County budget set for approval

Mecklenburg County Commissioners are set to approve a budget with more than $72 million in cuts tomorrow. But they may have to go back to the drawing board if the state decides to cut certain programs that would force counties to cover the costs. At the last commission meeting, Commissioner Harold Cogdell worried that might be the case. "That possibility seems to exist and be sort-of lingering out there and that seems to be something from all indications I'm getting is unprecedented," said Cogdell. North Carolina lawmakers have approved budgets after the end of the fiscal year on June 30th. But this year is unique because lawmakers will be cutting billions of dollars from the budget. Mecklenburg County is expected to cut money for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools by $34 million and county services by $38 million. The property tax rate will stay the same. County Manager Harry Jones will be talking about the budget on Charlotte Talks tomorrow morning between 9 and 10.