail message in order to provide public comment. These messages will be played during the public hearing period, but will be limited to three minutes. The deadline to submit by phone is 5:00 pm on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.
- Speak Up Online Platform: Prior to the public hearing, the town will post a question online via Speak Up (https://townofdavidson.granicusideas.com/discussions/) that will allow the public to comment via this method. If the comment is submitted by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, the comments will be read aloud at the meeting, but limited to three minutes. The deadline to submit by Speak Up is 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.
- Social Media: Prior to the public hearing, a social media post will solicit any public comment for the hearing. If the comment is submitted by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, the comments will be read aloud at the meeting, but limited to three minutes. The deadline to submit by social media is 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.
Note: If the same comment is made via multiple methods, only one will be used in the meeting with the voicemail taking first priority. Written comments for the public hearing must be submitted by 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 per NCGS§166A-19.24.(e).