Budget talks are always a study in human nature. Most people think his or her issue should take priority over everyone else’s work. That’s the psychology playing out right now in Wake County, which faces a $17 million budget shortfall.
Wake county commissioners voted yesterday to ask the school board to help the cause by giving back $5.7 million. Other core service areas have received cutback requests as well. But school board members are making noises that they won’t go along, at least not to the extent the commissioners want. If the school board decides to officially say no to the request, on Monday, Wake commissioners will vote on whether to force the board to give back the money.
That meeting will be a doozy. The Wake school board has very strong community support, while grassroots supporters of other core service areas are much less organized. I predict the school board will make sure its advocates are out in force, should it come to a Monday vote.
