School board member Eric Davis was not happy when county commissioners unanimously passed a budget on Tuesday.

He said an effort to get school employees more money may have cost the district millions.

The original baseline budget for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools was $326 million.

The county manager proposed giving an extra $9 million, and CMS promised to use that extra money for employee raises.

But then the proposal changed.

Instead, the county voted to give CMS $317 million, and put $18 million more in a contingency fund, only to be used for employee raises.

In the end, Davis thinks schools lost out on $9 million.

"I don't believe we can afford to cut that without impacting our students’ education," Davis said.

But County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts said it's not a cut at all.

"They have $9 million less that has no strings attached," she said. "They have $9 million more that has strings attached."

Roberts said some commissioners still feel CMS was dishonest in its funding request last year.

She said restricting the money will ensure it goes toward the pay increases, as the district promised.

"It's just making sure that we are partners and that people are doing as they said they would," she said.

More information:
County budget details
CMS budget details