Haw River’s town council voted 5-0 Monday night to adopt a $9.5 million budget for 2026-27 that keeps the property tax rate at its existing level of 44 cents per $100 of valuation while increasing water/sewer and sanitation fees by 5 percent.
The town’s newly-adopted budget represents a reduction of $949,667 (9.1 percent) from the $10.4 million budget that Haw River’s town council had voted to adopt for the current fiscal year that ends June 30.
General fund spending will decrease by $227,331 (6.8 percent).
The budget for Haw River’s water/sewer fund will increase by $480,644 (16.5 percent), from $2.9 million in 2025-26 to $3.4 million in 2026-27.
Minimum water/sewer bills that include garbage and recycling service are slated to increase by $3.10 per month, from $69.90 to $73 per month when the new fiscal year starts July 1.
The minimum monthly rate per 2,000 gallons of water will increase by 89 cents, from $17.50 to $18.39 per 2,000 gallons. Minimum monthly rates for sewer service will increase by $1.58 per 2,000 gallons, from $31.39 to $32.97 per 2,000 gallons, starting July 1, under the new budget.
The 5 percent increase in water and sewer fees, which produce the largest stream of revenue for the water/sewer fund, will cover Haw River’s cost to purchase water and sewer services from the city of Burlington, Tencer said in an earlier interview with The Alamance News.
Stormwater fees will remain unchanged at $2 per month once the new fiscal year begins.
Fees for sanitation (garbage and recycling) will increase by 74 cents per can (5 percent), for a minimum monthly bill of $19.64, matching a projected increase in Consumer Price Index rates under the town’s contract with GFL waste services.
Meanwhile, the budget for Haw River’s general fund – which primarily funds the police and fire departments, as well as the town’s administration – will decrease by $227,331 (6.8 percent) in 2026-27, under Tencer’s proposed budget.
Tencer had proposed, and the council approved, transferring $40,000 in fund balance (“rainy-day savings”) within the general fund to a fire capital reserve fund. He told the newspaper last week that the council customarily sets aside a portion of unassigned fund balance to offset the potential costs for big-ticket expenditures that may arise during the fiscal year.
No new positions will be added in 2026-27, though an existing part-time position in the sewer department will be converted to a full-time position in the public works department to help with testing and compliance. That employee will also continue to assist with water leaks and large public works projects, Tencer told the council during his budget presentation last month.
Existing town employees will receive 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) adjustment, under the new budget that the council adopted Monday night.
The employer’s matching contribution to the Local Government Retirement Employment System (LGERS) will increase from 14.35 percent to 15.10 percent for general government employees; the contribution for sworn personnel (police and fire) will increase from 16.10 percent to 17.10 percent, marking the eighth year of a mandated five-year increase.
In terms of vehicles and equipment, Haw River’s new budget includes $45,000 to replace the 2018 Chevy Silverado assigned to Haw River’s assistant public works director and $9,000 to purchase tractor attachment for baseball and softball field maintenance.
