Mecklenburg County commissioners are beginning their annual budget process, with advocates urging increased spending on child care and public schools as federal and state funding pressures grow.
During a public hearing Wednesday night, Devonya Govan-Hunt of the N.C. Early Childhood Foundation called on the county to increase funding for in-home child care providers, saying many struggle to make ends meet while families cannot afford higher costs.
“Early care and education is not a side issue,” Govan-Hunt said. “It is the infrastructure beneath every other investment that you make — workforce development, economic mobility, public safety, and educational attainment.”
Laura Cooper of the League of Women Voters also urged commissioners to boost funding for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, citing uncertainty and shortfalls at the state and federal levels.“
CMS faces deep cuts in federal funds and continued underfunding from the General Assembly,” Cooper said. “We have no state budget, no pay raises for teachers.”
Mecklenburg County commissioners are scheduled to begin a four-day budget retreat Tuesday, Jan. 27. The county’s final budget is expected to be adopted in June.