BUDGET BATTLE BREWS

County residents packed the Rockingham County High School auditorium
Thursday night to voice their thoughts on the county's proposed
2006-07 budget.

The county is looking at a possible 5-cent property tax increase for
capital project funding, and various departmental cuts to balance the
operational portion of the budget. Commissioner Jerry Owens was absent.

Many teachers, parents and residents came to support the Rockingham
County Sheriff's Office, specifically the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education and Children Abuse Resistance Education programs taught in
schools. The county has looked at cutting six deputy positions to
balance the budget. Sheriff Sam Page had previously said if those
positions were cut, it would likely be D.A.R.E. and C.A.R.E. officers
who would be let go first.

Page said that recent statistics have shown violent crime to be on the
increase. State Attorney General Roy Cooper announced earlier this
week that murders, robberies and aggravated assaults rose 3.7 in 2005
as compared to 2004.

"I didn't ask for additional people this year," Page said. "I can't do
my job if I lose my deputies ? you don't cut back in the middle of
battle."

Lee Guthrie, the North Carolina DARE coordinator, told commissioners
the program's effectiveness has been proven over and over, especially
the relationships the officers form with children.

"Do you want children to have positive, safe relationships with police
officers, or be scared and skeptical?" Guthrie asked
commissioners.

Wardell Williams Jr., a probation and parole officer for the county,
said there is a major drug problem in the county. Williams said there
is constant pressure on the county's teens to take and sell drugs and
that cutting funding for programs like DARE is not the answer. He said
if the county makes a cut in deputies, it would directly lead to more
drugs, which would lead to more gangs, and those gangs are recruiting
kids to sell for them and protect their drug territory.

"We need to recognize we have a problem in this county, and that they
(gangs) will take your child," Williams said.

Mike Friddle, a concerned resident, addressed commissioners'
identified priorities as printed in the 2006-07 budget message,
written by County Manager Tom Robinson. Those priorities include the
construction of a new courthouse and jail, the implementation of
performance budgeting and the development of an equestrian center.

Although commissioners have identified public safety and education as
top priorities before, they were not on the current list. Friddle
asked commissioners why they didn't include education or public safety
in their priority list, but included the equestrian center, which he
said 98 percent of the county's residents would never use.

"In a post-9/11 world, cuts to public safety are not only illogical,
but insane," Friddle said. "I ask you to reinstate the cuts to public
safety."

Sandra Collins, a parent of a Rockingham County High School student,
said she has seen the program work with her children. She said she has
talked with Page about possibly implementing a "DAREathon" to help
raise funds for the program.

Sheri Strader, representing the Animal Protection Society of
Rockingham County said the time has come for the county to provide an
animal shelter. Strader said thousands of tax dollars are spent on
euthanizing 94 percent of the pets that come to the county's shelter,
currently housed at the Reidsville Veterinary clinic.

Strader said the shelter in Reidsville will be torn down in a
year-and-a-half and currently the county doesn't have a plan to put
those animals anywhere. Strader said her group would help the county
secure a low-interest loan to pay for the shelter.

"If we're trying to make our community's environment more friendly, we
need an animal shelter," Strader said.

Other residents came to talk about the county's spending. Michael
Smithwick said, like any other business, the county must learn to live
within its means. Smithwick said the county's tax rate should be
competitive to attract new businesses and residents, especially those
looking to move out of Guilford County, and into surrounding counties.

"In your personal and business lives, you have to find ways to work
more efficiently," Smithwick said. "Your staff must be encouraged to
find more creative and innovative ways."

Phil Sharpe, a small business owner who lives in the Bethany area and
was a member of last year's Citizens Budget Task Force, said he can't
afford anymore taxes.

"No matter how much you give, it's always too little," Sharpe said.
"There's always one more problem."

Rockingham County School Board member Tim Scales spoke to
commissioners about the county's schools and the difficulty they are
having in recruiting and retaining teachers. He said the county isn't
able to keep up with school districts that offer $34,000 salaries and
$3,000 signing bonuses when they offer $23,500 salaries and $500 bonuses.

Scales said he knows grocery store clerks that make more than some
teachers, and all they have to do is put a can on a shelf, not teach
the county's youth. Scales said it may be too late this year, but he
would like to see the county put together a more competitive package
to recruit teachers next year.

Commissioners didn't respond to comments Thursday night, but
Vice-Chairman Harold Bass said all comments would be taken under
consideration.

Commissioners will meet again on Monday at 6 p.m. in the Commissioners
Chambers at the Rockingham County Government Center in Wentworth for
another budget work session. Commissioners must adopt the budget
before July 1.