NORTH CARROLLTON – It’s a race against the clock in Carroll County as the upcoming school year approaches, and school board members have yet to approve a 2018-2019 fiscal year budget, which means anything and anyone that has to be paid in July may have to wait until board members come to a decision.
During Monday’s night board meeting, the board deadlocked with board members Stella Washington Bell and Laura Davis voting for a budget that included a four percent increase and Kenneth Deloach and Donnie Wiltshire voting. With David Vest being absent, the board could not move forward.
New business manager Bret Reynolds asked for a four percent increase in ad valorem, which equals approximately $91,000 or a 1.5 mill increase.
However, nothing is set in stone until the request goes to the Carroll County Board of Supervisors. Reynolds said the increase would help ease the financial strain the district is facing, because of a cut from the state legislature.
Some districts, like Carroll County, took major hits due to the cutting of the budget and are having to figure out a way to make up the difference. Making up that difference could mean ad valorem increases.
But that easement could come with a slight increase, and some members of the board are not willing to do that.
Wiltshire asked Reynolds if the board could borrow the $91,000 instead of asking for the increase.
“We don’t have it to borrow,” Reynolds said.
The board decided to hold another meeting to approve the budget.
Deloach said the board has been continuing to raise taxes for several years and didn’t like the idea of wanting to raise taxes again.
“Seems like we raise the taxes every year,” DeLoach said.
Reynolds explained because there are state guidelines the board have to meet before school begins. The board agreed to have another meeting within the next two weeks in order to approve the budget.
“Would you like for me to have the budget with the $91,000 in it and without it,” Reynolds asked.
“Yes, let’s see the difference between the two,” Wiltshire said.
