Mecklenburg County budget to give CMS $30 million increase, will close juvenile jail
The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners approved Wednesday its $2.1 billion budget for the 2023 fiscal year, which starts next week.
With the approval, Charlotte’s juvenile detention center is set to close by Dec. 1; county employees are getting raises; and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools operational budget will receive $30 million more than last year’s allocation.
The county’s proposed allocation to CMS stirred the most controversy from the public, resulting in an additional $10 million added to the school system’s budget during commissioners’ straw votes meeting last week.
CMS operating expenditures from the county total $557.9 million.
Just over half of that, $284.6 million, is going toward instructional services, including regular curriculum, alternative programs and school leadership services.
CMS will receive $190.9 million in system-wide support services such as technology; operational support; financial and human resources; and public relations. The remaining $82.3 million will go to charter schools.
The additional $10 million not included in operating expenses is a one-time fund for preventative maintenance.
Following the vote, commissioner Laura Meier said she wishes education received more funding.
“The need is even greater and it’s greater after the pandemic,” Meier said. “At the end of the day it’s for the children and the children are gonna suffer if we don’t invest in them.”
Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, who has been fighting for more education funding with Meier, said it was hard for her to agree to disagree with the rest of her colleagues.
“What we lack is not money, but political will,” Rodriguez-McDowell said. “I believe there’s plenty of money…if we just look at our county fund balance year over year, we’re great at overestimating expenses and underestimating revenue.”
Board Chairman George Dunlap responded by saying many residents of Mecklenburg County don’t have any connection to the school district.
The budget keeps the property tax rate at 61.69 cents per $100 valuation, the same as fiscal year 2022. The owner of a $200,000 house would pay $1,233.80 in county taxes.
Mecklenburg County’s budget by the numbers
- $12.7 million — The amount of money allocated for affordable housing in Mecklenburg County’s fiscal year 2023 budget. This will fund a Billingsley Road mixed-use development, critical home repair, supportive housing contracts, rental subsidies and a half-million dollars to “continue our research and develop strategies to address the impacts of corporate-owned housing in Mecklenburg County.”
- 5% — The raise county employees will get in the upcoming fiscal year. The budget includes $16.6 million to account for this.
- 105 — The number of classrooms for Mecklenburg County 4-year-olds to receive a free pre-school education. This is included in the county’s allocation of $23 million toward Meck pre-K that is set to serve 1,890 income-eligible children in FY2023.
- $66.6 million — The amount the county is projected to spend on environmental efforts in FY2023. Of the $66.6 million, $50 million will go to land acquisition.
- $1.8 million — The amount to open a new library branch in Pineville. The $1.8 million accounts for 18 new positions and operating costs.
The full county budget can be found at mecknc.gov. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 7:00 PM.
