News-Record.com

Arts and schools supporters are expected to show up to tomorrow's public hearing on the 2008-09 Guilford County budget.

But Commissioner Melvin "Skip" Alston seemed to believe that the public hearing is an irrelevant affair.

"It's just basically a dog and pony show," he said Monday. "The school board will have their people come out and support the school board's budget, and the arts people will ask for their funding."

He said that local arts groups, which were unfunded in the current budget, may have the wrong idea for 2008-09 funding.

"I think they were misled that they would be put in the budget as a line item," Alston said.

And other scuttlebutt gives the impression that the Board of Commissioners might look to give something extra to other departments instead of schools.

Namely, EMS, public health and the sheriff's office.

Commissioner Linda Shaw said that some attention might be spent on those other departments this year.

"With the sheriff and DSS, they’ve put everything on the back burner," she said about funding for those departments in recent budgets, "and I don’t see how in the world we’re going to be able to give the schools what they want."

The school board asked for $15.8 million. Some commissioners have said that schools will only see $8 million.

"I do not agree with the level of funding for the schools," Shaw said. County Manager David McNeill recommended $12.5 million for schools in his budget.

Meanwhile, Chairman Kirk Perkins is talking with commissioners individually about the budget, he said earlier this week.

"What a chairman does right now, he’s looking for common ground and I’ve got to find enough common ground," he said. It takes the support of at least six commissioners to pass the budget.

"There are probably three votes each for four different budgets, give or take," Perkins said Monday.

He wouldn't go into what budgets are being discussed, or which commissioners support them.

"I'm not trying to sound coy, I’m still looking at options," Perkins said.

Perkins' statement was echoed by Commissioner John Parks, who was noncommittal on what he supports. Parks did say all the departments have needs, mentioning specifically the proposed health clinic for southeast Greensboro, deputies for the sheriff's office and increased needs at the social services department.

"My mind’s not made up on anything at this point," he said, "we’ll see how it all unfolds."