No place like home

Growth increases importance of keeping county tax dollars where they belong

This is a critical time for the state of North Carolina. We are growing rapidly, and that growth is being felt in all 100 counties. By the year 2030, the state is projected to have 12 million citizens. We must take steps now to get ready for this influx of newcomers.

On July 10, the Association was part of a press conference sponsored by the Partnership for North Carolina’s Future. That day, the Partnership released a report that showed the overwhelming infrastructure demands being faced by the state, counties, cities and schools. It was my honor and privilege to represent all 100 counties at this event as your president.

We all know the numbers, and they are not very pretty. For the 2007-08 fiscal year, 48 counties raised property taxes – the highest number of counties to do so in one year during the last five years.

What’s more, these counties represent two-thirds of our state’s population, meaning that a vast majority of North Carolinians will see a tax increase this year.

The two primary county budget drivers continue to be Medicaid and schools. Counties are projected to spend more than half a billion dollars on Medicaid services in 2007-08, making it critical that we are relieved of this mandate. That represents a 22 percent increase in county costs in just two years.

If we are relieved of this burden, these local tax dollars could be put back into our community to help build the schools and other infrastructure that we so desperately need to get ready for the future.

Counties are struggling to keep up with increased infrastructure demands as a result of this influx of new citizens. Our schools are suffering, and that means our children are suffering.

Every day, thousands of our students are educated in uncomfortable mobile classrooms in counties all across this state because we are struggling to meet the demand for new classrooms.

The state appears to have heard our calls for help and, as the time of this writing, real progress was being made on a permanent Medicaid solution.