Jones County Budget reduces tax rate, fifth year in a row

The Jones County Commissioners lowered the tax rate by two cents in the 2021-2022 Jones County budget.

“I think it is a record-breaking 5th year in a row,” said Jones County Manager Franky Howard. “We have gone down from a peak of 84 to 75 cents this coming year.”

Jones County has the second-lowest tax base in the state, but there are 35 counties with higher tax rates.

Jones County found the funds to add services at the Jones County Health Department. “Currently we only have a provider there one day a week,” said Howard. “We will be expanding that to five days a week.”

Jones County Commissioner April Aycock felt as if the pandemic opened a lot of eyes with health care in Jones County.

“We are extremely limited with our medical services in the county,” said Aycock. “So by the health department being expanded to five days a week, it provides more accessibility to our county.”

The budget included a county-wide cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase of 2.5%. Jones County Commissioners were excluded from the first COLA increase in at least four years.

“I think it really speaks volumes that not only did we give our employees a COLA, but made sure to exclude ourselves from that pay increase as the commissioners,” said Aycock.

“Our employees are the backbone of our operations, and many have been put through the test over the last 2-3 years between Hurricane Florence and the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Howard. “This was the least we could do.”

For the second year in a row, Jones County expanded its EMS services. They now have two full 24 hour EMS units with full paramedic level trucks.

“We did have to make adjustments to our water rates to cover the cost of the new Treatment Plant coming online later this year,” said Howard. “They will go up 6%.”