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Recommended Budget and said that there are many people that care about education. He is disappointed that the land transfer tax did not pass. Jane Kerwin Frederick has four children in the CHCCS. She said that she is here because she voted for the land transfer tax and she still is lobbying for the schools. She said that many parents feel that there is no problem with the proposed budget but what they do not know is if there are cuts, then the school's request will be reduced more. She said that she wants the County Commissioners to raise her taxes for her kids and the schools. She said that the schools are what draw people to this area. She supports the Manager's recommendation. Krysia Lynes has a child at Franklin Porter Graham Elementary and said that she is pleased with the Manager's recommendation. She said that the people who live in Orange County live here because they value the schools, the parks, etc., and they demand excellent services, but the services are not free. She said that it is more important now than ever to ensure that these services are available, especially in tough economic times. She said that the hardships caused by a loss of service are every bit as real as the hardships caused by an increase in property taxes. She said that she is sure that the staff and the board of education have looked for ways to save money. She said that, since the land transfer tax referendum was defeated, it was clear that the citizens chose to pay property taxes. She asked the County Commissioners to adopt the Manager's Recommended Budget. Laura Philpot is a resident of Chapel Hill and a parent of CHCCS children. She works full-time in Raleigh and she donates time and resources through the equipment list that her children bring home. She read off the list of equipment items that are expected of every parent — headphones, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, snacks, equipment for the classroom, books, etc. She was amazed at how many things that the kindergarten teacher needed for support. She said that the class originally had 20 students and by the holidays it had 26 students with no additional staff. She said that she is expecting tax increases for the next 14 years and she is fine with her taxes going up to pay for the schools. Marty Mandell said that it is unconscionable to raise property taxes and that there are other choices. She said that if growth and the cost of growth are the root causes of a tax increase, then this is the place to look. She said that the SAPFO was supposed to pace growth with the schools is a total failure. She said that if there is space available anywhere in a school district, a development gets a building permit and it does not matter what the enrollment is in the particular school that the children would attend. She said that for this planned area, the proposed costs for new schools over the next ten years are $300 million. She said that this ordinance blatantly favors developers over educational quality and citizens' concerns. She said that to replace the word "district" with "appropriate school" in the ordinance would work the way people thought it would. Regarding the Land Transfer Tax, she understands that this did not pass because the seller had to pay the tax and not the buyer. She said that most people would have voted for it had this been the case. She said that a thoughtful Chapel Hill Herald editorial printed last fall suggested that it may be time to ask basic questions about growth, such as "how big can we grow?", "should we grow?", "can we afford it?", etc. She asked the County Commissioners to not increase taxes this year. Susan Ruch said that she has children in CHCCS and her family chose to live in Chapel Hill because of the strength and reputation of the schools. She said that she has met countless people who have chosen to live in Chapel Hill because of the excellent schools. She said that CHCCS is regarded as the best in the country, but there are also many other charms in the community. She said that no one likes an increase in taxes, especially with the cost of everything going up. However, just as costs are increasing for individuals, they are also increasing for the schools. She said that the Superintendent has created a continuation budget and an expansion budget, and the Manager has recommended a budget that is even less than the continuation budget. She asked the County Commissioners to accept the Manager's Recommended Budget.