Wake Board of Commissioners Adopt FY 2009 Budget

6/16/2008

The Wake County Board of Commissioners adopted a $984,360,000 budget Monday, June 16, 2008, for fiscal year 2008-09 during their regularly scheduled meeting in the Wake County Courthouse. The budget, as recommended by County Manager David Cooke on May 20, 2008, includes a property tax increase of 2.5 cents, of which 1.68 cents is for operating, capital and debt service on voter-approved bond projects. The remaining 0.82 cents will be used to fund improvements to public safety and law enforcement services, and to maintain services levels across the County. The property tax increase will bring the tax rate to 53.4 cents.

The budget includes $319,200,000 for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), as recommended by the Manager. Of this amount, commissioners voted that $316,200,000 will go directly to WCPSS and $3 million will be held in a reserve to fund WCPSS student enrollment if enrollment exceeds 139,039.

The $319,200,000 budgeted to the school system assumes state pay raise estimates of six percent for certified personnel and three percent for non-certified personnel. Should the actual pay increase adopted by the General Assembly be less than the assumed rates, the Board requests that $1,298,643 be allocated to fund a quarter percent increase in the local salary supplement for school system staff.

Finally, as permissible by state law, the appropriation to WCPSS is by purpose and function. Changes made by the Board of Education to the County appropriation greater than 15 percent between one purpose and function to another must be presented and approved by the Board of Commissioners.

The Wake County Board of Commissioner invites all Wake County citizens to become more involved in local government by watching Commissioners’ meetings through live streaming video on the County website, www.wakegov.com/commissioners. After the meetings, online viewers can click on an indexed agenda and “jump to” a specific point in the archived video and audio, providing information on any topic, on-demand, anytime and anywhere.

For more information on the Wake County Fiscal Year 2009 budget process, including a copy of the Manager’s recommended budget, visit www.wakegov.com/budget/fy09.

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