RED SPRINGS — The commissioners here approved a $10.5 million spending plan for the 2021-22 fiscal year Tuesday, after setting money aside for three nonprofit organizations and to upgrade trash collection services.

The newly approved budget, which keeps the property tax rate at 64 cents for every $100 of property value, includes $98,003 for Powell Bill funding, $1,441,504 for the Water and Sewer Fund and $4,705,202 for the Electric Fund.

A total of $300,000 will be set aside to fund new trash cans, outfitting two trucks to lift the new cans, and to buy a new dump truck, all to improve trash collection in the town.

“Officially, there’s 1,514 total commercial and residential trash customers in the town and we are picking up 1,281 at this time,” Town Manager David Ashburn said. “That’s whose being billed for it.”

The town will work toward dividing the town into four sections, A, B, C, and D, to develop a more efficient collection schedule.

“We would pick up cans on certain days,” Ashburn said. “The goal right now is to say section A and B will be picked up on Tuesday and section C and D will be picked up on Wednesday.”

The commissioners also were briefed on the town’s trash ordinance and how the town’s litter laws and proper procedures for trash disposal will be enforced better.

“I think our citizens will be happy to see we’re putting some teeth behind what we’re asking them to do,” Commission Carolina Sumpter said.

“Hopefully, the citizens will see as bad as this problem is, we’re trying to do something to make it better,” Mayor Ed Henderson said. “It’s a tough situation, especially when you don’t see who’s putting what where.”

In other budget news, two new positions have been added to the town’s roster. One for a new school resource officer at Peterson Elementary School, which will be included in the town police department’s section of the budget; and another for an automotive mechanic, which will go under the Streets Department.

Police Chief Brent Adkins said the department was approved for a third resource officer. Currently, Red Springs High School and Middle School have officers, but not the elementary school. The town will only be responsible for paying for one month’s salary for the officer.

“I only asked for one and they (the Board of Education for the Public Schools of Robeson County) granted us that one,”Atkins said. “If it goes good, I think later on in the future we can ask for another one to go at the high school. No doubt they will approve one at the high school later on.”

Ashburn said he and the town’s finance officer will determine the cost for the mechanic position and discuss all that the job would entail.

“We need a mechanic that’s not just a regular gas mechanic but diesel, which is a different beast too because they’ll be taking care of our gas cars but all of our diesel vehicles and diesel equipment in with that,” Ashburn said.

The town is giving $1,000 each to the Robeson County Church and Community Center, the Robeson County Community Art Guild and the Borderbelt AIDS Resources Team. The commissioners heard presentations from representatives from the two latter organizations about each of their offerings and needs.

Also on Tuesday, the commissioners held off on considering a request to increase the $13,000 allotted annually to the Red Springs Rescue Squad by between $10,000 and $15,000.

After the June 1 meeting, Ashburn said he requested information about the rescue squad’s revenue, expenditures, delinquent payments, and the members and their training levels be provided to the town and presented during Tuesday’s meeting but the rescue squad was unable to accumulate the necessary documentation in time.

“I just think we still need to get that information,” Mayor Pro Tem Chris Edmonds said.

This fiscal year the town has already paid $5,496.87 in utility fees for the rescue squad.

The commissioners did learn that the squad’s chief, Jonathan Pather, stepped down and a newly appointed oversight board will meet next week to discuss filling the position.

The commissioners took no action on the funding request, keeping the annual allotment at $13,000. Once more information is provided the commissioners will consider amending the budget at a later date to provide additional funding.

The new budget, which will be on display at Town Hall and on the town’s website, goes into effect July 1.

“Thank you commissioners and staff for your due diligence and all the hard work that went into this,” Henderson said. “It’s been a grueling session but we got through it. We made some changes, we added some things. I think the town will be better served and better off for the things that we did do in this year’s budget.”