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State keeps county guessing on budget cuts

By Melissa Hankins - bio l email

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Mecklenburg County Commissioners are all set to pass a budget tomorrow night that already includes huge cuts. They've had to slash $34 million for schools and $38 million for county services.

But state lawmakers are still trying to be get their budget in order, all of their proposals call for billions in cuts...and its hard to imagine that won't hit us here even harder.

The thing is, until the state gets its numbers straight, we won't know.

"We may see a budget where we have to come back in August or September for the first time since anyone can remember and actually rework it," says Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts.

Roberts can't imagine cutting more funding than she already has, but she's scared she'll have to. Governor Bev Perdue says we high in the nation when it comes to bad budget problems

"The state has now officially been declared as the third hardest hit in the budget impact of this global economy meltdown," Perdue says.

And waiting to hear what will happen, isn't helping the county prepare.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed. It changes every week," Roberts says. "They're going to go to conference now because the Senate and House have to pass their individual budgets, and I think we'll just be listening closely like you will be."