County Budget Adoption Saves Teachers Jobs
On June 28, the Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved the budget for fiscal year 2010-2011. The new budget, effective July 1, 2010, includes a tax increase that will help save jobs for Durham Public Schools (DPS). Increased funding for DPS is the largest portion of a 3.78 cent property tax rate increase. The property tax rate for fiscal year 2010-2011 will be 74.59 cents; 3.07 cents of the increase will support an increase to DPS’ current expense funding and 0.71 cents will support debt service for the County.
Durham County’s tax rate increase to 74.59 cents per $100 valuation means that a resident will pay $37.80 more per year in property taxes on a $100,000 home. Therefore, a $100,000 home will yield a $745.90 property tax bill.
The increase to DPS’ current expense funding supports 185 teaching positions that were slated for elimination. Of those positions 12 were reduced to half time positions. To make this funding possible the BOCC and Board of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding enabling the County to use $6,070,000 of lottery funds to support school related debt service and free an equivalent amount of property tax to support DPS’ current expense funding.
DPS will receive a 6.09% increase in overall funding, and a 7.24% increase for current expense funding.
To obtain a copy of the fiscal year 2010-2011 budget, visit the Durham County Government Web site.
