State Sen. Tom Apodaca, who will head the Senate’s powerful Rules Committee when the General Assembly reconvenes in late January, said Republicans likely will consider controversial budget-slashing solutions such as mergers of county and city school systems and cuts in education system administrative positions.
That could have a direct impact on Buncombe and Asheville, which have separate school systems.
“It’s not fair to a Polk County or a Henderson County (which are consolidated) that additional monies are coming into another county when they only have one administrative unit,” Apodaca said Tuesday, stressing that all such proposals are strictly hypothetical right now. “What it’ll be is (the legislature would) say, ‘OK, we’ll pay for one (administration) unit in Buncombe County. If you desire to have your own system, you’re going to have to pay for it.’ You would have to cover administration; you would (cover) your teacher salaries.”
Apodaca, R-Henderson, said North Carolinians also can expect the new, Republican-controlled legislature to limit municipalities’ ability to annex property and to require voters to present identification when voting. He also expects limits on eminent domain use.
First elected in 2002, Apodaca, come January, will be able to determine which legislation moves forward, which committee it goes to and who sits on those committees. For the first time in more than a century, Republicans control both chambers of the legislature.
Apodaca met Tuesday with the Citizen-Times editorial board for a wide-ranging interview. The state budget — and the looming $3 billion deficit — will take top priority, he said, followed closely by job creation. “I think that’s the mandate given to us by the voters,” he said.
Here are edited excerpts, presented in question-and-answer format:
Question: Will there be changes in annexation laws?
Answer: I think you’re going to see substantial changes to annexation rules in North Carolina. If someone wants to be annexed, that’s wonderful; I’m all for it. When you get into involuntary annexation, I think the people should have a say, and I’ll even go as far as to say they should have a vote. If the majority wants to be annexed, fine. If the majority doesn’t, then we need to look at a different way.
Q: Teachers are worried sick about losing their jobs with the looming budget deficit. Will teaching positions be cut?
A: It’s too early to say. We won’t have a real sense until April 20, 25, on collections coming in. I don’t want to get too far ahead on that, but it doesn’t look good all over right now. Nothing is off the table. That’s what I keep trying to stress to my teachers — and I’m hearing from them. I say, ‘Remain calm. We’ll see what happens. We’ve got to have you. If you’re doing your job, I think you’ll be in good shape.”
(Apodaca then mentioned the possibility of school system consolidations)
With the budget situation, I don’t know how you’re going to have more than one administrative unit per county. I think we have 115 in North Carolina. (We’re) going to be real hard-pressed to salvage some of those administration districts when we’re short on money.
Q: Would you consider across-the-board pay cuts for all state employees, including teachers?
A: That would be something you have to talk with the teachers about, if we got to that point. But I think before we get worried about a classroom teacher, if I was above a classroom teacher, I would have concerns. Administratively, even starting with our (Department of Public Instruction) in Raleigh, it’s grown substantially. Back in ’94 it was cut in half, and it’s gradually grown, by three times larger than what it was in ’94. We’re going to have look administratively first, because the most important part is the classroom teacher. We’ve got to try to salvage that.
Q: What state programs may be cut or considered for cutting?
A: We’re going to have to look at staffing levels, and you’re going to hear more and more about performance-based budgeting — meaning (a way to ensure) what we’re spending the money for is getting the desired result, and is there a way we can do it for less?
Q: Will the one-cent sales tax that is set to expire be taken off?
A: My understanding is it will be taken off as promised. (Apodaca said in general, though, he is not opposed to sales taxes as a way for municipalities to generate revenues to meet specialized needs).
Q: Do you see any movement on the Sullivan Acts? (The Sullivan Acts, passed in the early 20th century and updated in 2005, keep Asheville from charging noncity customers more for water or requiring their annexation as a condition of connecting to waterlines, as other cities may do. City officials say those restrictions result in higher water rates and taxes. The city sued in state court but lost)
A: I haven’t seen anything from the city making me think we need to repeal those at this point. One point I’ve always liked to make is when this water authority started, it was a “marriage” between Buncombe County and the city of Asheville. Asheville decided they wanted a divorce, and they didn’t chop up any community property with the county when they got rid of it. I’ve never been able to get past that point.
Q: What is your position on eminent domain?
A: The fear is of what they did in Connecticut a few years ago, where they weren’t able to buy the property and went in (with a questionable economic development plan that benefited private developers). If (eminent domain) does benefit the state, yes. We’re saying you can’t go in with a “quasi-economic development” goal and take someone’s property.
BY JOHN BOYLE • DECEMBER 1, 2010
