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An ‘equity lens’: New Mecklenburg budget emphasizes environment, housing, education

Mecklenburg County’s proposed $1.99-billion budget for 2022 emphasizes racial equity for a second-consecutive year, as county commissioners stay attuned to marginalized communities that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

More than $10 million in new investments in education, arts programming and county staffing — among other key categories — would address disparities seen among Black and brown residents across Mecklenburg, County Manager Dena Diorio said Thursday morning as she presented her budget recommendations to commissioners.

They’ll vote on adopting the budget next month.

Racial equity, Diorio said, “will intersect with all other board priorities to ensure that every initiative, program and partnership is viewed with an equity lens.”

Many budget priorities are a continuation from last year, such as affordable housing and early childhood education. But new focus areas, like the county’s environmental leadership action plan, are also hallmarks of the 2022 fiscal year budget.

The budget grew by 5% compared to the current year.

The county’s property tax would stay at 61.69 cents for $100 of assessed value, under Diorio’s proposal.

Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio, shown here at a July meeting, says reorganizing the Health Department could cost as much as $4.6 million.
Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio, shown here at a July meeting, says reorganizing the Health Department could cost as much as $4.6 million.

County continues arts funding for ASC

Diorio proposed allocating $2.1 million to the Arts and Science Council, with almost $700,000 in new funding.

It’s a marked difference from Charlotte’s arts funding strategy. On Monday, City Manager Marcus Jones solidified plans to give millions of dollars instead to the Foundation For the Carolinas to dole out grants for arts and culture groups.

In a temporary plan, the City Council would give $4 million from the city general fund, plus $2 million from the federal American Rescue Plan — and that’d be matched by the private sector for three years, for a total of $36 million.

The goal, according to Jones, is to eventually settle on a long-term funding model, one that likely splits ties with the ASC after decades of relying on the pass-through funding agency.

Affordable housing

Investments in the affordable housing fund total $12.6 million, Diorio said.

Those include:

$7 million for the rental subsidy plan. Of this, $3 million is recurring funding and $4 million is a one-time allocation.

$1 million for Habitat for Humanity Critical Home Repair

Additional funding is headed toward the new Salvation Army shelter, as well as supportive housing programs.

Education

Diorio recommended $2 million in new funding for Meck Pre-K. That would add 16 new classrooms, for a total of 105 — serving up to 1,890 students.

County commissioners would hold $56 million in restricted contingency funding for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Diorio said. This does not affect classroom operations, Diorio emphasized, despite accounting for 11% of the county’s budget allotment for CMS.

To unlock that funding, Diorio said, CMS would need to produce a strategic plan for improving school achievement scores and college readiness. Mecklenburg could then use that plan to hold CMS accountable, Diorio told reporters following her presentation.

One-quarter of all CMS schools are low-performing, County Budget Director Adrian Cox said. That compares to 15% in Wake County.

“These are data points that have been there for a number of years in terms of disparity, particularly for Black and brown children,” Diorio told reporters. “The data is very, very poor... This is just an effort for (the commissioners) to say, ‘We want to see something for the dollars that we give you.’ ”

Diorio met with CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston earlier Thursday. Diorio said he was “disappointed” but he understood Mecklenburg’s decision.

Overall, CMS would get a “modest increase” of $6.1 million, Diorio said.

That funding would allow CMS to hire more social workers and psychologists. The district is also expected to launch a pilot program for behavioral support centers, aiding students who are suspended in school.

Environmental leadership

Environmental leadership funding, oriented around the county’s environmental leadership action plan, tallies $22.7 million.

Those are earmarked for sustainable building retrofits and electric vehicles, plus $12.6 million to acquire more park and nature preserve land. About $3.4 million is set aside for restoring creeks and streams.

Dozens of failing parks and greenways are clustered in lower-incomes areas, according to a recent presentation from Mecklenburg’s Park and Recreation Commission. Diorio has said some repair work is underway, with funding for other capital projects already allocated.

Workforce development

Diorio outlined $1.7 million to support workforce development efforts, including hiring programs for low-income high school seniors and formerly incarcerated residents. Other funding would hire more county staff to develop employment programs, plus a new library employee to tackle the digital divide.

County employees

County employees would get at least a 3% raise to bolster retention, Diorio said. It will cost Mecklenburg $25 million to update its compensation program for employees, which was delayed due to the pandemic.

The budget allocates nearly $780,000 to bump the minimum wage for part-time employees to $15 an hour.

She also recommended the creation of a Juneteenth county holiday, honoring the end of slavery.

Mental health

Diorio said the county would also invest $2 million to help create a behavioral health urgent care center with the Steve Smith Family Foundation.

Mecklenburg must fill the gap in crisis services caused by Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, the county’s managed care organization that Diorio has accused of denying or delaying care to some of the neediest residents. The county wants to break ties with Cardinal and get a new healthcare provider.

Separately, Diorio recommended $125,000 to support the Family Justice Center, which aims to centralize resources for domestic abuse survivors in the Charlotte area.

Next steps

Mecklenburg residents can give feedback during a virtual budget public hearing next Wednesday, May 12. Sign up to speak online at Mecknc.seamlessdocs.com/f/clerk or call 980-314-2914 by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Commissioners will cast straw votes on the budget May 26-27, before adopting it on June 1.

The new budget would take effect on July 1.