The Kannapolis City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget Monday evening with a vote of 4-3. The total recommended budget is $123,106,329 which includes all seven operating funds of the City. 

The budget includes a 7.05 cent decrease in the property tax rate. 

The tax rate will drop from 63 cents to 55.95 cents. 

The proposed budget concentrates on several strategies:

1. The partial implementation of the Imagine Kannapolis Strategic Plan which includes mapping out the next five years of projects and initiatives in the City and concurrently, a five-year Financial Plan designed to achieve the Strategic Plan. 

2. Ensuring a high quality of services to residents is maintained such as a new garbage and recycling contractor and ensuring that employees have the equipment and vehicles they need to do their jobs.

3. Retaining existing employees and recruiting new people to work for the City.

4. Continuing to leverage the City’s robust financial forecast to improve the quality of life for residents and the delivery of services to residents.

In 2022 the City launched the Imagine Kannapolis Strategic Plan. The goal was to imagine the future of Kannapolis, especially what objectives the City would like to achieve in the next decade. Thirteen focus groups were formed, and dozens of residents participated in developing the Plan. Priorities were balanced with the operational needs the City will have during the next ten years and investments needed to foster a healthy quality of life and economically strong City. 

In this year’s budget, several Imagine Kannapolis priorities are funded, and a plan is outlined to fund additional Imagine Kannapolis priorities over the next five years. These will be subject to City Council ultimately adopting the final version of the Strategic Plan later this year.

Imagine Kannapolis FY 24-25 Projects and Initiatives include:

$1,500,000 - Construction of a Fire Training Tower at Fire Station 1

$145,000 – Cultural Arts & Historic Preservation Work Program

$50,000 – Open Space and Tree Preservation (Environmental Sustainability Plan)

$855,361 – Addition of 190 new Downtown Parking Spaces 

$1,340,000 – Little Texas Road Sidewalk (City’s portion to the NCDOT funding)

$2,850,000 – City Hall Upfits including new Customer Service accessibility parking

$600,000 – I-85 Monument Signage Phase I (joint project with the City of Concord – Exits 58, 60, 63)

$1,200,000 – Western Cabarrus Emergency Communications Tower

$600,000 – Chestnut Avenue Park Construction (in partnership with downtown land developers)

$200,000 – Kannapolis Parkway/NC 3 Street Lighting Phase I

$160,000 – Economic Development Promotion Program

$60,000 – Reserve Police Officer Program Expansion

$155,000 – Fire Department Logistics Building (local match to a Federal grant)

Imagine Kannapolis Proposed Projects and Initiatives for the Next Five Years:

• Eastside Park Construction

• First phase of the Revitalization of the Midway Area

• Midlake Avenue Sidewalk

• Public Works Operations Center Improvements

• Westside Park Construction

• Cabarrus Joint Public Safety Training Facility (joint project with Cabarrus County and the City of Concord

“As we celebrate the 40th birthday of our City’s incorporation, this budget reflects where we want to be on our 45th birthday. This document lays out the projects and initiatives we want to achieve in the upcoming year, and it proposes several future projects to be accomplished within the next five years. The financial plan for making all of this happen is also outlined in the budget document. We appreciate the hard work of our City Council, the Imagine Kannapolis focus groups and our City staff who have worked tirelessly to put this thorough plan together for our City’s future,” said Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg.  

Other highlights of the budget include:

• Recruitment and retention of employees continues to be a high priority for the City. The budget includes cost of living and merit increases for employees, enhancements to health insurance and retirement programs, and a pilot employee daycare subsidy. 

• 9 total new staff positions in the Police, Fire, General Services, Water, Transportation, and Information Technology Departments.

• Capital Items such as vehicles and equipment for the General Services, Parks and Recreation, Fire, Police, Planning and Transportation Departments. 

• The sewer base rate will increase $1.44 per month and the sewer volume rate will increase 75 cents per 1,000 gallons. The water volume rate will increase 51 cents per 1,000 gallons. These are the first increases in five years and are to primarily cover costs associated with the expansion of the Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and improvements to the Kannapolis Water Treatment Plant.

View the FY 24-25 Budget.