Western Highlands Network will take up proposed state budget cuts at Friday meeting

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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As North Carolina lawmakers come down to the wire on working out the state’s budget, and deal with a $3 billion shortfall, fights over proposed cuts are heating up.

Teachers are getting cut in public schools. There are proposals to cut days off the school year and lengthen the school day. There are a number of tax increases being talked about.

As part of the overall budget discussion, there are big spending cuts proposed to the state’s mental health system. Gordon Smith at ScrutinyHooligans.com has a good breakdown of what’s going on. Suffice it to say that the proposed cuts are drastic and would severely cut services to people in Western North Carolina.

Western Highlands Network is what’s called the “local management entity” for our region. It connects mental health, substance abuse and developmental disability care providers with the WNC community, according to Western Highlands’ web site.

Western Highland’s monthly board meeting will be held Friday morning at Western Highlands Network, 356 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, 28801 Upstairs in Room 315. Look for the board to come out strongly against the proposed cuts.