News-Record.com

In a half-hour we'll sit in on a meeting with County Manager David McNeill and Michael Halford, Guilford County's budget management director.

We're going to go over the $550 million-ish 2008-09 budget that the Board of Commissioners will see for the first time tonight.

There are a few things that have been brought up already about what will be funded and what might not, and topping the lists for many commissioners is school funding, money for nonprofits and keeping taxes low.

What makes this budget year a little different is the bonds that voters just passed on May 6, which is expected to have an immediate impact on the property tax rate. That means an inevitable tax rate increase is on the way - about $185 more for the owner of a $200,000 home.

One commissioner already had a pitch for a way to mitigate the hit from those bonds on property owners through a sales tax. That idea was swatted down by the county's delegation on the General Assembly, however.

But what if you were making the county's half-billion budget for next year? What would get funded? What would you cut? Where would you find the money for projects?

And as we report on the budget process, what do you want to see us cover?

Also, I plan to get an update online as soon as I can after the 4:30 p.m. meeting.