Budget Hinges On Vote

by Cal Bryant - Friday, June 23rd, 2006 - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

WINDSOR - A decision is expected Monday.

The Bertie County Board of Commissioners will host a public hearing at 7:20 PM on Monday in the Commissioners meeting room concerning the highly conversational (controversial?) 2006-07 county budget.

Following the public hearing, the commissioners may or may not vote on County Manager Zee Lamb’s proposed budget as presented June 5. By law, the new budget must be approved prior to July 1.

While Lamb’s $18.1 million proposal includes no tax or service fee increases, it has become a target of debate, especially from officials within the county’s public school system.

At a special called meeting June 16 by the Bertie Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart called Lamb’s proposal “woefully inadequate.”

The taxpayers of Bertie County need to show up Monday night to resist further money being wasted on an education department that is out of control. Just as someone who supports the school system was trying to scew the poll being done by the News-Herald, there is a serious risk that they will show up and try to intimidate the commissioners on Monday night. They did it last year for the middle school bonds, and it is certainly a predictable action again.

If Bertie County Schools were not performing so badly I would be the first to fight for more money to help our children, especially if it was really going into the classroom. However nothing being planned right now indicates to me that we will see any change in our failing schools. They are once again throwing money at the wrong problems.