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For the first time since 2018, the state Senate, House of Representatives and governor came to an agreement on a bipartisan budget compromise – remember when that was common? – as Gov. Roy Cooper signed the $25.9 spending million bill on Nov. 18. The governor vetoed previous budgets each year since taking office in 2017.
Fortunately, Cherokee County fared very well in the deal. The total allocation for Cherokee County is $23,206,908, according to a release from the state, which includes:
- $125,000 grant to the Town of Andrews for Valley River fishing and canoeing;
- $1,200,000 grant to Cherokee County for a new main Emergency Medical Services station;
- $500,000 grant for construction of a new EMS station in the western portion of the county;
- $1,091,797 for water and sewer upgrades;
- $115,111 for a local health department grant;
- $20,175,000 grant to Tri-County Community College for a new cultural and historical engagement center, equipment for the dental assisting program, equipment for the public safety administration training program, equipment for the truck driver training program and a new workforce solutions education center.
Each of those items is worth cheering about on their own, but to have them all funded in one fiscal year’s budget is outstanding. State Sen. Kevin Corbin and Rep. Karl Gillespie (both R-Franklin) deserve credit for helping pull off this negotiating feat while at the same time enacting some targeted tax cuts, making this truly a historic budget.
Money for local teachers
The Tar Heel State’s budget for the new biennium includes $100 million in supplemental pay for public school teachers in some of the state’s smallest, poorest counties, including Cherokee.
The supplemental pay is valued at up to $4,250 per teacher, but Cherokee County’s part of that is only $2,038. Teachers in neighboring Clay County are set to receive $2,871, while Graham County will hit the top mark of $4,250. According to Senate leader Phil Berger’s office, 65 percent of the allocation formula is based on the county’s tax base, 25 percent on the median household income and 10 percent on the effective tax rate.
This is a good thing for rural counties like Cherokee that don’t offer a teacher supplement; by contrast, Wake County tops the state with a $8,873 supplement, making it and four other countries ineligible for this program.
In addition, $1 million was allocated for Highlands and Nantahala schools as part of the “remote schools” funding, a huge help to those K-12 campuses.
While this program doesn’t solve all of the challenges facing smaller school districts when recruiting teachers, it will certainly help. Congratulations to our state officials for making this happen, and to our teachers for finally getting some of what they deserve.
East Laurinburg’s example
The N.C. Local Government Commission voted on Dec. 7 to dissolve the town of East Laurinburg, stripping the town of its incorporated municipality status as of June 30, 2022, in a sad first for the state.
The LGC assumed control of the Scotland County town last month after a state audit found its former finance officer misused funds. The commission passed a resolution in April to repeal the town’s charter for failing to submit annual financial audit reports for four years.
The dissolution vote was the first time the LGC used its recently enacted authority to revoke local government charters. The General Assembly passed legislation last summer giving the LGC the power to do so, and Gov. Roy Cooper signed the bill into law in August. (The General Assembly could still veto the LGC’s action.)
Many Andrews residents didn’t take it seriously when the LGC took over the town’s finances a few years ago, but East Laurinburg’s example shows what can happen when local officials don’t do their jobs. Thankfully, Mayor James Reid and the board of aldermen have worked hard to bring Andrews back from the brink onto firmer financial footing, making the town’s future outlook much brighter.