La Grange adopts revenue-neutral budget, cuts tax rate following property revaluation
LA GRANGE — The La Grange Town Council unanimously adopted an $8.6 million budget for fiscal year 2025–2026 on June 16, marking a 5.45% year-over-year increase while reducing the town’s property tax rate by more than 20 cents to maintain revenue neutrality in the wake of a sharp countywide property revaluation.
The adopted budget reduces the tax rate from $0.532 to $0.3284 per $100 of assessed value—a 20.4-cent cut—after a 77% increase in real property valuations, ensuring the town collects roughly the same $783,000 in property tax revenue as last year.
“As Mayor, my priority has always been to protect the best interests of our citizens and ensure that the Town of La Grange remains financially sound and responsibly managed,” said Mayor Bobby Wooten. “In the face of rising costs and a countywide property revaluation that significantly increased assessed values, we made the intentional choice to adopt a revenue-neutral tax rate.”
The total assessed value in La Grange rose from $153.3 million to $248.4 million following the 2025 reappraisal. Without the tax cut, the town would have generated approximately $485,000 in additional property tax revenue—a move officials deemed unfair to residents.
“This decision reflects our commitment to fairness and fiscal discipline,” Wooten added. “We did not believe it was right to collect more from taxpayers simply because of changes in valuation.”
The budget maintains funding for core services while investing in infrastructure, recreation, and economic development without raising utility rates or using fund balances to fill shortfalls. Key highlights include:
No increases in water, sewer, electric, or garbage fees
Funding for a new multipurpose recreation park and expanded youth and family programs
Investments in downtown planning, blight removal, and commercial corridor revitalization
A new full-time code enforcement and inspections position
Continued financial support for the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office
Despite inflationary pressures and a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for town employees, Town Manager Shawn Condon said the budget was crafted through disciplined spending reviews and strategic delays of nonessential purchases.
“We scrutinized every department’s budget line by line to find efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities,” Condon said. “This budget represents the very best of what strong local leadership can accomplish—protecting taxpayers while continuing to build for the future.”
The General Fund grew by 4.62% to $2.46 million, while the Water and Sewer Fund rose 6.18% to $2.01 million. The Electric Fund, bolstered by the town’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to manage peak demand costs, increased 5.61% to $4.14 million, with no rate increases recommended.
Mayor Pro Tem Larry Gladney said the budget “strikes a balance” between investment and restraint.
“We knew with rising costs and a substantial increase in property values that we would need to move La Grange forward without placing added pressure on our residents,” Gladney said. “This budget supports recreation, infrastructure, and code enforcement, while protecting taxpayers and keeping utility fees stable.”
Councilmember Reid Rouse praised Condon’s work in aligning short-term needs with long-term goals, noting progress in infrastructure upgrades and the prospect of substantial residential growth.
“These improvements are laying a strong foundation for the next three years, during which we expect up to 500 new homes within our town limits,” Rouse said. “Even after a 77% increase in real property valuations, we held firm, adopting a revenue-neutral tax rate and making no increases to utility fees. This was intentional.”
Rouse added that the town is also focusing on downtown revitalization, business expansion, and expanded recreational options for seniors and families, with local nonprofit partnerships enhancing community programming.
The council’s unanimous adoption followed a public hearing with no opposition. Condon credited the mayor and council with setting a tone of fiscal fairness and responsibility.
“I commend our Mayor and Town Council for their decisive leadership, their commitment to fairness, accountability, and smart growth,” Condon said.
La Grange’s FY 2025–2026 budget stands as a reflection of the town’s priorities: financial stewardship, community investment, and protection from unnecessary tax burdens in a time of rising valuations and costs.
Neuse News is a locally-owned small business startup in downtown Kinston. Our goal is to provide free, hyper-local news to Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties. The kind of news our grandparents read in a format fit for today's times.
We provide this by having supportive advertisers and we encourage you to click on their ads, shop with them, and eat with them. Every bit of financial support is important to help us sustain free, hyper-local news.
Please consider supporting Neuse News with as little as $5 one-time or via a monthly option. Every little bit helps us, help you.
