"The budget also includes $319.2 million for the Wake County Public School System. It offers a state pay raise of 6 percent for certified teachers and 3 percent for non-certified employees."

I support this property tax for the schools. And no, I did not vote in favor of the bond initiatives. Nevertheless, our children deserves proper (if not better) education, and this is the first step.

I find it funny that people want to complain constantly about our schools being so poor, but then don't want to fund them sufficiently to make them better.

North Carolina is in the bottom 10 states in teacher pay. Our schools are consistently ranked among the worst in the country. I went to school here and turned out all right, sure. But we moved to Chicago before my oldest started school and then moved back here in the middle of a school year, and the difference in curriculum, instructional style, etc. is measurable. She was so far ahead when we moved here that it was laughable.

The difference? Property taxes in Cook County, Chicago's county, and Lake County, the county above it (some of the best schools in the country there) are substantially higher than here, and they have the great teachers and great schools to prove it. Cook and Lake Counties pay upwards of $5000 property tax per year on $200 - $250K houses. People would choke and die if we tried to charge that here.

"You can thank the realtors association those that voted against the land transfer tax. Nice going Einsteins." Zman...

That's just another tax, what's the difference? Everyone will pay it eventually. How about they cut spending, now there's a novel idea. But as long as stupid voters continue to vote in the same people, this is what we will get.

Isn't this all part of ReNew Raleigh's master plan to rid Raleigh of those who can't afford to live in their million dollar houses?

hey neal, I mean blondchk4,

will NEVER happen in our lifetime!

Maybe someone should tell Neal!