Wake tax may rise 5.7%
Budget swells to pay for growth, education mandates
Published: Tue, May. 22, 2007 12:00AM
Modified Tue, May. 22, 2007 06:51AM
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closeRALEIGH -- Responding to Wake County's explosive growth and school needs, Wake County Manager David Cooke is proposing a 5.7 percent tax increase.
Cooke's recommendation for fiscal year 2008 would raise the tax rate 3.6 cents per $100 of assessed property value, or $72 a year on a $200,000 home.
The county commissioners, who will vote on the budget June 18, received Cooke's proposal Monday without comment. The highlights:
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The basic numbers
TOTAL BUDGET: $914.2 million
BUDGET INCREASE: 7.4 percent
PROPERTY TAX HIKE: 3.6 cents per $100 of assessed value
PORTION OF THAT FOR SCHOOLS: all*
*More county revenue from growth pays for other budget increases.
School spending
The budget would increase operational spending on schools by $18.9 million -- $12.8 million less than what the school board says it needs to cover state-mandated raises for teachers, accommodate about 8,000 more students this fall, pay rising utility and fuel bills and meet other expenses.
The county commissioners will have to decide whether to raise taxes more. All of Cooke's tax increase would go toward paying off debt from the $970 million in school bonds approved by voters in November 2006 and for operating eight new schools set to open next academic year.
Wake Tech
Wake Technical Community College would get 18 percent more, or $17.5 million for operations. Much of the new money would help cover the cost of the new Northern Wake Campus, set to open in August. Wake Tech's enrollment is surging toward 56,000 students.
Human Services
The budget would add 57 positions, most of them at a new Northern Regional service center set to open in January. The department would also get school nurses, social workers and a gang prevention coordinator. The budget includes money for building a mental-health center near WakeMed and assumes the state legislature will stick to a 2006 cap on the share of Medicaid spending paid by counties.
Sheriff's Office
The proposed budget adds $2.8 million, in part to pay for 14 new full-time positions. The plan includes four new school resource officers and two deputies for gang intelligence and suppression, as well as increased spending on medical care for inmates.
TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 4
* 2 p.m., commissioner's meeting room, seventh floor, Wake County Courthouse, 335 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh
* 7 p.m., Wake County Commons Building, 4011 Carya Drive, Raleigh
TO CONTACT THE WAKE COUNTY MANAGER AND COMMISSIONERS
* County Manager David Cooke: 856-6160, dcooke@co.wake.nc.us
* Tony Gurley: 856-5579, tgurley@gclawnc.com
* Paul Coble: 856-5577, paul.coble@co.wake.nc.us
* Lindy Brown: 856-5576, lindy.brown@co.wake.nc.us
* Joe Bryan: 856-5575, joe.bryan@co.wake.nc.us
* Kenn Gardner: 856-5574, citizens4kenn@earthlink.net
* Betty Lou Ward: 856-5566
* Harold Webb: 856-5573, Harold.Webb@co.wake.nc.us
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