Mocksville Gears Up for the Future: Public Invited to Budget Retreat on February 10

Ensuring a town’s financial stability and meeting its goals heavily relies on effective budgeting.

Mayor Will Marklin and the Mocksville Board of Commissioners invite you to attend the Town of Mocksville’s  FY2024-2025 Budget Retreat on Saturday, February 10th, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Davidson-Davie Community College (1205 S. Salisbury Street.) The meeting will be held in Room 110 of the administration building. 

Marklin stresses the pivotal role of community participation, urging Mocksville residents to engage in the retreat. “Come witness firsthand how your elected officials navigate through budgetary decisions, ensuring a balanced financial plan for the year ahead. This transparency allows us to address any questions regarding the allocation of tax dollars,” he emphasized.

Town Manager Ken Gamble echoes this sentiment, adding, “Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.’ This is why the town has invested time, resources, and talent this budget year so we will be well prepared for the opportunities ahead. We are examining infrastructure, equipment, personnel, facility, and service delivery levels to determine where to strategically invest limited resources. The data and conclusions produced from the studies currently in process will inform our Strategic Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, Succession Plan, and annual budget for years to come.”

Studies Guide Strategic Investment

Gamble detailed the ongoing studies informing Mocksville’s strategic investments. “The asset inventory and assessment studies for our water and sewer systems are providing a wealth of planning information at no cost to the Town. The $400,000 we secured in state funding has enabled us to study the feasibility of new water meter technology, cross connections, and system modeling for the new regional water treatment plant in Cooleemee (Online in 2026), designing system development fees to offset the costs of development that impact our water & sewer system, updating GPS driven system maps and evaluating the age and condition of all water & sewer system components, just to name a few.”

He shared that the town is also conducting a fire needs study with the assistance of regionally recognized emergency response professionals to determine staffing, facility, equipment, and apparatus needs for the next five years. “Given Mocksville’s continued growth, with an influx of more commercial businesses, over 2 million sqft of new planned industrial space, and an expected addition of over 700 single-family homes, it’s imperative that the MFD remains prepared to tackle the ongoing challenges this growth presents.”

Lastly, he explained that Mocksville is collaborating with an engineering firm to assign a numerical ranking to all streets and sidewalks the town maintains, considering their condition. This ranking will serve as a foundation for crafting a comprehensive paving and repair strategy. “This approach will empower the board to make informed decisions regarding the necessary annual funding to efficiently oversee this critical infrastructure. The insights gleaned will not only guide this year’s budget decisions but will also influence future budgetary planning.”

Inviting the public to attend the retreat is about transparency, according to Gamble. “The town wants to be transparent during the budget process and provide the public ample opportunity to be educated on its many challenges. It’s important for our residents to have the opportunity to learn about how local government works and how we spend their tax dollars.”   

Retreat Provides Wealth of Information for Commissioners 

The retreat will provide a wealth of information for the board of commissioners, including current and future economic development trends, revenue projections, and recommended capital improvements. The Board will receive updates to the objectives, goals, and action items tied to the Strategic Plan and hear directly from department heads regarding needs for FY2024-25. Staff will also brief the board on recruitment and retention strategies to attract and keep the best town employees. The morning presentations will be followed by a hands-on tour at MFD Station 22 (335 Sanford Avenue) and Public Works (Behind Station 22).

Gamble shared this year’s agenda:

• Economic Development Forecast – Terry Bralley – Davie County EDC
• Infrastructure – Chuck Willis – Willis Engineering
• Strategic Plan Update – Ken Gamble
• Water & Sewer – Josh Powers – Envirolink
• Administration – Lynn Trivette
• Human Resources – Emily Quance
• Community Development – Jennifer Evens
• Recess Meeting & Reconvene at Mocksville Fire Department
• Fire Department & Public Works Facilities Tour – Chief Frank Carter and Brian Moore
• Static Equipment Display – Brian Moore and Chris Vaughn
• Working Lunch
• Fire Department – Chief Frank Carter
• Parks & Grounds – Chris Vaughn
• Public Works – Brian Moore
• Final Items & Wrap-Up – Ken Gamble

The budget retreat is only one of the public meetings in the FY2024-25 budget process. The budget will be discussed at the regular monthly Board of Commissioner meetings on February 6th (Non-Profit Presentations), March 5th (1st Draft and Department Head Requests), April 2nd (2nd Draft and Adjustments & Corrections), May 7th (Proposed Budget & Manager’s Message) and June 4th (Public Hearing / Adoption of Budget Ordinance). The public is encouraged to attend all of these meetings to learn more about what your government does in the community.

For more information, call (336) 753-6700 or visit www.mocksvillenc.org.