Rockingham commissioners pass budget

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Published: June 24, 2009

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WENTWORTH – Rockingham County Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday morning to approve the county’s 2009-2110 budget.

The $78.9 million budget includes a 1-cent property tax increase, a measure some residents spoke out against at Monday’s public hearing.

Commissioners said any extra money that comes into the county should go to the school system, which is facing a funding cut from $17.3 million to $16.9 million.

“We were not elected to make easy cuts,” board Chairman Amelia Dallas said.

In a news release, the chairman of the Rockingham County Republican Party spoke out against the property tax increase.

"This is not about keeping government employees, this is about the county spending too much money on projects that require tax payer money," Wayne Sexton said. "With times as hard as they are and as uncertain as they are the county commissioners have no business raising any kind of taxes. They need to cut spending across the board. That doesn't mean automatically cutting teachers or librarians or sheriff's deputies."

The budget also calls for furloughs for county employees, no pay raises and suspension of the county’s 401(k) plan.

For more reaction on this story, read Sunday’s edition.