Union County Manager Brian Matthews has shared his proposed budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year with the Board of County Commissioners for consideration. The proposed budget maintains strong core services to support the well-being and long-term success of our community without raising taxes for residents and businesses. The full proposed budget is available on the Budget & Grants Management webpage.

During the Board of Commissioners regular meeting on Monday, June 1, Matthews will present his recommended budget to the Board of County Commissioners, which includes a $230,811,196 general fund for the fiscal year from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The budget is balanced, maintaining a flat total tax rate of 43.42, as sales tax revenues return to normal after the County successfully navigated the unexpected stabilization of sales tax revenues that affected municipalities and counties across the state last fiscal year.

“The budget prioritizes safeguarding our financial resources, protecting public health and safety, fostering economic development, and investing in our workforce and public education in our classrooms,” Matthews said. “This budget is built on the foundation of fiscal discipline and a return to normalcy.”

The County carefully manages funds and shifts money from existing savings and capital accounts to cover costs that allow the County to continue delivering essential services. The plan reflects the Board of County Commissioners’ commitment to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

The proposed budget reflects the final year of a three-year water and sewer rate plan that the Board previously approved to expand and maintain adequate water and sewer infrastructure for our customers. Water customers will see a 7.25 percent rate increase, and sewer customers will see a 6 percent rate increase.

Key investments in the proposed budget include:

• Additional Union County Sheriff’s Office staff, including four new Detention Officers and a new School Resource Officer.
• Additional funding for Union EMS to increase staffing of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and address ambulance needs.
• Business incentive grants totaling $2.762 million to support existing and prospective businesses that create jobs, generate capital investment, and strengthen the local economy.
• Additional funding set aside in contingency for potential stipends for teachers and teacher aides.

The general fund budget for operating increases by $13.9 million and supports tax-funded services, including education, county department programs and services, the Union County Sheriff's Office, community partners, and other critical services. The operating budget for Union County Water is funded solely by rates and fees collected from the utility's ratepayers and not by taxpayer dollars.

The County uses a bifurcated tax structure with the following rates for each fund:

• General fund: 11.24
• Debt fund: 1.06
• Education operating fund: 26.78
• Education debt fund: 3.89
• Economic development: 0.45

“Rather than passing the pressures of a changing revenue landscape on to our community, we have made deliberate choices within our expenditures and across all funds to deliver a balanced budget that meets our fiduciary obligations, including voter-approved debt, without asking more from the taxpayers we serve,” Matthews said.

The County invites the public to provide feedback at the public hearing on Monday, June 1, at the Union County Government Center in the Commissioners’ Board Room on the first floor at 500 N. Main St., Monroe, at 6 p.m. The Board of Commissioners will vote to adopt the final budget on Tuesday, June 16.

The public is also encouraged to participate in a brief budget survey on the Engage Union County webpage.