Halifax County commissioners Monday night began deliberating a $36 million budget that calls for no tax increase.

The deliberations continue this coming Monday during a budget work session scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

No mention was made during the discussion of design fees for a new Manning Elementary School and rehabilitation plans for Weldon High School.

County Manager Tony Brown said this morning that topic is expected to be discussed during a joint meeting of the commissioners and three school systems, which is still in the planning stages.

The focus of the budget work session scheduled for this coming Monday will be for the commissioners to decide whether they want to put back into the budget $1.7 million in priorities that were not included in the proposed budget because they could not be funded, Brown said.

The breakdown of those items is:

• $63,000 for technology

• $110,000 in tools and equipment

• $63,000 in inventory

• $238,000 for three new deputy cars and a new ambulance

• $344,000 for maintenance and repairs

• Outside requests of $157,000

• Making a part-time legal assistant a full-time position at an added cost of $11,000

• Unfinanced requirements of $132,000.

School requests that are considered priority but have not been included in the proposed budget include the following:

• $217,000 for four roof repairs at Halifax Community College

• $100,000 for security in the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District

• $125,000 for replacement of heating and air controllers at Weldon Middle School

• $150,000 for a network server for Halifax County Schools

Discussion at the next work session, Brown said, will, “Center on how much fund balance they want to use to fund some of the one-time costs and capital.”