City Manager Joseph Scherer this evening said in his report to council, “We are at the beginning of a new fiscal year. Thanks to the efforts of all the department heads, I'm cautiously optimistic that we will come in at or under our forecasted budget.”

Council last month approved a $14,458,957 budget to carry the city through the current fiscal year, a financial document that came with a revenue-neutral tax rate increase.

“From the department reports you will hear next, you will see we are continuing to try and meet the city's mission statement goal, which is to provide planned, efficient, acceptable services for the citizens of Roanoke Rapids in a cost-effective manner,” Scherer said. “The departments should be recognized for their efforts, given the limited resources we have at our disposal. We look forward to this coming fiscal year to continue to try and make Roanoke Rapids a place we are proud to call home.”

In discussing the current fiscal year projections with the panel, Scherer said there should be a fund balance revenue surplus of around $25,000 while there are still sales taxes unaccounted for.

Councilman Wayne Smith said he wanted to see departments get some money back. “In the budget we took money away from each department.”

Scherer said if it is recommended by council to do that, a budget ordinance amendment would be necessary.

“We had to take $500,000 (to fund the budget) we just approved,” Mayor Emery Doughtie said, adding council will take a look at Smith's suggestion.

Meanwhile, in a matter related to the budget, the city had to drop from its business license listings in Chapter 110 of its code most all of its privilege license taxes.

The move comes in light of the legislative repeal of most of those taxes, Scherer told council. The University of North Carolina School of Government advised the action.

The repeal, which was approved by council, represents a $370,000 hit to the city's budget, leaving only adult entertainment businesses, adult entertainers, retail beer and wine, wholesale beer and wine and municipal limos and taxis the only privilege license taxes the city can collect.

There are no adult entertainment businesses in the city, Scherer said.