Excerpt From: New & Observer. Written By: Craig Jarvis.
Gov. Roy Cooper presented his proposed budget on Wednesday at Durham Technical Community College, a setting that emphasized his commitment to education funding.
Cooper proposed spending $23.4 billion in the next fiscal year, representing a 5.1 percent increase, followed by a 1.6 percent increase to $24 billion.
“I’m proposing a fiscally responsible budget with investment in our future without raising taxes, without raising fees, without cutting services and without dipping into special funds,” Cooper said.
Republicans pointed out Cooper’s budget represents $1 billion in additional spending. The governor says the budget reflects his goal of catching up on education spending.
The budget is not binding on the General Assembly, which will write its own spending plan. It is Cooper’s first budget proposal as governor, and reflects many of his campaign promises and his public statements after winning the election in November.