News

There were few surprises in Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones’ recommended budget for fiscal year 2009-2010 Tuesday.

Due to the economic recession, Jones made it clear the county would be unable to fund any projects at current or expanded levels. “We don’t have the money,” Jones said.

The Board of County Commissioners was forced to cut several expenditures in county services and education to balance the nearly $100 million budget shortfall.

Although CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman knew the cuts were coming, he had asked the board to exempt CMS from the cuts and requested flat funding equal to last year’s budget of $351 million, but will only receive 90 percent.

Jones said education is a top priority, but it cannot erase a $90 million budget shortfall. “Education, specifically CMS and CPCC, must be part of any reduction scenario,” he said.

CMS gets one-third of its budget from the county, so the cuts will have a major impact. Nearly 1,200 jobs will be lost, including hundreds of teachers. Class size will increase and many services will be cut.

Gorman’s plan to fire so many teachers, has upset many who say that should be a last resort. They believe CMS should get rid of non-essential programs like CMS-TV and pre-kindergarten or take more administrative salary cuts.

Gorman will be in Washington meeting with federal officials to see if he can secure additional stimulus money to save teachers’ jobs.
County services will receive 91.7 percent of their current budget. Hundreds of jobs will be cut. There will be no merit increases and employees will have to pay more for benefits.

Other agencies will be funded based on priority and performance, and agencies providing similar services may be consolidated.
 There will be no increase in property taxes.

“This budget highlights the difficulties of balancing many competing needs and expectations of us,” said Jones. It forced him to weigh needs such county services verses education, criminal justice system verses the libraries and teachers verses social workers and sheriff deputies.

The BOCC is holding a public hearing on May 28. The final vote for the budget will be on June 16.

Comments