Spinning Straw Votes Into Fool’s Gold
All told, commissioners had about $15 million in new money to distribute as they saw fit. The straw votes taken Thursday aren’t binding, but likely establish a final budget to be voted on June 15.
That budget will still include steep funding reductions for most departments and programs, but some received a modicum of relief – at least temporarily. If sales tax revenues come in light, mid-year budget cuts in 2012 are likely.
As it stands, the newfound revenue might not even be enough to satisfy short-term wants. Public libraries, for example, were originally slated for up to $17 million in cuts, which would have shuttered 16 branch locations. Officials have said that with $8 million tossed back into the kitty, they could save upwards of a dozen of those branches from closing.
The commissioners’ straw votes returned $3.5 million, with the hope that the city will pitch in an additional $2 million and the county’s small towns will make up the balance for $8 million. The city council is scheduled to discuss library funding on Monday. If the extra money doesn’t materialize, library officials warned of a divisive battle over which branch libraries would have to be closed.
Republican Commissioner Bill James, in an e-mail sent after Thursday’s straw votes, predicted much of the same:
“Expect lots of branch closings even with City/Town money. This will set up a street fight between the Towns who will have to ‘pay to play’ and will require that their branches be saved over others. It will be a nasty fight. Towns that don’t pony up may have their library closed (if they have one).
I made several motions including one to take money from CMS (after they were given an extra $6 million) to fund the remaining $1.5 million in the library’s $5.0 million request. Request denied!
It seemed to me that the City and Town’s can’t be expected to agree to their ‘portion’ of the library’s request (the fair share plan) if the County which funds most of that budget only funds 70% of our share.”
CMS received $6 million in new straw-vote money, shaving recommended cuts from $21 million to $15 million and bringing CMS’ take of county loot to about $302 million. Schools officials have said they would use any additional revenue to limit teacher layoffs. The $6 million could save about 120 jobs, but pink slips are still likely for hundreds.
Straw votes saw the Sheriff’s Office recoup $1.5 million for the jail’s work-release program, but that’s only about half the amount Sheriff Chipp Bailey has said is needed to make the program worthwhile.
Meanwhile, park and recreation officials said that even with the additional $1.2 million they received Thursday night, the department still faces $11 million in cuts that will mean significant reductions in programs and staff.
In a last-minute money grab, Clarke pitched a property tax increase of little more than a penny, but it was shot down with only Commissioner George Dunlap, a Democrat, supporting the motion.
James made an attempt to increase funding for the Veterans Service Office, which is targeted to lose half its $1 million budget and seven of 14 employees, by cutting $200,000 budgeted for the CIAA basketball tournament and $62,500 for the NASCAR All-Star race. The board’s majority voted instead to give the VSO an additional $50,000.
Other notable straw votes saw the Arts and Science Council, which was originally slated to lose 100 percent of its county funding, snag $150,000; the Latin America Coalition, originally slated to receive $95,000, ended up with $45,000, while the Coalition for Social Justice and the Community Building Initiative lost all of their funding – $68,000 and $20,000, respectively.
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