After the final penny was minted in November, Mecklenburg County commissioners are preparing for a potential penny shortage.
County officials surveyed departments to identify where cash transactions still occur. They found cash payments are most common in Parks and Recreation and libraries.
County Manager Mike Bryant said there is no shortage of cents in Mecklenburg County right now, but officials are trying to prepare before it becomes an issue.
"There is not a penny shortage in Mecklenburg County today, but we don't wanna wait till we get to that point," Bryant said. "So the same information that he shared with you from North Carolina GFOA and the school of government, our peers and partners have that same information as well. So hopefully they're considering that, but that's the dialogue that I'll be having with our city manager and other partners at the appropriate time."
The county could round cash payments up or down. It could also apply to some property tax transactions. For example, if a resident pays property taxes in cash and does not provide exact change, the total could be rounded up to the nearest nickel.
