Wake board elects Webb as chairman

RALEIGH -- The Wake County Board of Commissioners elected two Democrats to fill the chairman and vice-chairman positions.

Harold Webb is the board's new chairman, and Lindy Brown was elected vice-chairman.

With Democrat Stan Norwalk taking office today, the board moves from a 4-3 GOP majority to a 4-3 Democratic one.

Webb was elected by a margin of 4 to 3, with votes split down party lines. Webb beat Brown and Republican Joe Bryan, who had been the chairman.

Brown won the vice-chairman position -- by a 4 to 3 margin -- over Republican Commissioner Paul Coble.

This afternoon, the board is expected to take up the issue of funding cuts to Wake schools.

Norwalk has urged school supporters to attend the meeting to oppose proposed cuts in local funding for schools. County Manager David Cooke has asked the schools to give up $5.7 million to help make up for a projected shortfall in county revenue of $17 million.

Critics of the school system, however, plan to attend the meeting, dress in red, and urge the commissioners to cut the $5.7 million.

The cuts would be on top of the school system's loss of $5.5 million in state funding because of a shortfall in state revenue.

School Superintendent Del Burns also is scheduled to appear before commissioners today and provide details about the impact of the cuts on the school system. On Tuesday, he will present to the school board a list of cuts to offset the loss of state funding.

Norwalk says he will ask his fellow commissioners to delay voting on the local cuts until after they meet with the school board to discuss the issue.