School construction projects delayed in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County (N.C.) district

Mecklenburg County, N.C., government made big plans based on ample credit during good times. Now that the county's income is dwindling, it's time to scale back. The debt crunch will play out most dramatically in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County school system, which traditionally takes the biggest bite out of the county's capital budget. The immediate result: projects promised when voters approved $516 million in school bonds two years ago will be delayed, possibly by several years. And voters aren't likely to see another school bond on the ballot until at least 2013.