On May 17, Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones recommended a County operating budget for Fiscal Year 2012 of $1.3 billion, or about $39.4 million more than the current fiscal year’s budget. After two years of dramatic cuts totaling $150 million, Jones’ recommendation is a modest step to restore funding in key service areas and to reinvest in programs and services identified by the community and elected officials as most important.
The recommended budget does take advantage of a portion of the revenue produced by the 2011property revaluation, but it also funds the County’s Critical Success Factors by eliminating or reducing funding for less critical programs. For example, Jones recommends eliminating the County subsidy for indigent care. That subsidy was created many years ago, before the community’s hospitals became so successful and financially stable, and it has grown over the years to $16.7 million. Another major recommended cut was $14.6 million for Fund Balance Reimbursement and the Area Mental Health budget would be reduced by $4.5 million. Total cuts recommended in the Manager’s budget amount to nearly $42 million that would be reinvested elsewhere.
One place will be Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools — scheduled to receive $26 million more than last year. Central Piedmont Community College would receive $2.5 million more. Education services were the number-one community priority that emerged from the County’s community meetings and focus groups.
Jones is also recommending reinvesting in County employees. The average Mecklenburg County employee saw his paycheck dwindle more than $1,000 over the last two years in reduced benefits, higher insurance costs and a salary freeze. The recommendation is to reinvest $11 million to restore the County’s 401K/457 match, pay-for-performance and an increase in training. The County workforce has declined to 4,437 employees, about the same staffing level as in 1999.
The manager’s budget lowers the tax rate by 1.38 cents per 100 dollars of property valuation, or about 3.66 cents higher than a revenue-neutral rate of 78.83 cents. Best estimates now are that 57.3 percent of County property owners will be paying a higher tax bill and 42.7 percent will pay a lower bill. The average increase for those who will pay an increase is $393.
The Board of County Commissioners is required by law to adopt a balanced budget by the end of June. Our Board is scheduled to vote on the budget June 7 after several meetings (June 1, 2 and 3) where straw votes will be taken. All the meetings will be streamed live on the Internet.
The entire budget is not easy reading, but we have broken it into easier-to-understand chunks that can he found here. You can stay current on all the budget decisions by going to www.mecklenburgcountync.gov and clicking on “Notify Me.” Select the items you’re interested in and you will receive them in your email box.
In his budget message a year ago, Harry Jones said that “the great recession” brought with it a new reality for Mecklenburg County Government, and with it the need to redesign and reshape County government to preserve its course and stimulate progress. The FY12 budget adds a third “R”: Reinvest.
Filed under: Uncategorized
