CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School board spent hours Tuesday night talking about where to cut millions of dollars from next year’s budget, while the superintendent and his staff have to find a way to cut $5 million out of its current budget.

CMS superintendent Peter Gorman said his staff is crunching numbers, but he knows there’s no easy way to find the money for those immediate cuts.

“We're going to have to look and make some tough calls,” Gorman said.

Earlier this month, Mecklenburg County leaders asked the district to give back $2.5 million. CMS has not returned that amount yet. Tuesday, the county asked for another $2.5 million from the current budget due to tax revenue shortfalls in December. County commissioners will vote next Tuesday to order the school district to pay.

County manager Harry Jones broke the bad news a special meeting of the county commission on Tuesday.

December sales tax revenues were down $12 million. If December numbers are down, many in the county assume January and February numbers will be just as bad. It could mean in a month, Mecklenburg County may return to the same table and ask CMS for even more money.

“I think the distressing part, is not knowing because our sales tax numbers come in two months behind. It’s really not knowing, will the numbers get better?” Gorman said.