Alamance commissioners hear hours of public comment on schools before narrowly approving modified budget plan

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners on Monday heard more than two hours of public comment focused largely on school funding, libraries and emergency services before approving a modified budget package that restores some local school funding and uses a mix of fund balance and a small property tax increase.

The public comment period attracted dozens of speakers who weighed the trade-offs in the county’s budget debate. Speakers included parents, teachers, students, business owners and farmers. Michael Wilkerson, introduced himself as a parent and said the community should adopt a budget “without raising taxes,” and called for greater transparency on how school dollars are spent. “This taxpayers’ trust and faith in county government school leadership is waning,” Wilkerson said.

Laura Stewart, who identified herself as a local farmer and parent, told commissioners she supported a tax increase to protect schools and libraries. “People don’t choose where to live…