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Carrboro town budget cleared for final approval

Posted on May 27, 2010May 27, 2010 by Staff

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Carrboro — The Carrboro Board of Aldermen agreed Tuesday night to a change in its living wage and plans for a review of pay policies, clearing the way for approval of the town’s $18,525,685 fiscal year 2010-11 budget.

At a public hearing on the budget at Town Hall, the board members heard from Allison de Marco of Orange County Justice United, a coalition of Orange County churches and nonprofits that has made raising local governments’ wages for its lowest-paid workers a top priority. The group had asked for the town to consider a jump to $13 per hour from its current base wage of $10.12 per hour.

De Marco said the group appreciated the difficult circumstances local governments were faced with this year and could accept Town Manager Steve Stewart’s proposal to raise the base wage to $11.78. She asked that the town find a way to index the living-wage rate so that it is not eroded over time by increases in the cost of living.

Later, during a work session on the budget, board member Sammy Slade agreed that the town needed to find some way of making sure wages kept up with the cost of living. “We can’t have this be piecemeal,” he said.

The board approved a motion by Dan Coleman setting the $11.78 rate and for a comprehensive review of the town’s wage policies.

For the past two budget cycles, the slumping economy and the cost of adding and staffing a second fire station has led Stewart to not allocate funds for an already approved pay-for-performance plan. The budget does include a one-time bonus of $455 for each full-time employee and a bonus for part-time employees pro-rated for hours worked.

The budget keeps the town’s tax rate at 58.94 cents per $100 valuation. The board is scheduled to vote on the budget at its June 15 meeting. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Carrboro Town Hall.

Also on Tuesday night, the board held a public hearing on the proposed Litchfield subdivision off of Homestead Road.

The development, located west of the Claremont subdivision and east of Lake Hogan Farms, would include 34 homes on 13.9 acres. The main access on Homestead Road would be located directly across from the Wexford subdivision. Lucas Lane, the proposed neighborhood’s main street would also connect to the existing stub out at Claremont.

Several board members objected to a part of the plan showing two recreation fields with Lucan Lane routed between then. Randee Haven-O’Donnell said one large area rather two with a road in the middle made more sense.

Architect Phil Post, who represents developers Homestead Partners LLC, said changing the configuration around might compromise some of the other town priorities such as protection of hardwood stands and stream buffers.

The board is scheduled to review the project again on June 22.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board continued a public hearing on stream-buffer requirements and another public hearing on revisions to the town’s affordable-housing ordinance.

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