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OBSERVATIONS
June 18, 2020 |
 |
 Wingate Lassiter |
All in all, both county and town
budgets contain seeds of progress
Another budget season came to a close with Monday's adoption of the County of Johnston budget for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. Smithfield's budget was finished two weeks ago.
Despite revenue uncertainties caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, both the County Commissioners and the Smithfield Town Council adopted budgets that take care of pressing needs, for the most part.
The big exception is the absence of immediate pay raises for rank-and-file employees of the two governments. That's the price of revenue shortfalls anticipated in the months ahead. But if things get better sooner rather than later, both county and town leaders appear committed to making mid-year pay adjustments.
That situation makes Smithfield's decision to grant pay raises of 5% to its police officers right away all the more significant, especially during this period of national turmoil when police departments are under fire in many places. In Smithfield's case, an alarming loss of trained officers to surrounding communities because of lagging pay prompted the council to adopt a more competitive salary schedule for police.
Giving that decision more credibility is recent evidence of improving relations between Smithfield police and the town's African-American citizens.
Heartening also were budget decisions by both the County Commissioners and the Town Council to increase funding for non-profit agencies that are struggling to care for persons in need during these stressful times.
Those grants aren't "budget busters," meaning they're affordable in spite of revenue uncertainties. But they're no less important in stating our collective will to help those who can't always help themselves.
Disappointing was the Town Council's decision not to increase funding for the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, which has been struggling lately to keep pace with rising demand for services alongside lagging pay for its employees. The County Commissioners, meanwhile, once again bumped up county funding for the library --- a trend begun several years back that's widening the gap between town and county support for this vital community institution.
Finally, there's the issue of county support of our schools. Again, despite those anticipated revenue shortfalls, the County Commissioners stepped up with an increase in appropriations for Johnston County Public Schools that comes close to meeting urgent needs identified by the Board of Education.
It's not a huge increase, and it's not as much as many Johnstonians would like to see. But it's a good-faith move toward making our schools better. And nothing's more important than that.
More evidence of local police engagement:
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