The Demorest City Council will hold its final millage rate and budget public hearings on Tuesday, October 22. The council held two public hearings for the millage rate and a public hearing for the 2025 budget on Tuesday, October 15. Those meetings were attended by only a few property owners.
Staff has proposed to the council three millage rates. The proposed budget is based on a millage rate increase of 1 mill to 7.16 mills. The second proposed millage rate option from staff is to keep the millage rate static at 6.16 mills. The third option is for a full rollback of the millage rate to 5.499 mills.
Should the council keep the millage rate static or do the full rollback, it would have to cut the budget.
The council may take action on the budget and the millage rate at Tuesday’s meeting.
SEE RELATED: Few people attend Demorest millage rate hearings
Other business
The Demorest Police Department will be promoting one of its own during the meeting Tuesday. According to Demorest Police Chief Casey Chastain, Squires will receive a promotion to Sergeant and be over training for the police department.
The North Carolina State Firefighters Association (NCSFA) has requested help due to the devastation communities experienced during Hurricane Helene. Many of the fire departments in the affected areas lost most of their equipment due to the devastating flooding in their communities.
The NCFSA has requested assistance from area fire departments to donate equipment to rebuild or outfit fire departments that either received damage or lost everything.
Demorest Fire Department is recommending to donate 20 sections of fire hose and several sets of turnout gear. The association will distribute the equipment to affected fire departments in western North Carolina.
The Demorest City Council meeting will be Tuesday, October 22, at 6 p.m. in the Demorest Municipal Conference Center located at 250 Alabama Street in Demorest.
