For several months, town officials throughout Pender County were busy crunching budget numbers for operations. 

The plans also include several projects and upgrades for residents and employees for the next fiscal year, starting July 1 and ending June 30, 2023. Budget ordinances are required by statute that sets the spending limits for municipalities. 

The following are some of the projects town leaders made a priority. 

Topsail Beach eyes emergency center 

Topsail Beach began looking over totals in December with input from department leaders for a budget totaling more than $8.2 million.

After several meetings, one of the decisions included plans for a new fire station and a emergency operations center on Topsail Island. Funds will be spent on architectural, design, and construction plans for the facility.