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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19770602~3'~ MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JUNE 2, 1977 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday, June 2, 1977, at 7:30 p.m., in the Commissioners' Room of the Courthouse in Hillsborough, N. C. to continue budget discussion for fiscal year 1977-78. Those present were Chairman Richard Whitted, Commissioners Naxman Gustaveson, Jan Pinney, Norman Walker and Donald Willhoit. Others present were S. M. Gattis, Ccunty Manager, Neal Evans, Finance Director, Representatives from the Chapel Hill-Garrboro and Orange County School systems, and Agatha Johnson, Clerk to the Board. Chairman Whitted staffed that when the Board decided to adjourn from it's June 1st meeting, they had started a review of the Human Services section of the proposed budget. He suggested that the Board continue their review of Human Services by starting with the Mental Health Program. A proposal of $157,500 is the Manager's recommendation with $40,000 from the niclaol on the bottle making a total of $197,500. This is $7,500 less than the request of the Area Mental Health Board. The Recreation budgets were reviewed. The Chapel Hill-Carrborc Municipal Support budget had been reduced more than $36,000. Under Social Services, the County Manager stated that if the Frank Porter Graham program is stricken for next year, Orange County will be within $40,000 of what the State has indicated the County will get this year in .Title XX monies, without any reallocation. The Finance Officer stated that the Adult Day Care Program, the Trans- portation program and the Faster Care Program for Title XX were purchased -. services and the County does not have tc participate. The County Manager recommended that no new Title XX Programs be entered into. The Board noted that the Support Enforcement is self-supporting and showing some profit. Veterans Service - A secretarial position has been discontinued in this department, however, a part time help will be provided for some of the year. Agency Support of Human Services Programs were reviewed next. Vital Statistics will be funded through the Health Department this year. Commissioner Willhoit stated that he would like for Switchboard's request to be added back into the proposed budget. Commissioner Gustaveson joined the meeting at this time. Chairman Whitted reviewed the items which had been requested to be reconsidered in the budget. School - Current Expense $142,870 School - Capital Outlay 70,000 Agricultural Ext. 4-H Assistants 5,860 - Switchboard 5,000 Commissioner Gustaveson asked that $10,000 be added as consideration - for Recreation under Municipal Support. He stated that it was important to continue to work toward the formula proposed by the Intergovernmental Task Force for Recreation in the County. Community Maintenance Section of the Budget was reviewed next. Fees for participation in intergovernmental organizations are: National Association of Counties - $717.00, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners - $8,304, Triangle J Council of Governments - $16,699, Capital Health System Agency - $2,100, Institute of Government - $289, Piedmont Resaurves Conservation District - $250, and EMS Council -- $7,500. Commissioner Pinney reminded the Board that the Board of Elections' 2~~ budget should be increased to include the cost of elections to be held during the next fiscal year. This cost will be approximately $20,000. Commissioner Gustaveson stated that the Human Services Committee had met concerning the proportional share of local mhtching funds for support of various County based programs. It is hoped that Chapel Hill and the County will add $2,000 each for funding of JOCCA, and that Carrboro will contribute $1,500. For Council on Aging, Mr. Gustaveson stated that it is hoped that both the County and Chapel Hill will contribute $3,000 and he does not know if Carxboro will contribute any amount to COA. Commissioner Pinney stated that he felt the County was picking up more than their share of the cost of these programs. During the review of Agency Support, Museum, the Finance Officer was asked to request the Museum to get on the same fiscal year as the County. -- The .Public Safety section of the budget was reviewed. Under Animal Control, Commissioner Willhoit suggested that the Board consider increasing the charge for dog tags and then hire one additional animal control officer. He suggested further a cross reference of the dog tag and dog vaccinations. This discussion will be pursued further at another time. The Sheriff's budget was reviewed and the County Manager stated that it was recommended that this budget be funded 100 percent in order to implement the programs outlined by the Sheriff. The Sheriff presently has seven vacancies on his staff.of 37 positions. Merit raises and longevity pay is not included in the Sheriff's budget. The Commissioners reviewed the Public Works Section of the budget. The Gounty Manager informed the Board that funding of seven of the new CETA positions for the Buildings and Grounds Department would have to be picked up by the County after the first year. There is a funding commit- ment by CETA through June 30, 1978 The Board then decided to continue discussion of the two School Systems' budgets. Chairman Whitted stated that $318 per pupil is recommended in the proposed budget and the figure $142,870 has been proposed to be added to current expense, which would increase the per capital current expense to $332 per pupil. Commissioner Gustaveson suggested that the $85,000 fund balance be used to help bring the budget up to maintenance level. Discussion ensued of what programs would be cut in the Orange County system with the per capital current expense at $332. Dan Lunsford stated that 3~ teachers would be cut, one-half time librarian, the media center, one counselor from the elementary schools, and one English teacher from the high school, plus, the $85,000 fund balance would be used up. STill the system would need an additional $lOD,000 to maintain operating level. Commissioner Pinney asked how the $105,000 the Orange County System has in Capital Outlay would be spent. The reply was that the State Board of Education directed the School Systems as to what categories certain funds should go. Following further discussions and calculations, Commissioner Gustaveson stated that he could see no way pf supplying the needed current expense and capital outlay for the two school systems, except for a four cent tax in- crease. Mr. Lunsford stated that $332 per pupil amounted to about $1,573,348. Another $100,000 would bring the County Schools to a total of $1,675,000. This amount between what the County School has expressed as needs makes $143,000. To use the $85,000 fund balance, there would be a discrepancy of $58,000 and Mr. Lunsford feels the County Schools can live with this. ~Ga~~ Chairman Whitted stated that if the Berard went with the $1,675,000 figure, this would give $1,931,956 to Chapel Hill and would increase per capital current expense to $353.45 per student. Commissioner Gustaveson stated that the Berard needed to decide how much they could add to the seven cent proposed tax increase or what programs or services would have to be cut from the 1977-78 budget. Until this is clear, it will be difficult to know just where the Board is. Mr. Gustaveson stated he wanted to take a close look at Chapel Hill Capital Outlay, that he saw a total school increase in the neighborhood of $294,000 for Capital Outlay. Mr. Gustaveson added that he would be-.-willing to go for a four cent increase on tap of the proposed seven cent increase. Commissioner Walker stated that he felt the $353 per pupil is a maintenance budget, however, he feels that funding of the $353. could be found through cuts in the budget, without a seven cent increase. The Commissioners discussed Capital Outlay for the two school systems. Mr. Gustaveson suggested to increase Ch~.pel Hi11 Capital Outlay of $90,000 and to leave the County's Capital Outlay at $250,000. He added that he would go with a 4.5 cent tax increase. Commissioner Pinney stated that he would go with the $353 per student and would go to a ten cent tax increase. Both Commissioners Gustaveson and Willhoit stated that they would go as high as twelve cents tax increase. Chairman Whitted stated that he felt $353 is what is needed, plus $90,000 in Capital Outlay for Chapel Hill. He added that the County when looking at their Capital Improvement Program had put seven aents into the Capital Program. to get that out of the way and then next year, the .seven cents would be for retirement of bonds. If that seven cents is taken this year and gut into on-going programs, next year we will be in the same situation. The meeting was adjourned. is and E. i ed, Chairman Agatha Johnson, Clerk ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JUNE 6, 1977 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, June 6, 1977, at 10:00 a.m., in the Commissioners' Room of the Courthouse in Hillsborough. Those present were Chairman Richard Whitted, Commissioners Norman Gustaveson, Jan Pinney, Norman Walker and Donald Willhoit. Others present were S. M. Gattis, County Manager, Neal Evans, Finance Officer, Jeffrey Gledhill, County Attorney, and Agatha Johnson, Clerk. Chairman Wha.tted referred to Item #1 on the Agenda: Persons not on this agenda having business to transact with the Board of Commissioners should make their presence known. Mrs. Charlotte Adams, representing the Chapel Hill Branch of the Women's International 7,e ague for Peace and Freedon, presented a petition and copies of a proposal entitled Arbitration as .an Alternative. She requested the Board's endorsement and initiation of a proposed project which has grown out of seven years of monitoring of local distri4t court procedure. The local chapter of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is proposing for Orange County the establishment of an alter- native to the court process to provides mediation and arbtration to resolve minor criminal complaints, where both parties share a degree of blame and solutions are reached which satisfy both the disputants rather than by