MARS HILL - All Mars Hill town employees will be receiving pay bumps next year after the town board approved the salary increases in its proposed 2022-23 budget.

All full-time and part-time employees will receive a minimum of $2 an hour raises, Town Manager Nathan Bennett said during the Town Board of Aldermen's June 7 meeting at Town Hall. 

The town manager said the pay raises would account for an average increase overall of 9.25%. 

"The biggest part is to treat our employees fair," Bennett said. "Every couple years, and more yet to come I'm sure, we really need to remain competitive in salary, because we cannot stand to lose our employees and not fill the positions. This is a huge increase. This will bring all our staff to a minimum of $17 an hour" 

According to Bennett, the Mars Hill Town Board of Aldermen started on the budget process in early April. 

"We've got some great employees, and we need to take care of them, because they take care of us," said Alderman Nicholas Honeycutt. 

The budget contains two parts, the General Fund budget and the Water and Sewer Fund budget. 

The proposed budget recommends no change to the property tax rate of $0.47 per $100. 

The General Fund's proposed budget is $2,721,497, a 26% increase from last year's budget, which proposed $2,167,300 in General Fund revenues.

"This is a large increase over the last fiscal year, mostly due to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that we've received," Bennett said.

The proposed expenditures are as follows: 

In his budget message, Bennett identified five key areas in which the town's expenditures were focused: the fire department, the police department, the water and sewer system, Bailey Mountain Preserve and Park and employee compensation. 

One of the biggest increases from the previous year's budget is in the fire department's revenues, from $550,000 to $747,563. 

According to Bennett, the increase accounts for the addition of three full-time firefighter/EMT positions. 

"The (new positions) will assist with the increase in call volumes," Bennett said, adding that the department has been dealing with issues of overlapping calls in the midst of the town's residential growth. 

The budget also earmarks a nearly $114,000 increase to police department expenditures, from $506,700 in 2021-22 to $620,200 in 2022-23. 

According to the town manager, the increases will allow the department to restructure from its current hourly arrangement to salaried roles. 

"This transition will accomplish several goals including: allowing an officer to serve in a detective role, allow scheduling of a 'mid-shift' providing two patrol officers during the high call volume period, and, ultimately, reduce overtime costs." 

The proposed expenditures also account for the purchase of a replacement patrol vehicle using funds originally budgeted in the current year but unspent, together with additional appropriations in this proposed budget, according to the budget message. 

The budget appropriates $1,164,300 for its Water and Sewer Fund. The $1.16 million figure accounts for a 11% increase from 2021-22's budgeted expenditures of $1,046,700.

The appropriations are as follows: 

According to the budget message, Mars Hill received two $350,000 grants - one from federal Appalachian Regional Commission funds and another matching grant from Dogwood Health Trust to install 1,200 linear feet of new sewer line and 2,200 LF of new waterline from the new sewer pump at I-26 Exit 11 southward along Calvin Edney Road to assist in future development. 

The town will also receive American Rescue Plan Act funds, of which approximately $350,000 will be used to replace an aging sewer pump station and rehabilitate an associated second station serving the Woodhaven/South Main Street service area. 

According to Bennett, the town was awarded $617,000 in ARPA funds, and has received the first half ($308,500) of the installment, which will be used for the rehabilitation/replacement of the wastewater pump station. 

"This project is currently in the design phase and is expected to proceed to bid in August 2022, with construction to begin as soon as possible thereafter," the budget message said. "Another project include the maintenance and rehabilitation of water tanks at the town's water treatment plant. This project is approximately $40,000 and will be completed in late 2022. This proposed budget recognizes a return of normal water consumption by large uses as well as continued residential development projects." 

Also during the meeting, the board voted to rename the main trail at Bailey Mountain Preserve and Park in honor of Richard L. Hoffman, the former Mars Hill College administrator and founder of the organization specializing in environmental preservation.  

In fall 2021, the town received a N.C. Parks and Recreations Trust Fund grant for $268,536, which, along with local funds and other grant funds will be used for restoration and new construction at the preserve.

"The first phase of construction will provide restroom facilities, parking enhancements, accessible walking trails, mountainous hiking trails, picnic shelters, a nature/discovery center, amphitheater and improvements to the barns located on the property for use as meeting and event spaces," Bennett said. "This project is nearing completion of the park master planning stage, with construction documents and bidding to proceed in early August 2022. This budget includes funds to begin the project and move forward with planning, permitting and construction."