I had reported yesterday about the budget meeting that took place Thursday night at the Old County Courthouse. A group of county commissioners were in attendance as well as a fairly large contingent from C4GC, including myself.
C4GC has a particularly strong work group that has taken on the task of analyzing the county education budget, and developing possible economies. They presented their comprehensive case in a manner that is very difficult to refute.
But in the discussion that followed, there was one revealing piece of information that shed light on the commissioners' motivations.
The commissioners said that they do not have the power to dictate to the school board how money is spent. Under North Carolina law, they only have the authority to decide on a global county education budget; and the school board makes all the decisions with respect to how it is spent.
Furthermore, the commissioners expressed the concern that, if they reduced the county education budget, the school board would go after the county commissioners politically. (In fact, years ago, the Guilford County school board even sued the county commissioners over funding issues.) And of course in that event, the school system would find a sympathetic partner in the local media.
But what does this mean? It means the county commissioners are concerned, above all else, about their own reelection. They are concerned about their own political future. This is a battle they do not want to fight. It is easier to raise taxes.
Skip Alston told C4GC that, if the group wanted to influence county schools funding, it should elect candidates to the school board.
In fact, our school board is a pretty sorry group overall, excepting perhaps a couple of members.
But I don't think we should allow the county commissioners to pass the buck once again, and weasel out of doing the right thing for the taxpayers.
I hope the county coms and school board types can gleen some usable info from the C4GC suggestions, etc. Information and outside opinion are sometimes very good influences.
Good luck.
Posted by: Mick | April 30, 2011 at 02:00 PM
Mick, it was interesting that one attendee suggested that the county commissioners have a joint meeting with the school board and the C4GC representatives to hash things out. Of course, Alston opposed that because it would give C4GC greater standing than his own favored interest groups.
Yes, I too hope the county commissioners and school board members will act responsibly. And yes, much luck will be needed, because these groups are not inclined to do so.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | April 30, 2011 at 02:04 PM
Joe: "It means the county commissioners are concerned, above all else, about their own reelection."
This SURPRISES you?
The County Commishes have been, throughout my 30+ years here, what makes GSO + surrounding area behind the other counties in almost every significant positive planning quotient. Everyone fights hard to make GSO better and they wallow in the worst pettiness and opacity I've known and ruin so many efforts toward good change, and I lived in NY for a long time, NJ for some. That's a pretty powerful comparison to come out on the losing end...worse than New Jersey for goodness sakes?
Posted by: Sue | April 30, 2011 at 07:30 PM
Sue, no, unfortunately it does not surprise me. But I would have thought otherwise having lived in other places in the South. Generally in the South, local government has worked much better than local government does up North. But this particular area had been on a long continuous slide, whereas the NY/NJ areas have had some periods during which they actually improved themselves. The differences are not as great as they were 20 years ago.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | April 30, 2011 at 07:46 PM
It took a Jimmy Carter to get Ronald Reagan. It took McGreevey & Corzine to get Chris Christie, and here it takes Skip Alston to get....???????
Posted by: axelskater | May 01, 2011 at 12:09 AM
I am good with providing the respective board the C4GC info and keeping on them. Getting together to "hash things out" somehow crosses some sort of mental line I have.
Posted by: Mick | May 01, 2011 at 06:37 AM
Axel, Skip Alston is a great argument for term limits. But I am afraid he is here to stay, unless he runs for higher office. And local Democrats have rigged the playing field such that it will be very difficult for Republicans to gain control of the Board of County Commissioners. Between gerrymandering and the enlargement of the board, the local Dems knew precisely what they were doing.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | May 01, 2011 at 07:23 AM