County manager calls for 1.2% tax rate cut: Jones recommends $10 million increase for CMS.

Byline: Carrie Levine

May 17--Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones called for a 1.2 percent tax rate cut Tuesday, the direct result, he said, of new state lottery money. Jones recommended a $1.34 billion budget, an 8.2 percent hike over last year. The proposed tax rate cut comes a year after county commissioners increased the rate by 10.6 percent. Much of the added money went to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. This year's proposal would add $10.4 million more for CMS, about a third of the school system's requested increase. School officials said that isn't enough, and could force deep cuts to the classroom. Some Democrats, who hold a majority on the nine-member county board, said they will consider giving more. County commissioners will make final budget decisions next month. The board's six Democrats have said they want to avoid a tax rate increase. The three Republican members have called for a 3-cent tax rate cut this year, with additional cuts over the next two years. Jones said he thought about proposing a larger rate cut, but said he wanted to be cautious about depending on lottery money, since this is its first year. State and…