Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

July 10, 2008 issue

Goss, Tarleton Identify Local Impact of State Budget


The North Carolina General Assembly gave initial approval Monday to a balanced budget that, according to Senator Steve Goss and Representative Cullie Tarleton, “increases education funds, improves access to health-care services for children and seniors, and invests in new resources to create jobs and boost North Carolina’s economy.”

The budget includes funding for a number of local initiatives:
• $4.2 million for planning of the new College of Nursing and Health Sciences Building at Appalachian State University
• $2.5 million for expansion and renovation of the Ashe County Airport
• $25,000 for the outdoor drama Horn in the West
• A change in the lottery distribution that will mean more money for many school systems in western North Carolina. Under the new formula, Alexander County will get an estimated $197,000 more, Ashe will receive $114,750 more and Watauga will receive $157,400 more.

The budget also provides a 3 percent pay raise to teachers and reduces class sizes, allocates $15 million for initiatives to reduce the dropout rate and encourage students to stay in school, and expands the More at Four pre-kindergarten program. The budget funds enrollment increases at state universities, allowing more than 8,082 new students to attend this fall, and funds building projects throughout the UNC System.

According to Goss and Tarleton, the budget helps 7,341 more uninsured children statewide get access to medical care, providing free health care to low-income and uninsured patients, and provides in-home community health care for senior citizens.

The budget includes $10 million to help stop the spread of gangs and restores funds for juvenile crime prevention. The budget funds a pilot technology program to help law enforcement agencies talk to each other to help ensure offenders and probationers don’t fall through the cracks. It also provides funds to address illegal immigration, enforce sex offender laws and provide assistance for victims of rape and domestic violence.

The budget provides $100 million for the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, $50 million for Land for Tomorrow and funding for water resource projects in recognition of the drought. The budget also invests in the NC Green Business Fund to expand North Carolina’s growing “green” economy and “green” workforce development.

Tarleton said, “To keep Northwestern North Carolina and our state moving forward we are making the right investments in education, economic development, health care and public safety. This budget makes those investments while keeping our commitment to fiscal responsibility.”

Goss commented, “I was pleased to support a budget that will have a positive impact on our community and its families. This is a solid budget that will help create jobs and keep our students competitive in the global economy.”