July - it’s hot outside, y’all. And me trying to write everything down has proven to be a challenge since so much is going on. I was wishing for a break, but there is not one in sight. That is why I hope you will join me this coming Sunday at the Rookery in Hillsborough. 

Parking is available in the parking deck at Weaver St. and at the library. I will share some thoughts, give a few updates, and take questions informally as I get the chance to see your faces. Beth Bronson, Democratic candidate for the other D2 seat will be joining us. Mostly, I want to meet your families, your friends, and try to make sense of our country at this moment. 250 years in and it feels like the oxygen has left the room. I hope to see you there on Sunday afternoon.

As I shared in my previous email, the budget season and process this year are like no other. For starters, the NC General Assembly has not yet passed a budget. Representative Allen Buansi put it plainly in his newsletter dated May 29, 2026: "969 days (2 years, 7 months and 26 days). That's the amount of time it's been since the Republican-led N.C. General Assembly last passed a new state budget. We remain the only state in the country that has not passed a new budget."  That means that we as County Commissioners are, as one school board member said, "budgeting blind." Not only has the state failed to pass a budget, the federal government has slashed spending on our social safety net that includes health, housing, and other human services.

In the next few weeks, I will be reviewing the County Manager's proposed budget, developed in partnership with departments across the county.  At the same time, we’re reviewing the recommended Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP outlines major investments in schools, public safety, and infrastructure. Currently, we are looking at a several million dollar shortfall. With a gap this large, we are facing some really tough decisions in order to get to a balanced budget by June.