It’s that time of year again. We’ve entered Daylight Saving Time, temperatures are warming up, pollen is on its way and local governments will soon start hammering out the details of the next fiscal year’s budget.
The process has already begun for county commissioners, with County Manager Allen Vann starting departmental meetings before 2025 even ended. The first of several commissioners meetings on the budget was also held Monday evening.
After adopting last year’s budget, the commissioners also unanimously approved a plan for the new county manager, identifying budget priorities a year in advance.
The first item in that resolution stated, “There will be no general property tax increase.” That is likely music to every Sampson County citizen’s ears, as many were not happy with last year’s 6-cent property tax increase.
However, though the opposition to the tax was loud and clear after the budget was passed in 2025, very few individuals took the time to express their outrage over the increase during the many public hearings and written comment period leading up to the budget’s approval.
Residents were given ample chances to let their opinions be known, not only at the June public hearing on the budget, but at preceding public meetings in several communities held in May and June last year, and hosted by then-Interim County Manager Jeffrey Hudson. At each of these meetings, the public spoke out on numerous issues from libraries to the history museum to animal services, but not many vehemently opposed a tax increase.
We encourage everyone affected by the county budget to please educate yourselves well in advance about what the county is proposing this year. Pay attention to when meetings, workshops and public hearings are being held, and voice what is most important to you.
The Board of Commissioners will have the final say on what is and isn’t included in the 2026-27 budget, but they will take citizens’ input to heart when making that decision in June. Reach out to your district’s commissioner, stay abreast of meeting dates and times, and most importantly, participate.
County commissioners are counting on you, the citizens, to help guide them as to what the budget should look like.
After all, last year, the county had proposed significant cuts to library services, but then the community rallied to save the libraries and they were able to operate this year within the approved budget.
Commissioners had also planned to scale back the Sampson County History Museum’s operations, but, after community outcry, it was fully funded as well.
In addition to advocating for needed services, it’s also the community’s job to keep commissioners accountable. Since they all but promised there would be no property tax increase this year, we implore you to hold them to it. If for whatever reason, another increase is deemed necessary, they will need to tell us why, and it had better be a very detailed, comprehensive explanation.
The government is supposed to work for the people it represents. Let’s all do our part to make sure they do.