Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg presented the recommended Fiscal Year 2022 budget to the Kannapolis City Council Monday evening. The recommended budget is $85,250,848 which includes all six operating funds of the City. The budget includes no property tax or utility fee increases, but there is a proposed $2.50 increase in environmental fees. The increase in environmental fees is due to the continued increase in the cost of collecting and disposing of garbage, electronic, bulky waste and recycling items.
If the budget is approved in June, the current tax rate will remain at .63 cents per $100 valuation – a home valued at $200,000 will pay $1,260 annually in property taxes for all City services.
“Last year at this time we halted many items in our budget as we adapted to the uncertainty of the pandemic. We purposefully delayed any new spending on projects and positions as we evaluated what impact the pandemic would have on our sales tax revenues, ” said Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg. “This year’s proposed budget includes several projects and initiatives that we need to move forward with and the addition of personnel as we work to recover from the pandemic and adjust to the growth of our City. We are very fortunate to have weathered 2021 and we anticipate growth continuing rapidly in 2022.”
One indication of growth is 4,168 residential dwelling units that have been permitted over the last seven years. From April 2018 through March 2021 the City permitted 2,646 dwelling units, the highest total number in a three-year period in the City's history. This more than doubled any other three-year period. Growth is expected to continue in the coming years, both residentially and in business.
This year’s budget includes funds to continue all operations of the City, to pay for inflationary increases for items the City needs to operate daily; to pay debt on projects the City has recently completed such as the new fire stations, infrastructure improvements (water, sewer, sidewalks and streets); and the Atrium Health Ballpark. The budget also includes several new items relating to the continued growth of the City.
The majority of the City’s revenues come from two sources – property taxes (58% of the budget) and sales taxes (20% of the budget).
Other notable items in the budget include:
- $1,000,000 for construction of a skateboard park (first phase)
- $675,000 for the remodeling of Fire Station #1 and #4
- $55,000 for a New Litter Clean-up Program. Funding for a volunteer coordinator and public awareness campaign
- $750,000 for Phase 1 Kannapolis Parkway/Highway 3 decorative streetlights and landscaping
- $275,000 for Bakers Creek Park Improvements: parking lot, lighting, fixing handicap spots, ADA accommodations for restrooms and concessions
- $275,000 for Village Park Phase IV improvements: replacement of existing playground equipment
- $150,000 Midway (South Main Street) Corridor Plan
- $100,000 Transitional Housing/Homeless Shelter Strategy
- $735,545 Gem Theatre Operating Expenses
- $130,000 Irish Buffalo Creek Greenway (Rogers Lake Rd) parking lot
- $300,000 Lakeshore Corporate Park Infrastructure
- $100,000 for street sweeper to maintain the newly constructed parking deck downtown at VIDA
- $575,000 for the replacement of (12) police vehicles
- $450,000 for the replacement of a 15-year-old Fire Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
- $313,800 for the replacement of body-worn, in-car cameras and tasers for police (first of 5 annual payments to take place)
- 17 new positions in planning, parks and recreation, police, engineering, streets, water and sewer and general services
- $102,000 in annual debt service for the replacement of a 26-year-old fire engine
- $1,045,357 in annual debt service for the newly VIDA public parking deck
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 6 p.m., June 14, at Kannapolis City Hall with adoption scheduled for June 28.
Click here to view the recommended budget.
Click here to view the City Manager's budget message.