GREENSBORO — They all want to add jobs.
But first, city and state leaders will have to survive another difficult budget year.
“We are picking up the pieces now in North Carolina,” Gov. Bev Perdue told mayors and city managers Thursday at the winter meeting of the N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition at the Proximity Hotel.
Perdue briefed representatives from about 20 cities on state budget negotiations. She asked them to join her to fight for school funding and money for economic incentives.
Mayors said they were grateful the governor’s proposed budget has little impact on cities, although it may be too early in the budget adoption process to celebrate.
Representatives from most of the cities said they plan to cut city jobs and have held off on major investments to balance budgets. Greensboro Mayor Bill Knight, who is on the board of the Metro Mayors Coalition, said he heard some encouraging words about North Carolina in the discussion at Thursday’s meeting.
“We need to really build our business efforts, our economic development efforts,” he said. “That is going to take care of our jobs.”
Perdue told the city leaders she’d like to bolster businesses by reducing the corporate tax rate. She asked city leaders to stand with her to fight for economic incentive money to lure businesses to North Carolina. She vetoed a bill this week that would have taken $8.2 million in incentive money from her office.
“The top priority all of you talk to me about is jobs. And I need your help on this,” Perdue said.
She got support from Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, who said it was time the government did something to bring jobs back to North Carolina.
“We have done so much nationally to take jobs out of the country,” Saffo said.
The audience applauded when Perdue said she wouldn’t accept cuts to teachers.
“We’re with you,” High Point Mayor Becky Smothers said on the school funding issue. “Let us know when you need to raise cane, and we will.”
Burlington Mayor Ronnie Wall questioned Perdue about the legislature’s proposed one-year moratorium on annexations.
“We in cities have invested a lot. We don’t want it to go away,” Wall said.
Perdue said she hopes there is no punitive result for cities. She said annexation is part of what makes North Carolina cities strong. Later, Perdue said the moratorium would give time for all sides to be heard.
Friday, February 25, 2011
(Updated 2:48 pm)
By Amanda Lehmert
Staff Writer
