From AP RALEIGH, N.C. – Highlights of the $20.05 billion budget for North Carolina state government for the 2009-10 fiscal year tentatively approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The monetary figures reflect increases or reductions to base budget expenses, some of them based on projected increases in recurring spending. For tax changes, figures are for the amount of revenue generated or lost.
SALARIES AND BENEFITS
- experience-based salary increase for public school teachers, instructional support and administrators, equal to average 1.8 percent increase for teachers and 1.6 percent for principals: $65.4 million.
- no pay increase for rank-and-file state employees.
- state contribution to state employee and judicial pension system: $22.3 million.
K-12 SCHOOLS
- reduce textbook allotment due to delay in new math books for grades 6-12: -$38 million.
- reduce funding for school district administrative offices: -$6.5 million.
- transfer More at Four early education program to Department of Health and Human Services: -$86 million.
- discretionary reduction for local school districts: -$7.8 million.
- eliminate funding for several state-administered standardized tests for students not currently required by federal law or grants: -$3.6 million.
- reduce staff development money by 50 percent: -$6.3 million.
- eliminate funding for activities designed to improve performance for poorly performing students: -$38.4 million.
- decrease money for teacher salaries while increasing average class sizes by two students: -$322.7 million.
- order State Board of Education to eliminate 100 positions at the Department of Public Instruction: -$5.4 million.
- support 12 early-college high schools opening in 2009-10 school year: $3.7 million.
- fund dropout prevention grants: $1 million.
- create new standard course of study, consider replacing existing standardized tests and pilot diagnostic tests to identify strengths and weaknesses of individual students: $3 million.
- suspend transfer of corporate income tax funds to Public School Building Capital Fund: -$60.5 million.
- expand North Carolina Virtual Public School, which lets student take classes online: $2 million.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SYSTEM
- reduce system spending, with system flexibility on where to make cuts: -$75.4 million.
- remove expected increases for overtime pay, unemployment and workers’ compensation and disability benefits: -$7.8 million.
- remove inflationary adjustment for library books and periodicals: -$14.1 million.
- fund UNC system’s need-based financial aid request: $23.4 million.
- matching grants for endowments fund to award campus professorships: $6.8 million.
- continue to implement recommendations of system campus safety task force by increasing number of campus mental health workers and police: $5 million.
- hire new faculty, develop curriculum at new East Carolina University dental school: $3 million.
- indigent care at East Carolina University medical school and UNC Hospitals: $4 million.
- hire researchers, buy equipment at North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis: $3 million.
- faculty recruiting and retention fund: $2 million.
- funds for several campus projects: $11.2 million.
- hire more faculty and staff, buy equipment at University of North Carolina School of the Arts film-making school: $1 million.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
- fully fund costs of additional 15,259 full-time students on system campuses: $10.4 million.
- reduce spending at central office, with system flexibility on how to make cuts: -$490,000.
- reduce extra funding for multi-campus centers, off-campus centers: -$2 million.
- eliminate funds for regional criminal justice, fire training coordinators: -$1.2 million.
- restructure fees charged to continuing education students: -$9.4 million.
- eliminate expected increases in state aid to campuses: -$18.5 million.
- eliminate tuition waivers for senior citizens and prisoners: -$6.1 million.
- 65 additional nursing faculty to address waiting lists at nursing programs: $4.8 million.
- re-establish, improve vocational and technical education programs for transportation, engineering, military and green technology sectors: $4.5 million.
- purchase instructional equipment for all 58 colleges: $10 million.
- restore funding to North Carolina Military Center: $1.3 million.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
- reduce funding for Smart Start child care initiative: -$15 million.
- replace state child-care subsidy with one-time federal block grants: -$12.5 million.
- transfers More at Four funds to department to create high-quality classroom subsidy program for 4-year-olds: $46 million.
- replace classroom subsidy program for 4-year-olds with federal stimulus funds: -$37.2 million.
- eliminate 376 vacant positions within Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services: -$12.9 million.
- reduce department-wide spending, with flexibility given to department secretary: -$23 million.
- close two 25-bed units at Broughton and Cherry state mental hospitals: -$6 million.
- close Wright school in Durham and Whitaker school in Butner for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children at end of 2009, reduce 98 positions: -$2.9 million.
- create additional local inpatient psychiatric hospital beds to improve local crisis system: $12 million.
- maintain 36-bed overflow unit at Dorothea Dix mental hospital in Raleigh, hire 174 positions: $3 million.
- rely on federal stimulus funds to improve electronic health records at state mental hospitals: -$21.1 million.
- eliminate 46 vacant positions in Division of Public Health: -$1.8 million.
- reduce funds to purchase pharmaceuticals for AIDS Drug Assistance Program, replaced by reserves: -$3.1 million.
- eliminate media contract for smoking cessation, state funding for telephone tobacco quit help line: -$607,000.
- hire 20 additional public school nurses, bringing total to 232: $1 million.
- shift funds from NC Kids Care program to NC Health Choice children’s health insurance program, increase funding to enroll 15,583 additional children: $14.8 million.
- competitive grants for community health centers: $6 million.
- rural hospital operations and maintenance: $2 million.
- eliminate 53 vacant positions within central management, Medicaid management and information systems: -$1.6 million.
- eliminate 30 vacant positions in Division of Social Services: -$695,000.
- replace state funds with federal funds for welfare cash payments, maternity home services, child welfare collaborative programs, foster care and adoption and child support enforcement: -$15 million.
- regional food banks funds: $1.5 million.
- reduce prescription drug costs for Medicaid patients through utilization management: -$25.8 million.
- extend freeze for Medicaid provider inflationary increases: -$101.4 million.
- increase efforts to obtain payments for Medicaid service through third parties: -$20 million.
- modify Medicaid in-home and adult-care home personal care services benefits to prevent overuse: -$54.9 million.
- limit weekly hours for Community Support Group program services: -$15 million.
- eliminate Medicate funds for HIV case management: -$1.7 million.
NATURAL AND ECONOMIC RESOURCES
- reduce spending in Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, with flexibility on where to cut: -$2 million.
- eliminate eight positions in Department of Labor, reduce spending with flexibility on where to cut: -$567,000.
- 25 percent reduction in Labor Department apprenticeship program, made up for with new fees: -$450,000.
- eliminate 32 vacant positions at Department of Environment and Natural Resources, reduce spending with flexibility where to cut: -$6 million.
- matching money for drinking water and clean water fund: $8 million.
- reduce spending in Department of Commerce, with flexibility on where to cut: -$623,000.
- create Small Business Assistance Fund to provide loans to guarantee commercial loans and finance bonds so businesses can leverage better federal stimulus money: $3 million.
- create Main Street Solutions economic development funds for smaller cities. $3 million.
- regional economic development commission funds: $3 million.
JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
- reduce spending in Department of Correction, with flexibility to decide on cuts: -$54.5 million.
- remove expected increases for Department of Correction overtime pay, workers’ compensation, hospital medical services and inmate food and clothing to prior-year levels: -$26 million.
- reduce spending in state courts system, with flexibility on where to cut: -$7.3 million.
- eliminate 25 vacant court positions: -$1.3 million.
- freeze experience step increases for magistrates and court clerk salaries: -$2.3 million.
- reduce Sentencing Services program by 10 percent: -$283,000.
- reduce spending in Office of Indigent Defense Services, with flexibility on where to cut: -$1.6 million.
- reduce spending in Department of Justice, with flexibility on where to cut: -$2.7 million.
- eliminate seven central office positions and 25 vacant positions in Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and reduce spending in department: -$4.9 million.
- eliminate funding for Governor’s One-on-One mentoring program: -$1.6 million.
- eliminate Support Our Students grant program for after-school initiatives: -$6.6 million.
- close Samarkand Youth Development Center for female delinquents, shift them to Chatham County facility: -$5 million.
- close Dobbs Youth Development Center, which is being replaced by new center across the street: -$7 million.
- raise pay for 1,048 probation and parole officers: $2.4 million.
- hire 128 more probation and parole officer management positions: $7.9 million.
- eliminate 114 vacant and filled positions in Department of Correction: -$4.4 million.
- close McCain Correctional Hospital, eliminate 343 positions: -$9.1 million.
- close three other prisons by mid-2010, eliminate 117 positions: -$4.2 million.
- transfer State Capitol Police from Department of Administration to Department of Crime Control and Public Safety: $3.7 million.
TRANSPORTATION
- reduce funds for small construction projects to reflect declining projected revenues: -$7 million.
- additional state highway system maintenance funds: $12.8 million.
- reduce Department of Transportation administrative expenses: -$11.7 million.
- reduce ferry division funds: -$2.2 million.
- reduce public transportation program funds to reflect declining projected revenues: -$24.9 million.
- reduce State Highway Patrol spending: -$9.4 million.
- freeze experience pay increase for state troopers: -$1.7 million.
- make various Highway Trust Fund allocation changes to reflect falling revenue projections: -$157.3 million.
OTHER STATE AGENCIES AND FUNDS
- plan efforts to establish foundation to compensate those forcibly sterilized by the state in the mid-20th century: $250,000.
- eliminate 20 vacant positions in Department of Administration: -$976,000.
- reduce spending at state historic sites, history museums by 6.4 percent: -$1.1 million.
- reduce state aid to libraries: -$994,000.
- reduce spending at General Assembly: -$4.7 million.
- reduce Governor’s Office budget: -$503,000.
- eliminate 14 vacant positions in Department of Revenue, make other spending reductions : -$2.6 million.
- reduce balance in trust fund for voluntary campaign finance program for some statewide offices: -$1.5 million.
- various information technology changes: $12.7 million.
RESERVES AND CAPITAL PROJECTS
- reduce Job Development Investment Grant reserve: -$8.4 million.
- switch construction of Biomedical Research Imaging Center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from pay-as-you-go funding to bonds: -$172 million.
- reserve in case Council of State refuses to issue bonds for Biomedical Research Imaging Center: $74 million.
- water resources development projects: $17.6 million.
TAX PROVISIONS
- Yet-to-be-determined tax increases to balance budget: $500 million.
- Increase court fees, fees within Health and Human Services, Secretary of State’s Office: $37.7 million.
Source: Senate report on continuation, expansion and capital budgets.
April 30th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I am asking that Ms. Perdue to reconsider some of the things on her budget. While some of her proposed cuts affect me greatly I am more concern with other essentail programs in Health and Human Services Dept and the Judicial Department. I am not that old but I have found that if you dont know where I am coming from how can you tell or judge where I been or where I want to get too.
The SmartStart Program; Our mental health programs we do not need to cut those. Think about those persons where will they go if there is not hospital for them? PLEASE THINK OF THE LITTLE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 30th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I would ask governor Purdue to remember those that elected her into office. It wasn’t to cut funding for programs for mentally ill, challenged and low income. What about the unempolyment rate and the impact of closed mental facilities and not supporting current small business and providers in this great state!
April 30th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Governor Purdue, Please reconsider cutting HIV case management where would I be I am on dialysis, have kidney failure and have HIV I take about 15pills a day. The case management help me stay at home and not be put in a faclity. By monitoring my medication, my doctor appts, and assisting with me have balance meals and bills getting paid. I am begging do not target the least fortune. I just pray that you would remember the people that voted you into office thinking that you are for the people tha are srruggling. I do not understand, I am crying wondering what will happen to people like me or worser. PLease think if I was your daughter, sister , or friend would you not want be to be able to have the best services. I mean place a freeze on it but to terminate it is saying you do not care about people like me. I AM HUMAN AND contracted the virus through my boyfriend of 16years. I did vote for you, I just ask WYH!
May 6th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
i feel that perdue should leave samarkand open because it will put alote of people out of jobs and where will the girls currently located in that training school go? it is perposterous to send young girls back out woth out them having the necassary skill to succeed.these are criminal people who are younger then the peole in DOC. and if they would have been of age they would have been placed in DOC. i dont think it would be benificial to send criminals back put with otu rehabilitating them
May 6th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
its ridiculous
May 13th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I think it is a joke!!!!
Just remember you want these people to vote for you again GOVERNOR????(HAH!)
May 14th, 2009 at 5:41 am
NC we have dropped the ball. While we were focused on the presidential race we should have been focused on our government races. What have we done?
May 14th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Do you really want to put our children at risk to fix your budget issues? Governor Perdue does not care about education! Expanding class size will create a chaotic classroom environment. The students WILL try to take over the classroom. Classes already have 30 students. I think Gov. Perdue should try to teach a class with 35 to 40 students. It is impossible to give every child the attention they deserve. All teachers should schedule a WALK OUT day before the end of the school year. What will the state do without us?
MAD NC TEACHER
May 18th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Why can’t Beverly Purdue ask congress to redo the NC Education lottery guidelines? The lottery should be for all Education needs not just More at four and new schools. Although these programs are important it is more important now to keep educators in the classrooms and class sizes small. Why have a lottery if it can’t be used for all education purposes? The state of Georgia got it right and we need to do the same. I also wonder why educators and state employees are having to carry all of the burden to balance the budget? Why not increase the sales tax or place a tax on cigarettes and liquor? The senate proposal to reduce teacher salaries is ridiculous. How are we suppose to live in this recession? Most teachers have to have second jobs as it is to make ends meet but we can’t get second jobs now! Senators if you want to cut salaries why not start with yours!!!! You make much more than we do. I will not vote for officials that do not support teachers.
May 21st, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Freeze text book spending.
Cut all prison education funding. Put young minds before delinquent minds.
Consider how much funding is being given to those that have retired and are currently receiving a pay check from the very same programs they already retired from. (Freeze all double dipping until State budget is minimal).
All high school students take SAT, high school equivalency tests, and high school standard course tests at end of tenth grade-establish scores and combine all passing scores into a high school college programs to promote early graduation of both high school and college.
Number of students should be determined by classroom square area measurements. Plus consider the number of obese students in each room. The classrooms themselves are already too small. Increasing number of students to an already too small square footage is unfair to the students themselves. Think now, prisoners receive more square footage that students.
Instead of cutting educators, consider cutting unneccary spending at the state level:
testing mandates ($$$$) How much money is the testing companies making off the state in the name of education? Let them take a cut. What do we really get from these companies-a test-Just like a text book. Honestly, the state can spend their money more wisely by self inventing assessments by educators that work for the state instead of paying outside agencies.
Is spending thousands of state funds on CECAS programs really necessary? Look at how long it takes for the Cecas program to get with the program. New forms are issued at the state level and provided on the state website long before CECAS and then look at all the glitches. Employees are paid to keep up fed and state guidelines and training is provided often enough.
Lets support our students. They need educators to teach them to read, write, and learn math. Remember what education was established for in the first place-Not a babysitting facility. It was established for the betterment of society.
How about looking at the state level (DPI) and make cuts there before cutting the livelihood of our children.
An educator/Sandra
May 21st, 2009 at 7:06 pm
create new standard course of study, consider replacing existing standardized tests and pilot diagnostic tests to identify strengths and weaknesses of individual students: $3 million.
The above statemet is insane. There is nothing wrong with the current standard course of study. It is exceedingly rigorous to many students. Save 3 million and give the current standards and the individuals who proposed and passed them some credit. Many of the ones who wrote the standards are educators themselves. Say maybe revise it in another ten years. Definately well after the state meets its budget needs.
Amazing tht the state department would spend three million on this one area when the course objectives are fine. I just read that the legislature was going to request 6000 educator positions cut. SAVE EDUCATOR POSITIONS SO STUDENTS WILL BE TAUGHT THE STANDARDS. YOU SPEND 3 MILLION ON SOMETHING SO UNNECESSARY. WHAT GOOD IS A NEW STANDARD COURSE GOING TO DO WITHOUT TEACHERS TEACHING THEM?
May 23rd, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Governor, I have one question. Since all these people wanted the education lottery, which just the name is a lie since the money isn’t used for education at all. And now here you are cutting the teachers, I was just wondering who is going to teach our future Governor’s, or lawyers, or doctor’s. Because honestly if our teachers get more stress on their job and less pay I can’t imagine why anyone would want to enter into that field. Why not cut the salary of the Governor and the salary of the judges cut the salary of those that already have a nice bank account. Our teachers live from month to month. Stop messing with our foundation makers please.
May 26th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Governer, HIV is on the rise and cutting HIV Case management will only make it worse. I receive that service and have been on track because of it.The support I receive has helped me to stay out of a nursing home and provided me with the information I need to maintain a healty diagnosis Please dont cut this service. After discharge from prison I am living in the community
May 27th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
decrease money for teacher salaries while increasing average class sizes by two students: WHAT THE HELL?! the government has given 143.1 M to schools and where is all the money from the lotto sales. why cant we afford books and teachers? this is unacceptable!!
June 1st, 2009 at 11:11 am
I would ask Bev if she plans on coming out to hospitals statewide to de-escalate some of these folks who are going to need mental health services but will no longer have services to support their needs. It will be okay though, people should surely have better chances at staying calm cool and collected now that no one will be able to have a cigarette! I am however glad that you want to alott more money for the schools to reduce dropout rates! This will be handy because there will be no use for people to quit school when there are no jobs to be had! I see just where you were going with that one! I propose a challenge to you Mrs. Perdue. How about you come out to a local Mental Health Provider in your area and follow them around for the day! Just look at the consumer’s you will be cutting money from. I would also challenge that you talk to these families and explain your way of thinking to them. I think we would all like to know where the state is coming from. I also wonder if any of you all have taken a cut in pay? Maybe you all should think about that! I would hate to be in your shoes, with a proposed budget like this, I would had to know that I would be leading to a complete breakdown at such a delicate time like this.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Unfortunately, lottery ticket sales are only a minute percentage of what is being put into our school systems. Sounded like a great idea at first, but it’s not. Looking forward in 10 years from now, I can’t imagine what a toll this will take on the children that will suffer from these job cuts, not only that, but on the economy as well. The ones that make it through school are not going to have any options when and if they finish. At my children’s elementary school, not only are there teacher shortages and overcrowded classes, but the teacher’s assistants rotate throughout several classrooms, which is just not sufficient as it is…..now Bev Purdue wants to take away something that is already lacking? With a cut in education, these children will suffer greatly, maybe not in the next year, but down the road, this is going to be a mess. Not to mention the fact that the state is currently making it nearly impossible for the teachers to properly teach the “curriculum” the state has issued. By the time there is another election, it will be too late, I hate to say. My vote is that the NC government eliminate unnecessary spending and put that money back into the school system. As of right now, the prison population has more of a chance than our children.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I do not see where programs are being cut . The programs that we as tax payers pay for each year to be funded. ALL and I mean all should share in the cutting.
Welfare programs, funds for business, transportation etc. It seems that these programs are getting more and more. Education is more important. You are going to have the lottery fund any building funds for education and the state is not going to help at all? I want to see where the other programs that use our taxpayers dollars are being cut. I think that they are not being cut. These programs are not being touched just EDUCATION, HEALTH,LAW ENFORCEMENT. NOT right.
June 26th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Bev, if you REALLY want to work on cutting funding, why don’t you start with the BIGGEST money eater====== THE PRENATAL CLINICS!!!!! Taxpayers don’t even know how much of their money is WASTED on illegal aliens and their babies. You do not mention that in your list of cuts. Think about it Bev!!!!!!!!
July 25th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Folks: please remember Gov. Perdue can only sign budget- you need to talk to your senator or rep. if you want changes in the budget. She can only threaten to veto if she doesn’t like the budget. She can warn them in advance as to what she will and won’t accept, but at the end of the day- she cannot create the budget.
August 4th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Seriously, did this lady really teach?
August 5th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
I can’t believe what I am seeing. We have one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation. We also have a high unemployment rate. We have one of the highest personal income rates with one of the lowest deduction amounts. Our fuel tax may increase…PLEASE can our “representatives” not use a calculator. When we recieve our paychecks, we see tax deduction, when we purchase products we pay taxes, then we have to pay personal property taxes on our vehicles and other “luxury” items…hummm I see a trend tax them to death. But, I chose to live in this state, so I have to fine tune my budget every so often in order to fit in my family’s basic needs between the taxes and what little is left over from my paycheck. Yet, our state can’t manage to get a budget that is good for everyone. When our jobs are cut or our pay is frozen and then we are taxed more heavily, how can they expect us to pay their required taxes (this is not including our lovely Federal income taxes). I work in the construction industry and we are failing more and more everyday. When construction is down, that creates a vicious circle, no work, no products are purchased, less fuel is purchased, less money is spent at local convenience stores and eateries, then people from the stores that provide products and services for this industry lay-off employess, laid off employees go on unemployment, have no money for basic needs much less eating out, purchasing new vehicles, or new houses…construction goes further down, lather, rinse repeat! When this occurs then let’s think of taxes again, no employment, can’t pay taxes. Soooo, in order to combat less tax revenue (due to unemployment) let’s raise taxes…Makes perfect sense to me; yeah right.
Now, education…teachers are the backbone of this country and this current set of our “representatives” want to cut state funding (so, let the local tax base take up the slack–refer to previous paragraph) for the school system, increase the student to teacher ratio, it is hard enough on the teachers as it is, with the current number of students. For many students, the time spent at school is the only time they get any education (parents working multiple jobs or depressed from being unemployed and unable to find work) and may be the only time they get a decent meal. So the educators are overwhelmed as it is, they are a special breed and should be treated as such with respect and dignity, and a decent work environment and pay. I commend the educators, they are dedicated to teaching the children of today, because they know that they will run this country in the future. If you continue to crap on the educators, we are doomed to have future generations of uneducated people on our hands. But, who knows, they may not even make the mistakes that our finely educated “representatives” are doing (just a thought).
DOC…what a joke, cut the inmate funding…they do not need cable TV, weight/workout rooms, A/C, make them work for their food, set up a farm let them raise crops and cattle, eat off the land, grow cotton, pick it, make into cloth and make their own clothing. Problem solved. The men and women who choose to work for the DOC should not have their O/T or benefits cut, they do a service to the community everyday and are unappreciated (research their pay scales), work in conditions that no person should have to, yet they do it for the safety of the community at large. But, I noticed that raise pay for 1,048 probation and parole officers: $2.4 million.
- hire 128 more probation and parole officer management positions: $7.9 million.
What about the men and women who work with the criminals in close quarters day in and day out, not the desk jockeys who have meetings after the criminals are let out of prison, they deserve to be better treated.
I am running out of steam, ready to stop ranting and raving…But one more for the road. If they truly want to have a balanced budget without messing the middle and lower income classes, they need to chop some of the chiefs heads or at least their pay, stop taking away from the common man (taxes, more taxes and new taxes). You give a man a good job (tax base), he will spend (sales taxes and personal property taxes), you cut his job he can’t spend, then you can’t tax him, then of course, you must cut another man’s job–LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT as often as necessary until someone figures out that doesn’t work.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:12 am
hey you really need to update this blog more, its awesome! thanks again!