HomeMy WebLinkAboutUnion County - Public Financial ReportPopular AnnualFinancial Report
2021
Table of Contents
Board of County Commissioners 1
Letter from the County Manager 2
About Union County 3
Union County: A Closer Look 4
Union County: Award-Winning Departments 5
Fiscal Control 6
Net Position 8
Fund Balance 9
Revenues 10
Expenses 11
A Review of the County’s Debt 12
General Fund Debt 14
Enterprise Debt 15
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)16
Going Forward 17
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 1
Union County is proud to publish the Popular Annual
Financial Report (PAFR) as a supplement to the Annual
Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
This document provides an overview of Union County’s fiscal
health over the past fiscal year in an easy-to-read format. The
PAFR is derived directly from the financial information presented in
our comprehensive report and both reports are in compliance with
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
The PAFR is a recommended practice of the Government Finance
Officers Association (GFOA): the authority on best practices in
governmental accounting and financial reporting.
The GFOA has given its Award for Outstanding Achievement in
Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) to Union County for the
fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020. Union County has received
this award for seven consecutive years. In order to receive this top
honor, we must publish a Popular Annual Financial Report that has
creativity and is easily understood by our readers.
We hope you find the following report to be concise and
informative.
To read more details on our finances and to review the Annual
Comprehensive Financial Report, please visit our Finance page on
our website.
Richard Helms
Chairman
Jerry Simpson
Dennis Rape
Vice Chairman
Stony Rushing David Williams
Government Finance Officers Association
Certificate of Achievementfor Excellencein Financial Reporting
Presented to
Union CountyNorth Carolina
For its Annual ComprehensiveFinancial ReportFor the Fiscal Year Ended
June 30, 2020
Executive Director/CEO
2 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
Letter from the County Manager Mark Watson
On behalf of the Board of Commissioners and the Union County Management
Team, I am proud to present the County’s Popular Annual Financial Report
(PAFR). The following report provides the financial highlights for Union County
Government for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2021.
By providing the most pertinent financial information in this streamlined document,
we are ensuring that our residents and interested parties can easily find the financial
information that is most important to them. For more detailed financial information,
our Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) is available to residents and
interested parties on our website. PAFR is intended to provide only summary of
this information.
The County has continued to grow and our organization is evolving to ensure that we
are meeting the needs of our residents while maintaining strong fiscal standards. The
Board of Commissioners has focused the health and safety of our residents with a
focus on meeting service demands in public safety, human services and education.
In the past year, we are proud of the many accomplishments that our organization
has achieve. In 2021, we broke ground on four new facilities to support our
residents including a new library, expansion of our Board of Elections, a new
emergency services building and a new administration building for our Sheriff’s
Office. I’m also pleased to share that the County has maintained its bond ratings
from all three rating agencies; Standard & Poor’s AAA, Moody’s Aaa and Fitch AAA.
We will continue to find ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service
provided to the County.
We appreciate your interest in the County’s financial information and welcome your
comments and questions.
Best regards,
Mark Watson, Union County Manager
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 3
About Union County
Established in 1842, Union County was formed by
combining portions of Anson County and Mecklenburg
County. Its name is a compromise between Whigs, who
wanted to name the new county for Henry Clay, and
Democrats, who wanted to name it for Andrew Jackson.
Situated in the south-central Piedmont area of North
Carolina, Union County is approximately 643 square miles
of land southeast of Charlotte.
The County operates under a Commission-Manager form
of government. The governing body of the County is the
Board of County Commissioners, which formulates policies
for the administration of the County. In addition, the Board
annually adopts a balanced budget and establishes tax rates
for the support of County programs. The Board consists of
five commissioners, elected on a staggered basis for terms
of four years.
The County provides a wide range of services including
public safety, human services (Social Services, Health,
Veterans Services and Transportation), funding for
education, cultural and recreational activities, and general
administration. Additionally, the County owns and operates
water, sewer, and solid waste systems. The annual financial
report includes all funds of the County and all activities
considered to be a part of (controlled by or dependent on)
the County.
Our Vision Statement
Through continuity of leadership and direction
and built upon consensus of the community,
we identify and implement strategies,
programs, and services necessary to promote
and sustain the quality of life and lifestyles
unique to Union County. Our number one
priority is to serve the citizens of Union County.
Our Mission Statement
One team, working together in a positive
environment based on trust, empowerment,
creative thought, and professionalism that
delivers customer-focused results.
MINT HILL
FAIRVIEW
MONROE
MARVIN
WAXHAW
UNIONVILLE
WEDDINGTON
MARSHVILLE
STALLINGS
WINGATE
WESLEY CHAPEL
MINERAL SPRINGS
INDIAN TRAIL
LAKE PARK
HEMBY BRIDGE
NORTH CAROLINA
4 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
Union County: A Closer Look
23rd
Largest county in NC by area
8th
Largest county in North Carolina
242,657
Population
4.0%
Unemployment Rate
80,033
Median Household Income
53
Number of schools
4
Number of libraries
81.3%
Homeownership
241,400
Median Housing Value
146,204
Meals Served by Nutrition
1,354
Number of County Employees
741
PW Number of sewer mains
38
Median Age
67,437
Number of trips
by Transportation
3
P&R number of parks
1,956
Number of visitors to
Veterans Services
7.3 %
Veterans
372
Commercial Construction Permits
10%
Foreign Born
3,664
Number of patients for Public Health
Primary Employers
• UCPS
• Union County Government
• Harris Teeter
• Tyson Farms Inc.
• TDY Industries LLC
Largest Taxpayers
• Union Electric Membership Corp
• Allegheny Technologies
• Duke Power Company
• Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Co.
• Piedmont Natural Gas
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 5
Union County: Award-Winning Departments
Several of our County departments were recognized
throughout the year for their innovative programs, service
delivery or outstanding staff. A highlight of some of those
awards include:
National Association of Counties (NACo):
• Achievement Awards for innovative, effective county
government programs that strengthen services for
residents:
• Achievement Award in the category of Civic Education
and Public Information for the development and
accomplishments of the Public Communications team
• Achievement Award in the category of Libraries for the
Library’s Small Business Support Program
• Achievement Award in the category of Health for the
Behavioral Health Collaborative
North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C):
• 1st place for Digital Technology, Digital Employee
Newsletter: UC Insider
• 2nd place for Digital Technology, Digital External
Newsletter/Blog: Union County Update (now Union
County Horizon)
• 2nd place for Social Media Campaign: #UCStayHome
GFOA:
• Certificate of Acheivement for Excellence in Finanical
Reporting for Fiscal Year Ended 2020
• Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for Fiscal Year
Beginning 2020
• Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Financial
Reporting for Fiscal Year Ended 2020
United Way:
• Spirit of North Carolina Award for exemplary support
as a County of the United Way and its community
partnerships in 2020
NC State Extension:
• County Partnership Award for Cooperative Extension
USDA:
• WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence for WIC team
within Human Services
Carolinas Association of Governmental Purchasing:
• 2020 Sustained Professional Purchasing Award for our
Procurement team
North Carolina Department of Labor:
• Gold Award for the County and Gold Award for the
Water team
6 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
Fiscal Control
Unlike a for-profit organization whose primary goal is to
generate income, a local government’s objective is to provide
services and focus on the availability of resources to provide
those services. Local governments impose various taxes to
be able to provide these services.
Union County Government serves all of the 242,657
residents by providing services to the collective whole.
The services provided by the County include, but are not
limited to, law enforcement, fire protection, water and sewer,
public health, social services, transportation, waste disposal
and funding for education.
The following key factors contribute to the fiscal health
of the organization.
BOND RATING
Similar to a personal credit score, this is a representation of
the creditworthiness of government bonds. Bond rating is a
key indicator of a bond issuer’s financial strength and capacity
to repay the principal and interest. This has a direct impact on
the County’s ability to successfully attract investors, and more
importantly, achieve the lowest interest rate possible.
The County is proud of the Aaa/AAA/AAA credit ratings,
which signify the highest ratings possible in the municipal
rating scale. Union County is one of the few counties in the
country that maintains high financial ratings from all major
rating agencies.
DEBT
The County has $393.31 million in general fund debt
outstanding, or $282 per debt capita. During FY 2007
the general fund debt portfolio reached its maximum
outstanding balance of $620 million. Over the past several
years the County decreased the outstanding balance in
the debt portfolio significantly by focusing on a proactive
debt management strategy, advanced refund opportunities,
and early debt redemptions. The County continues to look
for opportunities to lessen the debt burden on the citizens
while maintaining a fiscally conservative debt management
approach when considering issuing new debt.
BUDGET
The County is mandated by North Carolina General Statute to
provide and adopt a balanced budget. The budget is a legally
adopted document that incorporates input from the citizens of
the County, the management of the County, and the decisions
of the Board about which services to provide and how to pay
for them. It also authorizes the County to obtain funds from
identified sources to finance these current period activities.
The budget provides guidance to the County to make sure
spending is in line with revenues. Historically, the County has
posted above average revenues, and trimmed expenditures
throughout the budget year. The County’s revenues have
exceeded expenditures (not inclusive of transfers) in 20 of
the past 22 fiscal years.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
The County utilizes historical budget analysis, revenue
projections, long range growth models and the Capital
Improvement Program to determine future needs, timing,
and acquisition of assets. The County also uses outside
actuarial sources for calculations of other postemployment
benefits, healthcare and pension obligations in order to
proactively fund for future costs on a pro-rata basis.
ANNUAL INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL AUDIT
North Carolina State Statues require an annual audit be
performed by an independent certified public accountant.
This annual audit relates to the Annual Comprehensive
Finance Report (ACFR), and the purpose of the audit is to
ensure Union County is complying with general accepted
accounting principles (GAAP). This year’s Independent
Auditor’s Report confirms that the County’s financial
statements are “present fairly, in all material respects, the
respective financial position: All financial information stated
in this Popular Annual Financial Report is presented in
accordance with GAAP, more detail can be found on the
Finance Department’s website, under Financial reporting.
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 7
Many resources received by governmental entities are to
be used for specified purposes, this requires them to be
accounted for separately. Governments use “funds” to be
able to distinguish these resources.
Governmental funds are used to record transactions that
are funded by nonexchange resources such as taxes,
intergovernmental revenues and grants. Most of the basic
services are accounted for in these funds. These include the
general fund, special revenue funds, capital projects funds,
and debt service funds.
GENERAL FUND
The General Fund is the County’s primary operating fund. It
accounts for all financial resources of the general government
that are not required to be accounted for separately.
PROPRIETARY FUNDS
Proprietary funds are for activities where the government
acts much like a for-profit organization; services are provided
and customers are charged for services they use. Union
County provides water, sewer and solid waste services that are
accounted for in these funds. Proprietary funds also include
internal service funds which are used to account for goods and
services provided for one department by another department.
FIDUCIARY FUNDS
Fiduciary funds are used for transactions that are managed
on behalf of other entities. Union County maintains five
different fiduciary funds.
GOVERNMENT-WIDE FINANCIAL STATEMENT
A broad overview of the County finances are presented in the
government-wide financial statements section of the Annual
Comprehensive Financial Report. It is presented in a format
similar to financial statements of a for- profit business. These
statements provide short and long-term information about
the County as a whole. The government-wide statements are
divided into two categories: 1) governmental activities and 2)
business-type activities. The governmental activities include
governmental funds while business-type activities include
water and sewer; and solid waste funds.
Fiduciary funds are not reported here since the resources of
these funds are not available for use by the County. These
statements report the net position of the County which may
serve as a useful indicator of whether financial position is
improving or deteriorating.
8 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
Net Position
Net position may be found on the government-wide balance
sheet, and it represents what the County owns (assets plus
deferred outflows) and owes (liabilities and deferred inflows).
It is reported for governmental activities and business-type
activities. This amount is broken down to three categories
including net investment in capital assets, restricted net
position and unrestricted net position. Net position may
serve over time as a useful indicator of government’s
financial condition.
Net investment in capital assets category reflects the
County’s net investment in capital assets (e.g. land, buildings,
machinery, equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure) less
any related outstanding debt that was issued to acquire
those assets. Union County uses these capital assets to
provide services to citizens; consequently, these assets are
not available for future spending. Restricted net position
represents resources that are subject to external restrictions
on how they may be used.
Unrestricted net position represents resources available to the
County to provide services to the residents if there were no
additional revenues were available.
As with many counties in the State of North Carolina, the
County’s Governmental Activities deficit in unrestricted net
position in the amount of $242,772,927 is due primarily to
the portion of the County’s outstanding debt incurred for
the Union County Board of Education (the “school”) and
the South Piedmont Community College (the “community
college”).
Under North Carolina general statute, the County is
responsible for providing capital funding for the school and
community college systems. The County has chosen to meet
its legal obligation to provide the systems’ capital funding
by using a mixture of County funds, general obligation debt
and installment financings. The assets funded by the County,
unless otherwise obligated, are titled to, and utilized by the
school and community college systems. Since the County,
as the issuing government, acquires no capital assets, the
County has incurred a liability without a corresponding
increase in assets.
Governmental Business-type Total
Net Investment in Capital Assets 28,905,072 210,314,809 239,219,881
Restricted 107,862,145 14,087,659 121,949,804
Unrestricted (242,772,927) 140,171,753 (102,601,174)
Total Net Position (106,005,710) 364,574,221 258,568,511
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 9
Fund Balance
Fund Balance is the amount of reserve funds that the County
has on hand that can be used in the event of unforeseen
circumstances, state of emergencies and for future needs.
Fund balance is an indicator of fiscal stability that is measured
at year-end. Available fund balance is the total amount that is
not restricted or committed to a specific use or purpose.
The Board of County Commissioners has passed robust
policies outlining the appropriate reserve levels the County is
expected to maintain. The Board has determined the County
should maintain an available reserved (committed) fund
balance of 20 percent of total expenditures for unforeseen
needs or opportunities.
Union County reported $131,560,278 total fund balance for
general fund. This is $3.5 million more than fiscal year 2020
fund balance. This is primarily due to the sales taxes and ad
valorem collections being more than estimated, as well as
operating expenditures being less than previous years due
to preventative actions taken in response to the uncertainty
during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Decisions
such as a countywide freeze on hiring, travel and training
as well as remote working contributed to budgetary savings
across the organization. Spending below expected levels also
happened in the business incentive grant program as a result
of local business partners not meeting contractual thresholds
required for payment.
As a measure of the general fund’s liquidity, it may be useful
to compare both unassigned fund balance and total fund
balance to total general fund expenditures.
As of June 30, 2021, the County has a fund balance (based
on committed, assigned, and unassigned) of 32.1 percent
of general fund expenditures, while total fund balances
represent 43.9 percent of that same amount.
Fund Balance Categories:
Nonspendable: Amounts that cannot be spent because they are either not in spendable form such as inventory, prepaid
expenses, buildings; or the government is contractually bound to maintain the amount
Restricted: Amounts that are restricted to a specific purpose by external parties, or laws or regulations, constitutional
provisions or legislation.
Committed: Amounts that are committed for a specific purpose by formal action of the government's highest level of
decision-making. (the Board)
Assigned: Amounts that are intended by the government to be used for specific purposes.
Unassigned: Amounts available for any purpose.
Assigned
Unassigned
Nonspendable
Restricted
Committed
47%
27%
17%
9%
0%
FundBalance
10 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
Revenues
GENERAL FUND
Like the majority of North Carolina counties, Union County
relies heavily on ad valorem taxes; which are the taxes
collected by the County on physical and personal property,
based on its estimated value. In FY 2021 ad valorem tax
revenue accounted for 63 percent of all revenues collected by
the general fund, largely due to organic growth of the County
property tax base while maintaining the 73.09 cents tax rate.
$206 million in revenues reflects an increase of 4 percent. A
revaluation of real property was completed in fiscal year 2021,
this will be reflected in fiscal year 2022 tax collections.
The next largest single revenue source was local option
sales tax, which brought in just over 17 percent of all
revenues last year.
The County has the ability to increase or decrease revenues
through the setting of the tax rate. Local option sales tax and
the rest of the revenues are essentially based on the market,
residential growth, and usage. As a result, the County has
very little flexibility to increase revenues throughout the year.
Aside from those factors, we are in uncharted territory as the
County may feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic many
years to come.
PROPRIETARY FUNDS
The proprietary funds (business-type activities) operating
revenue include charges for services for water and sewer as
well as solid waste disposal fees. In December 2019 the Board
of County Commissioners approved a rate schedule setting
new water and sewer rates, an increase of 15.5 percent for
the next two calendar years. These new rates were effective
January 1, 2021 and are reflective of the funding necessary
for capital and operations of the water and sewer utility. It is
important to note, as in previous years, these revenues are
used only in the operations of proprietary funds, and not in
general county operations.
Intergovernmental
Investment Earnings
Permits and Fees
Miscellanous
Property Taxes
Sales Tax
Other Taxes and Licenses
Sales and Services
17%
12%
63%
0%2%2%2%
1%
Revenues
Business-type Activities 2021 2020 2019
Operating Revenues 74,536,352 63,044,897 55,796,716
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 11
Expenses
GENERAL FUND
The County has successfully managed expenditures and
conservatively budgeted revenues in order to maintain
adequate reserves in the recent past. As a result of these
efforts, the County’s stability has improved.
On the expenditure side, we have broken out the uses in a
broad spectrum. Educational funding continues to be the
largest cost within the County. With roughly 39,900 students,
or nearly one in every five residents of the County attending
primary school or South Piedmont Community College,
education continues to drive expenditures.
The dramatic population growth, combined with the number
of students mentioned above, required a level of capital
funding that could only be accomplished through debt
funding. While the County is fiscally sound and has enough
resources to withstand economic downturn, it continues to
have a relatively high debt burden. Today, (combined) debt
service remains the second largest expenditure of the county,
along with public safety at 20 percent.
Public Safety and Human Services both require significant
funding due to the services they provide. Law enforcement,
fire and EMS remain diligent and prepared to protect and
serve our residents in need. Funding is established for new
equipment, training and better apparatus.
Aside from debt service, major expenditure categories that
are funded by tax dollars include: General Government,
Public Safety (Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management,
Emergency Communications, Fire Marshal’s Office, Building
Code Enforcement, Outside Agencies); Economic and
Physical Development (Planning, Cooperative Extension
Service, Soil and Water Conservation, Outside Agencies);
Cultural and Recreational (Libraries, Parks & Recreation,
Outside Agencies); Education ( Union County Public
Schools, South Piedmont Community College, Literacy
Council); Human Services (Public Health, Social Services,
Transportation, Community Outreach, Veterans Services,
Outside Agencies).
PROPRIETARY FUNDS
Operating expenses for proprietary funds include the cost
of sales and services, administrative expenses, and
depreciation on capital assets. All revenues and expenses
not meeting this definition are reported as non-operating
revenues and expenses.
Human Services
Debt Service
Cultural and Recreational
General Government
Public Safety
Economic Development
Education
38%15%
19%
8%
17%
1%
2%
General Fund Expenses
Business-type Activities 2021 2020 2019
Operating Expenditures 58,836,147 54,157,849 50,499,603
12 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
A Review of the County’s Debt
The County has a total of $808,218,000 debt outstanding.
$285.7 million is for Education including the public school
system and the community college, $41.3 million is for
Public Safety, $20.2 million is for Economic and Physical
Development, $10 million is for Cultural & Recreational, $12
million is for General Government, and lastly $438.9 million is
for Water and Sewer functions of the County.
Debt service is viewed as a necessary tool among municipal
governments because few municipalities have the ability to
cash fund large projects.
The County has issued debt for a variety of capital projects
to fulfill capital needs during prior years. Capital projects
that were completed with debt proceeds include schools,
libraries, parks, agriculture and conference center, water
and sewer infrastructure, jail, public safety, emergency
communications equipment, and court facilities. Union
County uses financing options such as General Obligation
Bonds, Revenue Bonds and Certificates of Participation to
finance these projects.
General obligation bonds serve as a way for a local
government to raise funds for projects that create streams
of income for such things as roads, parks, equipment, and
bridges. These bonds are usually used to fund government
projects that will serve the public community and they
are backed by general revenue of the issuing government
entity which is the power of the local government to tax its
citizens. It is commonly subject to voter approval and other
requirements. New $5.6M installment financing debt was
issued in fiscal year 2021 for general fund.
Revenue Bonds issued by a local government unit is backed
by a specific stream of revenue. In Union County’s case
these are used to finance the construction of water lines and
sewer treatment facilities and are paid by water and sewer
fees paid by their customers. During FY 2021, Union County
issued Water and Sewer Revenue bonds in the amount of
$298.7 million.
Human Services
Cultural and Recreational
Education - UCPS
General Government
Public Safety
Economic/Physical Development
Education - SPCC
54%
31%
5%4%3%
2%1%0%
DebtOutstanding
Water and Sewer
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 13
A Review of the County’s Debt
Function:GO Bonds Installment Financing Revenue Bonds Total Outstanding
Principal
General Government $6,426,674 $5,600,000 - $12,026,674
Public Safety 41,356,222 - - 41,356,222
Economic/Physical Development 19,482,000 734,975 - 20,216,975
Human Services - - - -
Education - UCPS 213,473,778 37,709,330 - 251,183,108
Education - SPCC 33,845,000 674,809 - 34,519,809
Cultural and Recreational 9,595,000 415,212 - 10,010,212
Water and Sewer - 438,905,000 438,905,000
Total $324,178,674 $45,134,326 $438,905,000 $808,218,000
14 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
General Fund Debt
Total outstanding debt for General Fund is $369 million.
Of this amount, $324 million is General Obligation Bonds
and $46.8 million is for Certificates of Participation and
Installment Financing.
Approximately 71 percent of the County’s outstanding tax
backed debt is for Union County Public Schools. This is a
combined result of the length of the debt, and the majority of
the school debt that was issued in the previous 16 years.
It is important to keep in mind that a government unit may
affect its bond ratings negatively if the debt service as a
percentage of expenditures becomes too high.
Union County has been actively working to mitigate
debt service while saving residents funds and working
towards reducing the debt. Debt service as a percentage of
expenditures is 16.7 percent for fiscal year 2021.
10.0%
14.0%
12.0%
16.0%
18.0%
11.0%
15.0%
13.0%
17.0%
19.0%
20.0%
17.9%17.2%
19.9%
13.9%
16.7%
2017
256,331,227
45,859,147
2018
264,671,047
45,556,806
2019
287,538,371
57,195,352
2020
281,535,688
38,995,665
2021
299,423,218
50,024,597
*Bond ratings indicate credit quality and financial strength of the issuer. Typically, bonds with higher ratings reflect a strong likelihood the issuer is able to.
Debt Service as Percentage of Expenditures
Public Safety
Union County Public School
Cultural & Recretional
Economic Development
General Government
SPCC
Debt by Category
Governmental Funds
68%
11.2%
9.3%
5.5%
3.3%2.7%
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 15
Enterprise Debt
The County has issued enterprise system debt for water and
sewer capital improvements throughout the prior fiscal years.
The utility system has 4 revenue bond issues outstanding.
The debt issued benefitted the system and rate payers by
providing capital funding for projects such as:
• Catawba River Water Treatment Plant
• 12 Mile Waste Water Treatment Plant
• Water pressure, distribution and collection systems
• Crooked Creek Headworks Improvements
• Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project
Enterprise Fund Debt Service
2013
$0 $3,000,000 $6,000,000 $9,000,000 $12,000,000
2015
2017
2014
2016
2018
2019
2020
2021
$5,627,146
$6,501,134
$5,836,250
$5,743,217
$5,616,239
$5,380,936
$6,915,469
$9,556,107
$9,669,625
$7,411,300
16 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
The adopted FY 2021-2026 Union County Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) is made up of two components
and totals $697.6 during the six-year plan. Major programs
projected for future years in the CIP:
GENERAL CAPITAL PROGRAM
General Capital Program provides the six-year capital plan
for non-utility activity County projects, including South
Piedmont Community College.
• Jesse Helms Park Event Center
• Emergency Services Complex
• Historical Courthouse
• Progress Building
• Sheriff’s Office Renovation and Expansion
• Facilities Maintenance & Renewal
• Firearms Training Range
• Jail Replacement & Expansion
• Library Building, Expansion and Development
• South Piedmont Community College Expansion
PUBLIC WORKS CAPITAL PROGRAM
The Public Works Capital Program provides the six-year
capital plan for the water and wastewater utility program.
• Catawba River Water Treatment Plant Expansion
• Crooked Creek Basin Improvements
• Eastside Wastewater Improvements
• Lower Crooked Creek WRF
• Twelve Mile Creek Sewer System Expansion
• Various Rehabilitation and Replacements
• West Zone Improvements
• Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project
• 762 Zone Elevated Storage Tank
• 853 West Pressure Zone Improvements
| Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 17
Going Forward
While the financial results for the year ended June 30, 2021 were positive, it is anticipated that the County
will continue to experience growth in population which increases demand for public services, such as
law enforcement, education and utilities.
Several significant events and initiatives are set to occur during the upcoming fiscal year:
The new Sheriff’s Office Administration Building is
scheduled to open in the spring of 2022 and will
bring expanded capabilities and resources for this
important department to the safety of our residents.
The construction for the $300 million Yadkin River
Supply Project that began in the fall of 2020 will
take three years to complete. Union County issued
revenue bonds in the spring of 2021 for this project
and various other water and sewer capital projects.
The first pipe was laid in April 2021 (pictured).
The County is looking forward to opening our new
Emergency Services Complex in summer of 2022.
The facility will be nearly 24,000 square feet and will
be located on Concord Avenue, next to the Human
Services building. The complex will house the Fire
Marshal’s Office, Emergency Management, and
Emergency Communications.
In July 2021, Union County held a grand opening
for a new Special Events Center that is located
adjacent to the Agricultural Center and Jesse Helms
Park. It is an exciting resource for our residents
with programming and events coordinated by the
Cooperative Extension and Parks and Recreation.
18 Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 |
Popular Annual Financial Report 2021 | Union County