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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19840625. .- ~~ MINUTES - BUDGET SESSION ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JUNE 25, 1984 l The Orange County Board of Commissioners held a budget session on June 25, 1984, at 7:30 p.m. in the Courtroom o£ the Old Post Office in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.. Commissioners Present: Chair Don Willhoit, Commissioners Shirley Marshall, Ben Lloyd, Norman Walker and Richard Whitted. Staf£ Present: Kenneth Thompson, County Manager; Wallace Harding, Director of Finance; William Laws, Assistant County Manager; and Beverly A. Hlythe. Clerk. -- Chair Willhoft announced he received a letter indicating Orange County was eligible for FHA disaster loan assistance because of the adverse weather conditions that began on March 1, 1983 and ended March 29, 1984. The purpose of this work session is to make some determination about the items added to the markup list for further discussion. There was a consensus of the Board to leave the following items on the markup list: Sheriff 517.965 LEO Retirement 28,000 Home Health Agency 15,000 Register of Deeds 20,380 Dispute Settlement Center 1,900 Soil and water (2,930) ` Community Restitution 1,080 Battered women's Coalition 2,500 Rape Crisfs 1,250 Volunteers for Youth 1,000 Lake Michael 6,000 School Current Expense 50,028 Eland-Cheeks School Sewer Tap 5,000 Orange High School Raof 45,000 (source of funding is unknown) - - Part-icipatory Paving 7,040 (Board requested an - update on the re- volving account) Determination far all other items on the markup list: ~~4'. 2 OPC-MHC 537,000 Hold for further information from the state legislature Orange Industries 25,000 Hold for further information from the state Register of Deeds 20,380 Hold for further consideration Library ~ 24,460 Hold for further consideration Lutheran Services 7,000 Hold for further consideration about the upkeep Orange Co. Visitors Ctr. 5,000 Hold for further information about the magnitude of the project and the ongoing commitment. Art School 5,000 Drop - need to know who will be the lead agency in Orange Co. Mebane Library SS6 Will be offset Mebane Recreation 2,500 Will be offset Mebane dogs 250 DROP JOCCA Efland MPC 18,352 HOLD - need additional information about the programs and the specifics on doing the work Chair Willhoit noted there are 8 items in the approved state budget with a total of 544,667,000. The biggest item is the class size reduction in grades 4-6. Both Dr. Lunsford and Dr. Mayer indicated that the present class size is 1-30. This reduction in class size would, if extra funding becomes available, need to be used to hire teachers and in Chapel Hill additional teacher aides. Dr. Lunsford made the following comments about the state allocation: 1. Staff Development -the state has cut the staff development allocation for three years and now are adding back some of those funds so the schools can do same additional things the state is expecting, in - particular to quality insurance: ''' 2. The Science Math employment is summer employment which Orange .. / ~rZ~3 3 County is now doing with local funds but doing it with one position and this -,-- would be the second person so it would not offset .any local expense. 3. High School text books - requests were made for additional funds last year and the year before; the state allocation is insufficient. 4. Exceptional Children Funding -Orange .County has not been able to get all the money they are qualified to receive. This increased amount of money would help draw down some of the funding the school is eligible to receive and would provide more services but not replace anything that is in place. 5. Energy - Orange County had not requested enough from local sources tc cover the inflationary cast of utilities. 6. Vocational Education .. Orange County has not been able to draw down what they are eligible to receive and to draw down federal funds a state match is required to have sufficient funds for salary increases in vocational education handicapped. 7. Maintenance Supervisor - is a definite savings of local money. Commissioner Whitted reiterated that out of the eight items, Orange County will only realize a savings of 530,000. In answer to a question from Dr. Lunsford about the salary figure of 4.8$ being in an expenditure reserve with attaching revenues to go with it, Chair Willhoit indicated that the 5121,000 is in a reserve. The 10$ salary increase for all employees in the Orange County System is 5212,892 and the certified employees at 4.8$ is 556,650 for a total of 5269,532. The appropriation for 1983-84 was 52,971,000; added to 5269,532 gives 53,241,000 and the manager recommended 53.215,000 which means to do just the salaries - would be a markup of 525,338. For Chapel Hill-Garrboro System using the 10$ totals 5457,078. The 83-84 appropriation of 53,571,000 plus the Sfi47 per pupil (524,690) would mean that 5106,801 would need to come from their unappropriated fund ~~ 4 balance. The 5121,000 in reserve could be used to offset inflation. The total markup would be 5489,831. Commissioner Whitted suggested that the 545,500 for Orange High School roof be covered out of the 5140,000 undesignated capital. The markup list total, taking into consideration the 5121,000 in salary reserve and the deduction of the Mebane items and the Art School, gives a net amount of $36;025. For Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System the 5376,000 needed for salaries will came from: 5140,000 - increase in the tax base 130,000 - the district tax 106,801 - Chapel Hill-Carrboro unappropriated fund balance Chair Willhoit mentioned that the Orange County unappropriated -. fund balance of 5280,000 reported estimated revenues from investments of - 556,000; while Chapel gill-Carrboro School System with a fund balance of 1.1 million reported estimated revenues from investments of 587,000, and questioned the projected interest earned. Gay indicated the estimated investment figure is low and should be around 5135,000. Tuition income is projected to decrease and Willhoit questioned the number of students from outside the district and if the increase for _ these students is based on the per pupil amount. Chair Willhoit questioned why the fines and forfeiture amount is the same. Commissioner Whitted restated that the state has granted to all employees in the school system and all state employees a 10$ increase in = -salary and for certificated teachers will give a one step increase amounting- .- to 4.8$. Chapel gill-Carrboro has indicated a desire to grant all school emplcyees a 15~ increase but the state did not and the Orange County stystem -- ~~~ 5 cannot grant 15$ to every employee and suggested making a statement and --- having an understanding with Chapel Hill-Carrbaro exactly what the policy is ,__, and exactly what the intent is. ~BP~TBL The recommendation ion Chapel Hi11-Carrboro System is as follows: 5300,000 General Capital 5100,000 Roofs The recommendation for Orange County School System is as follows: 5300,000 General Capital 5215,000 Roof 5 45,500 Roof 5 55,000 Sewer Line Chair Willhoit requested to move 5136,000 from the 5186,OOp for the sewer line to the undesignated capital for purposes. of discussion because the sewer line should not compete with the other capital projects. The total capital appropriation for the schools is 51,015,500. Chair Willhoit noted that if the sewer line is not built the 555,000 in capital would be used to rebuild the package plant. He asked about moving the classes at Orange High to accommodate the handicapped and was told that some of the labs are on the second floor electronic, computer, science labs, etc. that would be difficult to move. Also the High School is a three-story building. Commissioner Whitted noted that last year in order to get some of the school capital needs the money was appropriated out of the County's fund balance but was not intended to build a base for recurring items. With reference to the task force report and recommendation that 5750,p00 be appropriated each. year for on going capital, he suggested this be a goal for the County to provide this money to the schools. Commissioner Walker noted that after the roofs are repaired that the schools may not need 575.0,000 a year ongoing capital for maintenance and _ ~~;i _..- - - -- 6 repairs whereby the money from the one half cent sales tax may be used to pay for the renovation and/or replacement of Stanback. Dr. Lunsford pointed out that if the one half cent sales tax is left to accumulate aver a five year period the projected cost must also be calculated five years hence. Also things will need to be done in the short run to keep the school operating. Ghair Willhoit suggested a modest bond referendum that would fund the renovation and' construction of the A.L. Stanback School and building multipurpose rooms at Glenwood and Estes gills. An updated estimate is needed for Stanback and a decision needs to be made about new construction versus a combination of replacement and renovation on site. Gommissioner Willhoit noted that the first priority is the roofs and since there is a lot of catch-up to .be done out of the recurring capital, voiced support far the handicapped accessibility project and the roofs to be funded out of the one half cent sales tax because these are things that must be done right away. • ADJOURNMENT With no further business to. come before the Board- the meeting was adjourned. Don Willhoit, Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk