Hundreds of people descended on Alamance County’s Historic Court House this week as the county’s board of commissioners invited area residents to add their two cents to the debate over the county’s next annual budget.
Nearly four dozen residents ultimately took advantage of a public hearing that the commissioners held Monday to receive feedback about a version of this spending plan that the county manager had rolled out last month.
Prominent among that evening’s speakers were supporters of the Alamance-Burlington school system [see separate story below left], who have viewed York’s proposed budget as a betrayal of their efforts to retain teachers and staff.
Also well represented were members of the local rescue squad and other nonprofit organizations, who raised the alarm over proposed cuts in the manager’s budget. [See separate story bottom left of this page.]
Meanwhile, allies of the county’s library system were drawn out of their reading nooks by fears of defunding, which were originally kindled by criticism from one county commissioner. [See separate story below this edition.]
These speakers were, moreover, a mere smattering of the residents who converged on the courthouse, which the commissioners had chosen over their usual meeting chambers to accommodate Monday’s anticipated turnout. As it happened, the hearing’s audience quickly filled up the building’s main courtroom – leaving scores of other would-be spectators to hold a boisterous rally on the steps of the courthouse.
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The county’s forthcoming budget isn’t the first to have inspired such robust interest from the general public. Over the years, Alamance County has witnessed several such upheavals as its tax-averse board of commissioners has come up against pressure to increase spending – particularly from supporters of the Alamance-Burlington school system.
Yet, a concurrence of circumstances has conspired to make this year’s clash over the budget even broader and more acrimonious than usual. Monday’s hearing consequently saw the school system’s veteran advocates join forces with crusaders for other causes that have generally been on the periphery of these fiscal showdowns. At the same time, the commissioners heard some uncharacteristically pointed rebukes from a number of their more mild-mannered correspondents.
Few speakers captured the overall mood of the audience better than Tracey Grayzer, the executive director of Impact Alamance – which serves as a charitable wing of Cone Health.
“The proposed county budget does nothing to move this county forward. Instead of strengthening our community, you are proposing unnecessary and devastating cuts to our public schools and many other services. . . You are the architects of our county. . . Please build on the strong foundations laid by the leaders before you.”
– Tracey Grayzer, Executive Director of Impact Alamance
“The proposed county budget does nothing to move this county forward,” Grayzer said when she appeared at the podium that evening. “Instead of strengthening our community, you are proposing unnecessary and devastating cuts to our public schools and many other services…You are the architects of our county…Please build on the strong foundations laid by the leaders before you.”
United fates
A number of speakers who addressed the commissioners on Monday spoke up on behalf of more than just one of the agencies and organizations that receive funds from the county.
Tyler Whitley of Mebane urged the commissioners to consider a property tax hike on behalf of the school system as well as the libraries.
“To me schools and libraries are core services. I support Ms. York’s 1.59 cent property tax increase. Frankly, I think the property tax increase is too small.”
– Tyler Whitley
“To me schools and libraries are core services,” Whitley insisted. “I support Ms. York’s 1.59 cent property tax increase. Frankly, I think the property tax increase is too small.”
Morgan Baker, a parent and school teacher from Burlington, also championed the schools and the libraries.
“When we fund schools and libraries we prevent crises. We invest in hope instead of handcuffs; we build futures instead of more courthouses. This isn’t just moral. It’s smart stewardship of our community’s resources.”
– Morgan Baker
“When we fund schools and libraries we prevent crises,” she argued. “We invest in hope instead of handcuffs; we build futures instead of more courthouses. This isn’t just moral. It’s smart stewardship of our community’s resources.”
Meanwhile, Dawson Wall told the commissioners that he can’t understand how they can short-change the rescue unit in addition to the libraries and schools.
“it’s genuinely un-American to suggest cuts to these vital services. One of the things that has made this country great has always been our investment in ourselves. – Dawson Wall
“Truth be told that’s appalling. It’s genuinely un-American to suggest cuts to these vital services,” he said. “One of the things that has made this country great has always been our investment in ourselves…Anyone who proposed this – I would not be surprised if we saw their resignation.”
Griffin McClure, a local business owner and one time member of Graham’s city council, also took a big picture view of the county’s finances.
”Cuts across vital departments are frightening to those of us who love this place. . . and we cannot continue to race to the bottom and make it harder and harder the next year to catch up.”
– Griffin McClure
“The proposed county budget that you have in hand is bleak as one commissioner called it,” he said.
”Cuts across vital departments are frightening to those of us who love this place…and we cannot continue to race to the bottom and make it harder and harder the next year to catch up.”
McClure went on to propose “incremental property tax increases” to bring the county’s outlays up to speed alongside a revival of a sales tax referendum that has failed four times to win over the local electorate and short-term allocations from the fund balance to “avoid this debacle” that he said faces the county.
Something to think about…
LeVon Barnes, a Democrat who waged an unsuccessful campaign for the state’s 64th house district, was a bit less specific in his proposed fix for the county’s conundrum. Although he objected to “cutting funds for our schools, libraries, and rescue teams,” Barnes wasn’t too keen on a property tax hike due to the financial burden it would impose on seniors and people who struggle to make ends meet. He, instead, called on the commissioners to show more “vision” in their financial decisions as he admonished them to “stop playing politics with people’s futures.”
The commissioners also received some rather oblique advice from Greg Scott, the son of a late county manager, who recounted his father’s own approach to the county’s annual budget.
“My father [the late Hal Scott, county manager from 1979-1984] was never asked to prepare two budgets – one with a tax increase and one that provided the bare minimum. He was asked to prepare a budget that met the needs of the county. . . Maybe he was a progressive. But he and the commissioners at that time got stuff done for the citizens of Alamance County.”
– Greg Scott
“My father was never asked to prepare two budgets – one with a tax increase and one that provided the bare minimum,” he said in reference to York’s marching orders from some of current county commissioners. “He was asked to prepare a budget that met the needs of the county…Maybe he was a progressive. But he and the commissioners at that time got stuff done for the citizens of Alamance County.”
Sheriff Terry Johnson, who has been bold enough to advocate tax hikes in previous financial cycles, was likewise a bit coy when he made his way up to the podium on Monday.
“While no one including me likes to pay taxes, the time has come where we you have no choice but to implement a tax increase – or make cuts to the budget.”
– Sheriff Terry Johnson
“While no one including me likes to pay taxes, the time has come where we you have no choice but to implement a tax increase – or make cuts to the budget,” he said. “Our county currently ranks 18th for the lowest property taxes…As of the 2020 Census, it is the fastest growing county, and it is the 15th most populated county…Why is our county growing so fast, because it has one of the lowest tax rates in North Carolina. When this happens we must increase our public infrastructure, and many of our services, like emergency medical services, DSS, schools, and law enforcement to accommodate the growth…Tonight I ask you to search your hearts and souls for the right thing to do for the citizens of Alamance County.”
A more direct plea came from Jackie Fortner, Johnson’s chief deputy, who approached the commissioners in defense of the staff’s longevity pay.
“When we cut employee’s benefits, you may save a little bit of money, but you will lose loyal, qualified employees.”
– Jackie Fortner
“This is an incentive to retain employees of Alamance County,” he declared. “When we cut employee’s benefits, you may save a little bit of money, but you will lose loyal, qualified employees.”
The commissioners also heard from two residents who urged them to forgo a tax increase.
“No reason why there can’t be a no-tax-increase budget.”
– Brenda Patterson
Brenda Patterson insisted that she “see[s] no reason why there can’t be a no-tax-increase budget” based on what she had been able to glean from York’s spending plan.
Also open to the idea of a “tax neutral budget was Henry Vines, a member of the county’s board of equalization and review who has made several unsuccessful bids to win a commissioner’s seat.
“We’ve had property tax increases for the past two years. . . and when you say it doesn’t cost but $47 on a $260,000, home that’s on top of a $1,200 bill.”
– Henry Vines
Vines reminded the board’s current members that they had all previously pledged to abjure any increase in property taxes. He added that, contrary to what other speakers may have suggested, the burden of such an increase is not insubstantial to some of the people who appeal their assessed tax values before the equalization and review board.
“This is a big concern for a lot of folks,” he insisted. “We’ve had property tax increases for the past two years…and when you say it doesn’t cost but $47 on a $260,000 home that’s on top of a $1,200 bill.”
In the end, the county’s elected leaders were left with much to consider as they proceed with their own deliberations about the county’s next budget.
Commissioner Kelly Allen stressed that she and her colleagues have yet to adopt any of York’s recommendations when she addressed the audience ahead of Monday night’s hearing. Meanwhile, commissioner Pam Thompson acknowledged the gravity of the decisions that face the board of commissioners.
“I’m a strong supporter for everything in this budget,” she said. “We have to make sure we have the things we need that run this county, and we just can’t Band-Aid things.”
In the meantime, York seemed quite happy to hand off further responsibility for the budget to the county’s governing board.
“I am required by law to present what I believe is required for us to function at current service levels,” she said. “The board, once they get the recommended budget, have an opportunity to make adjustments to get it to reflect their priorities.”
