Bladen County budget – nearly $62 million with 5 percent pay raises for employees – unanimously approved

ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen County commissioners on Monday night unanimously approved a budget of nearly $62 million.

The board made the decision in less than 10 minutes during a preliminary meeting to their regularly scheduled gathering. There is no tax rate increase; it remains 82 cents per $100 of valuation.

The budget of $61,910,539 includes 5 percent raises across the board for county employees, who did not get a raise last year as COVID-19 swept through the country. There are a number of capital projects included, among them paving.

The budget also is impacted by changes in Emergency Management Services, to include two new positions and handling the changes resulting from the closure of Elizabethtown Rescue.

• The meeting was adjourned to Wednesday afternoon to consider alignment with managed health care organizations. The county is currently with Eastpointe and is considering Trillium.

• In an update on COVID-19, Dr. Terri Duncan said the county’s high percentage of positive tests is leading the state. But, the health director said, that is in part because of limited testing. For example, about 50 with five or six positives sends the percentage into double figures. She noted the number of active cases has nearly doubled, to about 70, in the last couple of weeks. Duncan also said the Health Department is awaiting confirmation of a 43rd death in the county related to the worldwide pandemic.

• Acting as the board for the Bladen County Water District, the panel unanimously approved three change orders and received an update on the Phase IV Water System Expansion Project.

• The board gave formal approval to an application connected to the new school in Tar Heel. It is an application toward a grant, with money coming from the state’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund.