In recent weeks, I have heard a number of anecdotal references to the town of Sawmills, NC, generally contrasting with Valdese. Sawmills has several characteristics that are similar to Valdese:
- Town of approximately 5,000
- Located in the foothills of Western North Carolina
- Housing with proximity to natural, wooded areas
- Public Utilities Department managing both water and sewer services for its residents, although Lenoir provides bulk water and sewer treatment services for Sawmills
- Council-Manager form of Government
Notably, Sawmills does not fund/maintain any municipal police or fire services, although fire and rescue fees are assessed at the county level.
Using the 2025-26 budgets for Valdese and Sawmills, here is a summary comparison of the two town general operations. First, a summary of the expected revenues for each town:
| Revenue | Sawmills | Valdese |
|---|---|---|
| Property Tax Rate | 0.2% +0.4975 Caldwell +0.105% Rural Fire +0.03% Rural Rescue | 0.415% +0.555% Burke — — |
| Expected Collection Success | 95% | 98.89% |
| Ad Valorem Tax | $766K | $2.32M |
| Motor Vehicle Tax | $87K | $200K |
| Sales & Use Tax | $1.35M | $1.88M |
| Total General Fund | $4.76M | $7.98M |
Here is a breakdown of how some of the General Fund revenues are budgeted to be spent:
| Expenditures | Sawmills | Valdese |
|---|---|---|
| Governing Body | $53K | $51K |
| Administration | $666K | $1.46M |
| Planning | $142K | $80K |
| Finance | $152K | — |
| Fire | — | $962K |
| Police | — | $1.38M |
| Sanitation | $404K | $380K |
| Street & Powell Bill | $519K | $883K |
| Community Development | $444K | $682K |
| Maintenance & Grounds | — | $302K |
| Parks and Recreation | $1.38M | $1.08M |
| Public Works | $807K | $219K |
| Interlocal Transfer to Caldwell | $194K | — |