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CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- Tuesday night, Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones proposed a 2.44 cent property tax decrease that would give residents the lowest tax rate in eight years.

The tax decrease is part of a budget proposal presented to county commissioners for the next fiscal year.

Jones said he was pleased to announce the tax proposal, made possible by what county leaders called conservative estimates on just how much money the county would bring in during 2012.

The property tax decrease would bring the rate down to 79.22 cents per $100 of valued property.

While many property owners will be excited about the proposal, not everyone will be happy with the overall budget.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools requested a $27 million increase from the county, which would have helped pay for a three percent raise in teachers' salaries.

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)- A man who shot and killed two Charlotte police officers in northeast Charlotte in 2007 has been denied an appeal to overturn his murder conviction.

In September 2010, Demeatrius Antonio Montgomery was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the slaying of Officers Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton at the Timber Ridge Apartments in east Charlotte in 2007.  He is currently serving two consecutive life sentences without parole.

His new attorney filed an appeal, 217 pages long, in September 2011 in an attempt to get the conviction overturned. Several of the 16 reasons for appeal deal with Montgomery's mental competency.

The court ruled that the appeal was without merit and that the trial court did not err in procedure.

However, Montgomery's appellate defender, Andrew DiSimone said he is reviewing the possibility of filing a petition with the NC Supreme Court.