Robbinsville – Graham County’s state legislators were in Robbinsville on Sept. 1, to hear concerns from county government and school officials about funding needs, and the impacts of state legislation on local spending.
The special meeting was held at the Graham County Community Center and included N.C. Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon, N.C. House District 120); N.C. Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon, N.C. Senate District 50); Graham County Schools Superintendent Angie Knight; Graham County Schools Finance Officer Lester Greene; Graham County Manager Jason Marino; Graham County Finance Officer Becky Garland; and members of the Graham County Board of Commissioners.
First among the concerns expressed to the state legislators were “unfunded state mandates” – state decisions imposed on the counties that come with partial or no funding, forcing local taxpayers to pay costs imposed by the state. Such mandates are often the driving force behind local property tax increases.
The most recent example occurred in the last legislative session, when the state increased pay requirements for school employees. While local leaders applauded the renewed focus on education, the legislation included limited funding for school positions falling within the state’s authority, did not pay for associated increases in benefits and retirement, nor did it pay anything for school positions that are funded with local or federal funds.
Other than more money for state-funded school positions, the state’s usual allotment to Graham County Schools remained the same and hasn’t changed since 2008.
That left school officials in the unpleasant position of tapping into other funding sources to cover the added costs of benefits, and giving similar raises to teacher and staff not paid with state dollars.
It was generous for staff but difficult to pull off at the local level, Greene said, leaving local schools with less buying power and less available for operating costs.
With spiking costs for food, supplies and equipment, it was a double whammy. For Graham County Schools, it was too much to bear. Schools officials were forced to ask county commissioners for more money this year – which in turn, forced county commissioners to decide whether to cut other expenses, raise taxes, or both.
Garland found ways to reduce spending without raising taxes, even managing to give county employees a pay bump – but at the expense of several local programs, new fire engines, funding to local community groups, and the county’s rainy day fund. Upon hearing of the situation, both Gillespie and Corbin said they agreed there is a problem, but Corbin added that in Raleigh, the two face three main divisions among lawmakers: Republican/Democrat, Senate/House, and Urban/Rural.
“Everything you said is spot-on,” Corbin told the assembled leaders, adding that he and Gillespie continue to address issues on Graham County’s behalf (along with other nearby counties the two represent) and Corbin hopes that he will have a more senior position in the Senate’s education committee this year.
He said meetings like the one last week help give him ammunition as he advocates for small, rural, western North Carolina counties. Other issues raised during the meeting included funding to renovate or replace the Graham County Courthouse.