Alamance County is projecting a $15 million budget gap for the 2020-21 fiscal year because of coronavirus, officials reported.
“We were really looking good before this happened,” County Manager Bryan Hagood told the commissioners, the Times-News reported on April 7.
To address the budget gap, cuts to spending requests will likely be made. The county government is seeking approximately $5 million for new vehicles, equipment, and new positions in the Sheriff’s Office, EMS and emergency management, according to the publication. The Alamance-Burlington School System is requesting $3.3 million more in county funds compared to last year, while the Alamance Community College is requesting $645,000 more in operational and capital funds.
| Photo Courtesy of Alamance County
Hagood predicts the county's property tax revenue will increase $4.2 million to a $101 million total, according to the publication. However, a dramatic decrease in sales taxes is also expected. The two predictions are based on the impact that the 2008 recession had on the local economy.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported there have been 33 confirmed coronavirus cases in Alamance County but no deaths due to the virus. The Alamance County Health Department is focusing its testing efforts on individuals older than 65 years old, those with health issues, people who are at high risk for exposure, pregnant women and young babies.
Statewide there are 5,465 positive cases and 131 deaths as of April 16, according to the Health and Human Services department. Eighty percent of individuals who died were older than 65.
North Carolina is currently under a stay-at-home order with residents being told to remain in their homes except for essential needs such as obtaining groceries, seeking medical care, taking care of others, engaging in outdoor exercise and working for essential businesses. Residents must maintain a distance of at least six feet from others when they do go out of their homes.
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