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CHARLOTTE – Commissioners in Mecklenburg County will vote Tuesday night on whether or not to respond to Gov. Beverly Perdue’s plan to withhold education lottery proceeds.

The state wants to keep February’s distribution to the county to help balance the state budget. In a letter to the governor, county commission chair, Jennifer Roberts, asks that Perdue reconsider withholding the proceeds.

In the letter, Roberts says that withholding will only cause the county’s budget gap to grow, and that if the county doesn’t get the February proceeds, the budget gap will increase by $5.3 million. That would bring the shortfall to $74.4 million.

Roberts says the funds are used to pay for debt service for public schools’ construction and renovation.

This situation comes after Perdue recently announced plans to pull $50-70 million from the education lottery reserve fund to pay for things other than education.

Commissioners request the state find alternative means to resolve its budget crisis.