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State representative speaks on budget and priorities

COLUMBUS—The Polk County Board of Commissioners got a visit from former county commissioner, now state Representative Jake Johnson in December. 

Johnson, a republican from Saluda, was appointed in August to fill the remainder of former North Carolina House of Representative District 113’s Cody Henson, who resigned. 

Prior to Johnson’s appointment, he was a Polk County Commissioner for three years, having been elected in 2016 as the county’s high vote getter. 

As a state representative, Johnson sits on the General Assembly’s finance, regulatory reform, K-12 education, Veterans Affairs and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission committees. 

He is currently the youngest member of the North Carolina General Assembly at 25 years old. 

Johnson told county commissioners last month that the state’s population is around 10.3 million, with North Carolina currently being the 9th most populated state in the nation with a 12.8 percent growth rate over 10 years. 

North Carolina’s unemployment rate was 4.2 percent as of 2018 with a per capita personal income of around $43,300. 

Johnson also discussed the current General Assembly’s landscape, with House Speaker Tim Moore, Johnson representing Polk, Transylvania and most of Henderson counties and republicans holding a majority 65-55. The North Carolina Senate includes Lt. Gov. Dan Forest as Senate President, Sen. Phil Berger as Pro-tempore, with Polk County being represented by Sen. Ralph Hise. The Republicans also have a majority in the North Carolina Senate 29-21. 

Johnson discussed the state’s budget, which is approximately $24 billion. 

Johnson reviewed that the House and Senate approved the budget last year after much negotiation, but Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the budget at the end of June. 

Johnson explained that the budget on hold means that school infrastructure money is on hold. 

“That number is around $10 million,” Johnson told commissioners. “We need that money here in Polk County.” 

County commissioners recently gave the Polk County School system $500,000 to replenish its fund balance this year because of funding sources being on hold. 

Johnson said the budget is also causing raises for instructional and non-instructional staff to be on hold as well as healthcare transformation being held up and many capital projects not being funded across the state. 

Johnson also said good, fiscal policy gives North Carolina positive results. 

He said lowering the state’s corporate, franchise and personal income taxes has made North Carolina an economic powerhouse as the state is now ranked number one to do business by Forbes. Unemployment is down from over 9 percent to a little over 4 percent in recent years and more than 600,000 new jobs have been added since 2011, Johnson said. 

Johnson also said North Carolina has gone from more than $2 billion in debt to around $900 million in surplus, which he said was not by accident. 

Johnson told commissioners his priorities going forward are to continue the responsible fiscal policy; to continue to lower taxes and help create a friendly business environment; to increase access to broadband through multiple funding mechanisms; to put focus on workforce development and to promote all paths of education and job training.