Blogs

The County Commissioners have received the proposed budgets from both school systems. According to the Chapel Hill Herald, the city schools are requesting $61.2 million, a %12.56 increase in last year's budget. The county system is requesting an %8.35 increase to $23.8, which is actually less than they asked for last year.

The county school board recognizes, "the fiscal realities of the day," said school board Chairman Ted Triebel.

"[The budget] is well-researched, fully-debated and it is lean, very lean," he said. "This new fiscal approach, this minimal budget, comes with high expectations and confidence that you, our board of county commissioners, will favorably respond to the citizens of our district and look at this responsible budget to provide the necessary opportunities for our county's youth."

- heraldsun.com: County praises school boards' budgets, 4/23/08

By now I have come to expect dissent from our newest Town Council member Matt Czajkowski. Whether it's defending power companies against the community's conservation efforts or resisting smart urban growth, Matt can be counted on for almost knee-jerk opposition to his colleagues' progressive ideas.

But he has now taken to personally attacking hardworking, knowledgeable, volunteers like George Cianciolo (aka George C here on OP). I served on the Planning Board alongside George, who also spent 6 years on the Chapel Hill Transportation Board, and has also represented us on UNC's Leadership Advisory Council and the regional Special Transit Advisory Committee. George is the kind of guy who probably spends more time in meetings than most people spend watching TV every week - and that's not even counting the research and preparation for doing the community's work.

The Chapel Hill Planning Board voted 6-1 to recommend the project to the council, and it was during board chair George Cianciolo's presentation that differences of opinion concerning the future needs of the town became apparent again.

Independent Weekly endorsements for the 2008 primary have just been posted online at http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A256728

They will be in tomorrow's print edition as well. Here's a summary:

• Commissioners, District 2: Leo Allison
• Commissioners, At-large: Bernadette Pelissier
• Orange County Board of Education: Steve Halkiotis, Eddie Eubanks, Tony McKnight
• Transfer Tax: Yes
• District Court Judge: Page Vernon