McCrory Recommends Another $1 Billion Transportation Bond | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post, by Brian Balfour, was originally published in Civitas's online edition.

    As one of his final acts as governor, Pat McCrory submitted his recommended budget for 2017-18. Outgoing governors are required by state law to submit a budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.

    The most significant of his recommendations is a more than $1 billion bond to address transportation needs.

• "My recommended budget supports a future transportation bond of over $1 billion that will anticipate and prepare for future road needs," he said, adding that the bond would not require a tax increase.

    Details of the bond proposal were not included, however McCrory did propose a similar $1.4 billion bond in 2014 to address transportation projects including urban loops in Fayetteville and Winston-Salem and other highway improvements. The legislature, however, did not include that portion in the $2 billion bond package that would be approved by voters in March.

    Legislative leaders indicated the idea would not pick up steam.

• "I would doubt at this point that that is going to find much traction in the Senate," Sen. Bill Rabon, co-chairman of the Senate transportation committee, said Tuesday.
• He said he did not see the legislature, particularly the Senate, supporting a transportation bond until the N.C. Department of Transportation proved it could deliver projects in a timely manner.

    Other recommendations put forth by McCrory include raising average teacher pay to $55,000 by 2018 and setting aside another $700 million into the state's rainy day fund.