City of Newton, North Carolina

Newton City Council approved the City of Newton Fiscal Year 2023-2024 during a public meeting June 13.

The $51.5 million budget is balanced with a property tax rate of $0.45 per $100 of assessed property, which represents a rate reduction $0.09 compared to the prior year's property tax rate.

As a public power community that owns and operates its own electric utility, Newton is pleased to maintain current electric rates. The proposed budget also maintains the current fee for weekly residential sanitation collection and the current rates for water service and wastewater collection.

Staff crafted this year’s proposed budget to ensure Newton continues to provide the high quality of municipal services its residents, businesses, and industries expect while advancing a series of ambitious strategic objectives that are leading Newton toward a bright future. Several key goals considered during the budget process were:

• Safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of the whole community.
• Replacing aging infrastructure and equipment that is failing and no longer reliable.
• Continuing to move Newton forward in accordance with the long-term vision for the city’s future outlined in the Strategic Growth Plan and Economic Development Strategic Growth Plan.
• Rewarding skilled employees through merit-based pay adjustments.
• Generating private sector interest in the city’s business and residential districts through partnerships between the Newton Planning Department, Downtown Newton Development Association, The Chamber of Catawba County, Catawba County Economic Development Corporation, and Homebuilders Association of Hickory-Catawba Valley.

Newton recognizes the potential to welcome private investment to the city from the Charlotte area as the widening of N.C. 16 nears completion, creating a direct, 35-minute highway route between Downtown Newton and Uptown Charlotte. City leaders are making public investments now that are positioning Newton for the growth to come.

As Newton emerges from the economic stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, management is pleased to report private investment throughout the City—largely spurred by strategic public infrastructure investments—is surging to levels not seen since prior to the 2008 recession. This fiscally conservative, balanced budget recognizes that while unforeseen circumstances can always create economic hardship, the City is currently on a path toward economic development and growth.


City Manager Sean A. Hovis delivered the City of Newton Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Proposed Budget to City Council during the regular City Council meeting on May 2. City Council considered the proposed budget during public workshops on May 8 and May 9. City Council held a public hearing on the budget and continued budget discussions during the regular City Council meeting on June 6. The budget was approved by City Council during a public meeting on June 13.