By now you probably know the Beaufort County commissioners on Tuesday approved a budget that raises county property taxes from 50 cents per $100 valuation to 53 cents per $100 valuation.

As noted on Wednesday’s front page, the owner of $100,000 home will go from paying $500 a year in property taxes to paying $530 a year in property taxes.

It’s unfortunate that county taxpayers will be saddled with a tax increase this year.

Still, there are a few things we like about this budget.

A majority of the commissioners restored funding for a number of nonprofits whose county cash had been cut in a series of informal “straw votes.” In an earlier editorial, we pointed out the fact that cutting these nonprofits made little difference in the overall budget, and did practically nothing to lower the projected tax rate.

The board also deferred some purchasing over and above cuts proposed by County Manager Paul Spruill in his recommended budget.

Yet, we’re concerned about the commissioners’ deep reductions in funding for Beaufort County Schools. Given the historic tension between the commissioners and the Beaufort County Board of Education, we wonder where these reductions could lead.

Overall, though, the commissioners made mostly sound decisions at the end of a very difficult fiscal year.