NEWBERRY COUNTY — Newberry County Council began discussions on the 2026-27 Budget during two work sessions last week. All numbers presented are projected numbers and are subject to change.
Reviewing the general fund budget, County Administrator Ted Luckadoo said they are anticipating $42,003,042 in projected revenues. Property tax revenue increase is projected at $1,384,455 – licenses and permits budgeted at $98,000, an increase of 15.9%.
Projected revenue for zoning permits are $23,000 (an increase from the previous year). There is a proposed $3,265,088 revenue for charge for services, a $379,910 increase. Tipping fees, it was noted, are budgeted at $111,700, a proposed increase of 5%. The increase would result in the following rates effective July 1, 2026:
• $73 per ton for the first 1,000 tons in the fiscal year (up from $70 currently)
• $75 per ton for each additional ton in the fiscal year (up from $72 currently)
• $12 per ton for fuel surcharge (up from $11 currently)
In the legislative division, Luckadoo reported a total proposed budget of $653,039, an increase of $25,027. The County Council line item is budgeted at $525,933, an increase of $3,545 – due to a slight increase in personnel, increase for public notices, etc.
Admin. is budgeted at $4,728,589, a decrease of $226,558 – due to moving short-term debt obligations. For tax assessments, there is a budgeted amount of $2,544,850, an increase of $125,887 – this increase is mainly due to the new software system for the Assessor’s Department. For the Treasurer’s Office, there is $624,955 budgeted, an increase of $5,223 – the Auditor’s Office is budgeted at $500,275, an increase of $8,633.
Under law enforcement and the detention center, there is $10,888,325 budgeted, an increase of $764,824 – they are currently looking to replace the records system, vehicle and tasers, as well as additional Flock cameras.
Under economic development, there is a projected budgeted of $424,518, an increase of $1,221; Soil and Water Conservation District is budgeted at $115,984, an increase of $1,051 and Recreation is budgeted at $307,780, a decrease of $7,427. Under the special revenue fund, Luckadoo said there is a projected budget of $6,086,942, an increase of $1,472,753 and in the public safety division a budget of $7,866,275, an increase of $373,945. EMS is budgeted at $2,667,432, an increase of $48,466 – due to increase in uniforms ($1,500 contract for EMS, $40,977 annual 3$ per contract, vehicle insurance $5,989.)
For the airport project, there is a total projected budget of $73,280 – about a $36,385 increase. The biggest thing this year, Luckadoo said, is for Fiscal Year 2026, the priority is the taxiway A rehabilitation, which has an estimated total cost of $2,301,170. The federal government, he said, has given the County $568,116 – the county is getting a state portion of $1,617,996. With the state share, all in all, Luckadoo said the County is getting a $2.3 million taxiway rehabilitation project for $57,529. When looking at transferring the general fund to the airport fund, he said, they are looking to match the grants the county is getting from federal and state. Also included in the $73,000 this year are funds to begin the design and engineering for a parking lot. According to Luckadoo, the consultants have another option on the table – they feel if the county can move forward with not just engineering and designing, but going ahead and allocating the funds for the construction component of the parking lot project, that the county may be able to leverage some savings on the parking lot. During the first budget workshop last Tuesday, Luckadoo presented to Council doing the project with the parking lot being an alternate bid from the taxiway project – depending on what the price is, they may allocate the funding to go ahead and get the parking lot down. If they (council) decide to do that, then there would need to be a budget amendment to include that money.
In the general fund, there will be no millage increase, the community service fund will have no millage increase – the only thing that is going to be potentially effected is the debt service millage.
Based off the budget now, Luckadoo said if they do not have any money that Auditor Donna Lominack can find – right now, based on the proposed budget, it would be a debt service levy with a 3 1/2 mill increase. That is worst case scenario, he said. If the auditor can leverage some funds that she has set aside, that number could come down – to what, they wouldn’t really know until September. Luckadoo said hopefully Lominack can even get it down to 2 1/2 mills, 2 or 3 – that’s to be determined, he said. He added that they believe the 3 1/2 mills would be an absolute worst case scenario.
The debt service fund is budgeted at $1,028,113, an increase of $218,182.
In Capital Sales Project Tax projects, there are currently 12 projects – 10 of them the County is managing themselves. The list of projects includes:
• Public Safety Complex: Pre-bid meeting on April 9, bids are due on May 13 with a project completed date of September 1, 2027.
• Prosperity parks: Project is moving along well.
• Detention Center: Project has already been bid out and construction has just started. No completion date at this time.
• Little Mountain Reunion Park: Project anticipated to be completed this month.
• Amphitheater: Wrapped up the design phase , permitting process in underway – anticipated bid date of May
• Gallman Place: Project was bid out March 18, bids due April 23.
• The Newberry Museum: Roofing project is underway.
• Pomaria Community Center: Project is complete.
• Whitmire Gym: Project is anticipated to be completed in April.
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