Last week Holly Springs announced a proposed budget that’s up approximately 6 percent from last fiscal year. The news stands in sharp contrast from neighboring towns coping with smaller budgets, lost revenue and scaled-back programs.

“It’s a vision thing,” said Town Manager Carl Dean, citing long-term strategy as the reason he thinks Holly Springs dodged the economic bullet that is bruising towns like Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Cary and Morrisville.

It also doesn’t hurt that Novartis money is coming to town.

The pharmaceutical giant is building a vaccine facility in the Holly Springs business park, located off N.C. 55. It’s expected to yield some 400 jobs at an average salary of $50,000 per year, and bolster tax revenue an estimated $812,498 in property taxes.

“There’s 1,100 workers onsite,” Dean said of the construction, expected to be completed next year. “They’re out buying gas, eating at our restaurants, buying houses — all the things that keep the local economy going.”

With their bottom line coming in at $22,624,000 — a small jump from last year’s $21,267,000 — Dean said their strategy is to keep services and fees steady and remain cautious with spending.

“While our finances have remained consistent over the last year — especially in relation to other communities — we still felt it important to budget conservatively,” he wrote in a four-page budget summary.

Next in line for positive news is Apex, who’s general budget is up 3.2 percent, at $28,606,493, from last fiscal year. Finance director Lee Smiley said that’s owed to about half a million in federal grant money for firefighters and $1 million allocated to spearhead EMS services for other towns.

Up the freeway, it’s not so rosy.

• Fuquay-Varina’s budget message predicted “continued downward economic impacts.” At $15,548,505, the budget is 7.3 percent less than last year and calls for no cost-of-living raises for staff, the elimination of five town positions and no major capital projects. They estimate they’re behind some $600,000 in building and growth-related fees.

• Cary’s budget, at $216,811,389, showed a 25.3 percent decrease from last year. While they kept property tax rates the same, they increased water and sewer fees 7.9 percent and cut capital spending projects by about 60 percent. Town staff blamed the decline on anemic sales tax and development fees.

• Morrisville’s budget, at $20,072,994, is 8.5 percent lower than last year. While they avoided raising taxes and vehicle fees, they cut some equipment replacement, special events and recreation programs. Town employees won’t receive raises and no new staff positions have been approved. They, like Cary, cite the economy as the culprit, but hope that streamlining will strengthen their operations, according to a written statement by Finance Director Julia Ketchum.

In contrast, Holly Springs’ staff will receive a 2 percent cost-of-living raise, half of what they got last year. They’re also eligible for a 3 percent raise based on merit and performance reviews.

Dean and staff started work on the 70-page budget Feb. 1. Despite meeting all their objectives, it was still a “difficult budget to complete,” according to its summary. They haven’t been entirely immune from the sour economy.

“Some of our development fees are down,” Dean said, but he’s optimistic about more commercial development up the pike, perhaps on Novartis’ heels. “We’ve been told by some developers they’re coming [here] sooner because they feel the town is moving in a positive direction.”

Dean said Novartis chose Holly Springs in part because of its proximity to the Research Triangle biotech thinktank, but also because town staff has cultivated a good relationship with the Department of Commerce.

“That wasn’t just luck; that was years and years of development,” said Chuck Simmons, assistant town manager. “The groundwork for Novartis was laid 10 years ago when the town invested in its economic development department.”

In 1999, the town created a special finance department to spearhead projects usually delegated to chambers of commerce. Every year, Dean said, they had to defend funding the two-person division, which worked to diversify the tax base at a time when residential revenue was king. In 2006, Dean estimated Holly Springs was getting about 800 new homes a year. But the finance department remained steadfast in wooing industrial revenue-generators like Novartis for the future.

“Our goal is to be 70 percent residential and 30 percent industry,” Dean said, noting their current situation is at a fluid 82 percent residential and 18 percent industrial.

Dean said they’re going to continue making decisions based on the future.

“We’ve done planning the last few years in preparation to make sure we have our infrastructure in place,” he said. “You’re seeing more people doing what we did nine years ago.

“Right now it’s so difficult in government to maintain a long vision,” he said. “Most people want it now — the quick and dirty.”

Town budgets will take effect July 1.