State Budget Director Kristin Walker talks proposal, process | Full Interview

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- As state officials work to finalize the North Carolina budget, Kristin Walker, the state budget director, joined Eyewitness News for an exclusive interview to walk us through the process and key areas of focus.

She emphasized the importance of addressing the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which resulted in nearly $60 million in damages. The state has allocated $1.6 billion for recovery efforts so far, but Walker said that is just the beginning.

Education funding also remains another significant area of the budget, which accounts for over half of North Carolina's spending.

"We have growth in the student population, we also have higher ed and community colleges, so that is just a really large area of our budget, and things like teacher pay frequently become the center of the conversation," Walker told ABC11.

Walker recommended North Carolinians should reach out to state legislators to voice opinions on how taxpayer money should be allocated in the budget.

See Governor Josh Stein's budget proposal here.

You can watch the full interview above.