County's Proposed Budget: Tax Rate Stays the Same
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Moore County’s proposed budget for 2011-12 holds the line on spending, retains the existing tax rate and funds the public schools at the 2010-11 level.
The budget presented to the Moore County Board of Commissioners Tuesday totals $125.3 million, including a general fund of $85 million, a decrease of almost 14 percent over the current year’s budget.
In the budget message, County Manager Cary McSwain noted that the state is responsible for funding school districts. By changing that priority, he said, the state “places additional burden on property taxes,” the primary source of revenue for local governments.
“It is an attempt by the state to avoid its funding responsibility and shift the blame for the schools’ shortfall on counties,” McSwain said.
McSwain said that the additional $3.1 million requested by the schools could not be funded without a 2.7-cent increase in the tax rate.
The manager pointed out that the legislature has not adopted a budget for the new fiscal year and there is still the possibility that school funding cuts will not be quite as severe as originally feared.
Although property tax and sales tax collections have remained “flat” in the past few years, McSwain said there are signs of a slow recovery as the economy gradually improves.
The commissioners will dig into the budget in more detail at a work session scheduled Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Agriculture Center in Carthage.
In other business Tuesday the board learned that it will be late June before the planning department will be prepared to make a recommendation on the Pine Forest rezoning request.
At the request of Planning Director Joey Raczkowski, the board agreed to call a special meeting to discuss the findings from the extended public hearing. The special meeting will be held May 24 at 5 p.m. and will be open to the public but will not be a public hearing.
The board voted 4-1 not to apply for a $160,018 grant to expand the program administered by Moore County Transportation Services. A public hearing was first held, but no one signed up to speak for or against the measure.
The application for Targeted Transit Assistance Program funding would have gone to the N.C. Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division. It is federal money channeled through the state.
Commissioner Jimmy Melton made the motion to turn down the grant and was joined by Chairman Nick Picerno and Commissioners Larry Caddell and Craig Kennedy in approving the motion.
Casting the dissenting vote, Commissioner Tim Lea said the grant would help meet the needs of the elderly and disabled. He suggested that the county try the program for a year, then turn it down in the future if it doesn’t work.
Tawanna M. Williams, MCTS manager, said the program has a waiting list with about 100 names.
However, opponents said they needed more information about the services already provided by MCTS and that it was time to send a message to the state and federal governments that funding for new and expanded services must be curbed.
This split vote led to a series of fractious discussions later in the meeting when Lea questioned the other four commissioners about their support for community development block grants that likewise use federal funds for a variety of programs. The result was additional split votes.
More details will appear in the print version of The Pilot.
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Comments
publius 2 years ago
To be sure, the State legislature has decided to cut education substantially in order to make good on campaign promises to not reinstate a temporary state tax. That said, the County Commissioners are left with their own choice - to boost taxes [their analysis] or force the school system to absorb the full impact of the State's cuts. The decision to step to the side and let the educational chips fall where they may, speaks volumes regarding the County's commitment to the education. What harm would a temporary tax increase have done?
SoPinesNo1 2 years ago
Raise my tax rate to fund the school's request and send me my portion of the bill.
ncsnafu1 2 years ago
@publius: Maybe you can afford the 2.7 cent increase in the county tax rate necessary to fund the school system additional $3.1M request. The commissioners are looking at the county in total and decided it was not in the best interest of the county at this time to increase the tax rate. No one at the meeting spoke either way during the comment about the this matter which is unfortunate.
CSmithson 2 years ago
FYI- a 2.7 cent increase in the tax rate equates to about $1/week or $4.50 to the monthly mortgage/escrow payment on a $200,000 home.
marcar 2 years ago
Surely, this is something most voters would support. We have such a wealthy county, and the temporary tax increase would not hurt much, but would make a tremendous difference for education. I hope the negative votes can be repealed or vetoed.The state funding portion is also going to be more severely cut. Teachers have already not had a pay increase for three years, but had insurance premiums going up and benefits going down. Someone, somewhere has to help save education, and not just with their words. Thanks to all for support of children and teaching...our future.
Steve 2 years ago
They should be cutting.
JoeGarrison 2 years ago
Well Chris again if you wanna write a check to make up the difference go right ahead. The Moore County schools have a fund balance which is not required and they will be able to make up some of the difference and again if they would cut out the hiring of 3-4 vice principals and front office staff and also reduce some of the very expensive salaries of assistant superintendants then they can save even more money. Again the county commissioners have a proposed budget that holds the line on the schools funding at last years level. Thats better than cutting it which the county could do. The schools in their original budget request proposal said that through phasing out old programs and through attrition could save money and that they were going to ask for the same amount as last year with no increase, which was around 27.5 million dollars. The 3 million they are asking for is merely a buffer in the wake of the state's cuts, it is not for any specific need. So if all you folks who wanna pay more than please do, write a check in addition to your tax bill for the amount you wish to contribute, but don't speak for the rest of the county or force your agenda on the rest of us.
Matt_Woodruff 2 years ago
Joe, do you actually believe the crap that you write??
bigD 2 years ago
The schools should trim some fat and absorb half the cost of the budget cuts. The County needs to pony up the rest. Each and every one of us have a lifelong debt to society for our own education. Joe, my check is in the mail! Chris where is yours?
CSmithson 2 years ago
Derek,
Words cannot express my appreciation for the countless hours you have spent learning about the Moore County public school system and all its different facets. Nobody appreciates more than me a Pinehurst resident(yourself) who is content with a school system which is not only underfunded but which also intentionally creates a number of high poverty schools in other areas in order to ensure that "Pinehurst" schools are neither too "dark" nor too "poor" to offend the sensibilities of those who comprise the political(campaign contribution) power center of Moore County.
JoeGarrison 2 years ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
CSmithson 2 years ago
So if "more money won't fix the education problem," does that mean cutting millions from the budget will?
JoeGarrison 2 years ago
Well we have to define the education problem. I feel that the problem is the standards or the results of the education system is woefully short of what it should be. Now if we have a system that in itself is flawed and geared to failure then no amount of money is going to fix it. We have to revamp the system for more accountability, making sure we get back to the basics and stop turning our schools into institutes of social experimentation and back into teaching kids how to read, write, and other basic skills which will prepare them for life. Now if we had an education system that actually works and lives up the the standards that should be expected then I would have no problem in investing in education. But again why is it that charter schools, private schools, and even home schools score better than public schools? I think we need to fix that problem, and that problem is not about money.
CSmithson 2 years ago
Joe, Check out the NC School Report Cards. Both the charter schools in Moore County did worse on the EOG tests than the public schools...
JoeGarrison 2 years ago
According to the John Locke Foundation Charter Schools are cheaper in terms of cost per student and they statistically score better so again you might wanna rethink that statement:)
CSmithson 2 years ago
So your argument is that since it costs less per student, it is OK that the majority of the students at STARS failed to perform at or above grade level in math and reading?
DaveyNC 2 years ago
According to actual test scores offered by CSmithson, the two Moore County charter schools don't "statistically score better". They statistically score worse.
Results matter, don' t they? Or do you prefer statistics?
You're an amusing sort, Joe. You push ahead with your cliched views without regard to facts.
JoeGarrison 2 years ago
You are cherrypicking one school and then making that the standard of the whole which is not correct. So again the position by some on this blog is that you want the commissioners who are proposing to give the schools the same amount without cutting should instead raise taxes 2.7 cents in the midst of this fragile economic climate. Well I think the policy speaks for itself. I am for giving the schools the same amount as last year, keeping the tax rate the same and continue the trend of the board which is reducing the cost of government and saving money for the tax payers. Chris I wish you would run for commissioner so you could see that your liberal ideas and policies would be rejected:) But until you get up the bottle to do it I guess we'll just keep arguing on here;)
CSmithson 2 years ago
Oh Joe. Believe me, there have been a number of people who have suggested or urged me to run for Commissioner. Though I won't say "never," I have no current interest in running.
The worst part about running would be practical reality that I'd have to declare affiliation with a political party. I became proudly unaffiliated a few years back. Now, if the BOC were a non-partisan race and people had to choose a candidate rather than blindly voting a straight ticket or picking someone because of the letter next to their name, I do think we'd be much better off than with the current system in which the partisan primaries are the de facto elections for county office.
Bflat 2 years ago
Bravo! At least someone understands what I have been saying all along ! We get the same ole agendas and things to which we have no say so, like a huge JAIL in Sweet Carthage that is forever destroying the landscape. The schools and elderly get overlooked. The commissioners knew the budget cuts were coming, the top school is going to close, and the beat goes on....
CSmithson 2 years ago
"Cherrypicking?" The ONLY two charter schools in the county did worse on the tests than the public schools. What would you have me do, "cherrypick" some charter school in New Jersey or something?
JoeGarrison 2 years ago
No I would rather you take charter schools as a whole and judge them. There always outliers good and bad in any institution. Again there are problems with the education system internally and systematically which have nothing to with money. So again until we address those issues I don't see pouring even more money after bad. Look you have all the answers and you know everything so this discussion could go on forever. We will just agree to disagree. Again if I was there in the seat whether it be school board or commissioner my philosophy would be do the best you can with what you are given, cut waste and save as much money as possible for the hardworking tax payers. Thats it. So as Chub Seawell used to say "Call your next case" :)
Bflat 2 years ago
All the value stream taxes added to cell phone bills, aka Moore County Telecom tax, and to Cable bills is adding revenue into the County piggybank. Just take a look at your bill and there it is! Don't tell me that doesn't amount to a TAX. Taxes are not all about property tax. LIke it or not, the schools are going to have to be properly funded.
TOYTIME 2 years ago
How is it that a private school in Moore Co. like SCCS can consistently score 2 or more grade levels above the state and national averages in SAT scores and tuition is under $6000 per year?
Bflat 2 years ago
That's because the commissioners are not on top of funding the schools. TPo3 JAIL project in downtown Carthage was more important. Education must be properly funded in order to stimulate the local economy and to encourage more jobs and people to move here. The future of the children is very important where education is concerned.