GREENSBORO — The state’s economy and budget took center stage on day one of the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayor’s Coalition meeting.
There was considerable praise for the proposed budget of featured speaker Gov. Bev Perdue, which would balance the state’s books without seriously impacting the revenues of municipalities.
Perdue, mayors and city managers from the state’s 27 largest cities and towns weighed in on several hot button issues, but top on their minds was North Carolina’s budget for 2011-2012. They applauded Perdue and her spending plan for leaving municipalities largely unscathed.
“We certainly appreciate the fact that she understands that we have done a good job of balancing our budgets and keeping the state from taking some of our revenues to make it more difficult for us,” said Mayor Allen Joines, of Winston-Salem.
Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said Perdue’s approach marked a departure from the strategies of previous administrations, which had looked at cities as cash cows and their sales tax revenues as means to balance the state budgets.
“That money was generated by economic activity in our communities,” said Kleinschmidt. “Currently Governor Perdue is allowing us to have confidence that that money’s going to stay in our communities.”
The mayor of Salisbury said her city was still feeling the sting from the budget state lawmakers passed in 2001.
“It meant a $2 million loss to us,” said Susan Kluttz. “We still actually haven’t recovered in many ways like roads, things that we had to postpone.”
Perdue said it was unclear how the cities would fare in a final budget from the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
“I don’t know,” she said. “This is the third week that I’ve worked directly with the General Assembly on the budget and I am just unable to tell you where they’re going to come down.”
Joines hoped mayors would leave the two-day conference with a strong message to lawmakers.
“That we in local government, cities particularly, have addressed our budget problems, so, don’t balance the state budget on our backs,” he said.
