Governor McCrory Signs Common Sense Budget That Helps Working Families | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Raleigh, N.C. - Governor Pat McCrory signed today a $21.735 billion state budget that supports his agenda as proposed in his State of the State address and in his budget proposal submitted in March.

    "The budget submitted to me by the General Assembly includes many of the goals and ideas we put forward to provide the tools North Carolina needs to continue what we have accomplished during the past three years," said Governor McCrory. "Now we can work together to implement a common-sense vision for our great state that includes job creation, education, healthcare and transportation."



    Among the specifics that Governor McCrory cited include fully funding Teacher Assistant positions, increasing the starting pay for teachers to $35,000 a year, fully funding Drivers Education across the state and increasing support for mental health services.

    Additionally, the tax reform included in this budget and previous budgets since the governor took office will save hard-working North Carolina taxpayers an estimated $4.4 billion through fiscal year 2017-18.

    Other provisions in the budget that were included in the governor's proposal include:

• Funding the School Connectivity Initiative to bring broadband access to all K-12 schools
• Eliminating transfers from the Highway Fund to the General Fund to ensure that the money is spent on roads and infrastructure
• Restoring Historic Tax Credits
• Providing funds to improve the State Medical Examiner system and electronic records
• Funding for mental health beds at Central Prison in Raleigh
• In-state tuition for veterans
• Restoring the medical tax deduction
• Increasing the state rainy day fund to $1 billion
• Stabilization funding for East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine
• Funding improvements to community colleges across the state
• Funding for the Innovation to Jobs initiative
• Improved salary plan for Corrections Officers based on risk
• Increasing government efficiency by a new Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and a new Department of Information and Technology
• Reorganizing the Department of Cultural and Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality by consolidating the management of all state parks and attractions under one agency
• Investing in additional textbooks and digital resources
• Funding summer enrollment for Community Colleges
• Increasing funding for the state's court system
• Funding additional crime lab positions and testing
• Investing in port modernization

    "I look forward to working with the General Assembly to implement these programs to make North Carolina an even better place to live and work and build the economic foundation for the next generation," said Governor McCrory.

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov