In a tense meeting Monday evening, Johnston County commissioners approved a $171 million budget for the next fiscal year.

Five commissioners, including Chairman Wade Stewart, voted for it. Two commissioners, Allen Mims and Jeffrey Carver, voted against it.

Revenue is down across the board, Stewart said. But the new budget does not raise taxes.

It does, however, dip into the county's reserve fund for about $7 million. That will allow the county to maintain funding for Johnston County schools at about $56 million. It means that two new high schools will open on schedule next year, Superintendent Ed Croom said after the meeting.

"County commissioners, we feel like, have done what they could do. And we're going to be as frugal as we can be," Croom said.

The budget also maintains funding for Johnston Community College, which has seen record enrollment recently, at about $3.8 million.

In the original budget proposal, the county would have cut funding to both the school district and JCC by about five percent. The reserve money is allowing the county to avoid those cuts.

"I always say, what's a savings account for if you don't use it in a crisis or when you really need to?," Chairman Stewart said.

Commissioners Mims and Carver disagreed.

"What ya'll are doing terrifies me," Mims said.

By dipping into the reserves, commissioners broke the county's policy of maintaining reserves of at least 15 percent of the budget. The county manager projects the reserves will go down to about 13.5 percent. The state requires reserves of at least 8 percent.

Mims fears the decision could hurt the county's bond rating. And if a hurricane strikes or the county faces a prolonged slump, the county risks having the state take over its finances, he said.

Carver, who also voted against the budget, said, "It's not emotional. It's a business decision."

"This is a slippery road," Commissioner Tony Braswell said. But he, along with Commissioners DeVan Barbour, Cookie Pope, and Ray Woodall, voted for the budget.

OTHER CHANGES TO ORIGINAL BUDGET PROPOSAL

-The Sheriff's Office will put off buying new vehicles, which will save the county about $360,000.

-The county allocated an additional $87,000 for the Department of Social Services for home aides and other assistance programs.

-It changed the employee 401 K program to a match of up to 5 percent, which will save about $375,000.