State Of The County Lays Out Good, Bad News

Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts didn't sugarcoat the facts in her State of the County address Friday morning.

She said, "We indeed have been hit by a tsunami of crises. It's been a perfect storm."

She spelled out the economic good and bad.

On the plus side, property tax revenues are up, local roads and mass transit should land major stimulus dollars, and businesses -- like GMAC -- are expanding in Charlotte.

Plus, some private citizens are helping financially, like the owners of Family Dollar, who gave $1 million for food, clothing and shelter funds.

Roberts also said the county doesn't plan to raise property taxes this year.

She said, "We are thinking differently, but we are thinking better."

On the minus side, the county has been trying to chip away at a $75 million shortfall, unemployment is around 10 percent, food stamp applications are up 39 percent, sales tax revenues are down, the state is withholding millions of lottery dollars to solve its own problems, and more people need social services while fewer people are donating to charity.

The United Way for example, plagued with controversy and the recession, is $15 million behind its goal for the year.