Dear Friend,

This morning I released my recommended budget for the next fiscal year.  As you know the next few years will be challenging, even though North Carolina’s economy is on the road to recovery. 

My proposed budget prepares North Carolina to take off as the economy improves by recommending strategic investments in creating jobs, ensuring every student graduates high school prepared for success, setting government straight and building safer and healthier communities.

Here are a few of the highlights:

• $86 million for several key investments in assistance to small businesses and infrastructure that will help create 35,000 jobs over the next three years.

• $39 million for hand-held technology in grades k-3 and grade 5, so children can get individualized attention before they fall behind in school.

• Experienced-based step for teacher salary schedule employees to ensure that North Carolina does not fall farther behind our goal to reach the national average. 

• Teachers and state employees are being paid back for the salary reduction taken to balance the FY 2008-09 budget. 

• An initiative to crack down on Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse, which is estimated to save more than $35 million in 2010-11.

• $8.5 million to provide health insurance to an additional 8,100 children in working families.

• $10 million to merge all criminal records into one interactive and comprehensive system.

These investments will bolster our state’s recovery and help ensure North Carolina emerges from this recession as the best place in the world to live and work.

But the reality is we had to make tough choices in this budget. We’ve recommended cutting almost $1 billion in spending and more than 600 positions.  That equates to a total of more than 15 percent in spending cuts since I’ve taken office.  Our budget reduces or eliminates more than 70 programs that are unnecessary or inefficient, saving taxpayers $190 million. And it reserves $100 million to replenish the state’s rainy day fund.

Click here to read more and to download the complete budget recommendations.

I hope that we can work together to support these key investments in North Carolina’s future.