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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-03-1998 - 9a l ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 3, 1998 Action Agenda Item No. Cl_ a SUBJECT: Revised County Capital Policy DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) BUDGET AMENDMENT: (Y/1S) ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Capital Policy w/Proposed Revisions Rod Visser, ext 2300 Sample Capital Project Ordinance TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider adoption of revisions to the policy on funding for school and County capital projects and debt service. BACKGROUND: At their annual planning and goal-setting retreat on December 7, 1996, the Board of Commissioners formally adopted a policy for the funding of school and County capital projects and debt service. At their retreat on December 6, 1997, the Board reviewed and indicated informal approval of several revisions to the County capital policy. These revisions are outlined as follows: • Detailed Information-For CIP requests this year, in addition to total project costs, we have asked the schools to provide a breakdown of the costs for each aspect of a project(land acquisition, design, site preparation, construction, technology, etc). County capital project requests are currently prepared in this manner. In order to ensure that funds for approved projects are expended as requested, Capital Project Ordinances would be revised to reflect the project costs as detailed in the CIP request(see attached sample project ordinance). Whenever County or School project bids exceed or come in lower than projected, or any other factor affecting the project budget occurs, County departments or the school systems would be expected to present revised capital project ordinances for adoption by the Board of Commissioners. Amendment of Section C of the capital policy will accomplish this change. • Clarification of Debt Service Allocations -The current Capital Policy indicates that all debt service will be subtracted from the unrestricted funding sources before allocations are made to the County and school systems. As part of the November 1997 bond package, $12.5 million in bonds were included to fund half the cost of a new high school in the Orange County system - the Orange County Schools are responsible for funding the other half of the project from their 2 , own pay-as-you-go revenue. Section B would be amended to clearly reflect this specific ' exception from the debt service portion of the policy. • Allocation Basis - Under the existing policy, allocations to the School systems are based on the 10th day enrollment as of September. Since the State no longer provides verification of these numbers, the policy would be amended to use 20th day enrollment. The County Capital Policy as adopted in December 1996 is attached, with proposed changes highlighted in bold and italics. The current thresholds for including projects in the CIP are addressed in Section H ($30,000 for County projects, and$50,000 for School projects). The Board may wish to review these figures, and either confirm or revise them as deemed appropriate. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board adopt the revised County Capital Policy. 3 (Adopted 12/7/96) Orange County Board of Commissioners Capital Funding Policy A. Sources of Funds The following sources of funds will be allocated for Capital Projects and Debt Service: �I 1. All proceeds from the Article 40 and Article 42 one half sales tax The North Carolina General Statutes require that 30 percent of the Article 40 and 60 percent of the Article 42 sales tax revenue be earmarked for school capital projects or debt service on debt issued for school capital projects. 2. Revenue from the property tax as follows: • $800,000 • The equivalent of 2.7 cents on the tax rate based on valuation as of 1996-97. This earmarking will be adjusted each revaluation cycle. • The amount necessary to retire the 1992 School Bonds. (In 1997-98 this amount is $4.7 million.) • The amount of the reduction in the Human Services function of the County budget(equivalent of one half of one percent of the budget or$50,000) in 1994- 95 for automation projects in Human Services. • Utilities Extension Fund-This amount may vary in that it based on the increase in property tax base as a result of expenditures in the Utilities Extension Capital project. The amount currently planned is $35,000 for 1997-98 and $25,000 for each year thereafter. 3. Impact Fees for each school system. 4. Public School Building Fund 5. Other revenues that are restricted including, payment-in-lieu, grant funds, rental revenue and inmate fees as a result of the new jail addition. B. Debt Service Prior to funds being allocated for specific projects, all debt service, including private placement financing will be subtracted from the unrestricted funding sources. As an exception, the Orange County Schools are responsible for funding directly from their pay-as-you-go capital allocations, that portion of the cost of a new high school in the Orange County School system beyond the $12.5 million bonds approved by voters for that school in November 1997. C. Allocation All sources of unrestricted revenue, less debt service, is then allocated between County and School projects based on 50 percent of the net amount for School projects and 50 percent of the net amount for County projects. Funding between the two school systems will be allocated based on the 20`h day enrollment adjusted each year. For example, the 2e day enrollment as of September 1998 will be the basis of the 1999-2009 Capital Improvements Plan. These percentages will be rounded to one decimal place. 4 Impact fees will be projected and allocated to each school system, although these fees may be used to pay debt service. When impact fees are used to pay debt service, the equivalent amount of the projected impact fee will be allocated to each school system. For the first three years of the planning period (1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000) impact fees are dedicated to the cost of the new schools. All funds allocated to capital projects are to be accounted for in a Capital Project Fund under a Project Ordinance adopted by the Board of Commissioners. The Project Ordinance will include a detailed break down of each cost category related to the project, as outlined in the Sample Capital Project Ordinance at Attachment 1, which is incorporated by reference into this policy.. D. Funding Levels It is the intent of the Board of Commissioners to "hold harmless" School projects and County projects as identified by the amount of funding projected in the 1996-2006 Capital Improvements Plan. To achieve this intention,the following funding options will be used: • The difference between the amount of general obligation debt service payments at the peak year of the debt schedule and the actual debt service payment will be earmarked for the Orange County Schools until the time that any shortfall that would have been realized by that system is made up. • For County projects,beginning in 1998-99 the equivalent of one cent on the general fund property tax rate will be necessary. The Board of Commissioners in adopting this policy instructed staff to identify other funding options rather than a tax increase to make up this shortfall. The Board of Commissioners may consider shifting the one cent capital reserve fund to be dedicated to County projects (see Capital Reserve section below). E. SchoollParks Capital Reserve The schoollparks capital reserve fund, established by the Board of Commissioners in 1995- 96, receives annual allocations equivalent to one cent on the General Fund Property Tax Rate (not adjusted for the 1997 revaluation of property but adjusted for revaluation of real property beyond the 1997 revaluation.) This reserve will accumulate during 1996-97 and 1997-98 with these funds used for site acquisition for schools and or recreation, or the combination of both. The Board of Commissioners will evaluate this reserve fund during 1998-99 to determine if this one cent reserve should continue. F. School/Parks/Recreation It is the intent of the Board of County Commissioners to evaluate each new proposed school in both School Districts for joint use to include park and recreation use. 5 ' G. Recurring Capital Recurring capital for each School System will be based on the equivalent of three cents on the General Fund Property Tax Rate (not adjusted for the 1997 revaluation of real property but adjusted each revaluation thereafter.) Funds will be allocated to each school system based on the State Department of Public Instruction planning allocation which is the same method used to allocate current expense appropriation. H. Planning Period During each fiscal year,the Board of Commissioners shall adopt a ten year Capital Improvements Plan. The ten year plan shall include anticipated County capital expenditures costing $30,000 or more(excluding equipment) and anticipated school capital expenditures costing $50,000 or more (excluding equipment). Equipment costing $1,000 or more can be considered as part of the Capital Improvements Plan. The first year of the adopted Ten Year Capital Improvements Plan shall be incorporated into the next annual operating budget recommended by the County Manager. I i I 6 Project Name School System (if a School project) Capital Project Ordinance Project Number 6X-XXX-XXXX Be it ordained by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners that pursuant to Section 13.2 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, the following capital project is hereby adopted. Section 1. The project authorized provides funds to This project will be financed with proceeds from Section 2. The officers of the County are hereby directed to proceed with the project within the budget contained herein. Section 3. The following revenue is anticipated to complete this project: Transfer from Other Funds $0 Bond Proceeds $0 Impact Fees $0 Other Revenues as Appropriate $0 Total Revenue $0 Section 4. The following amount is appropriated for this project: Planning & Design Fees $0 Land and Associated Fees $0 Construction $0 Equipment and Furnishings $0 Technology $0 Other Line Items as Appropriate $0 Contingency $0 Total Project Costs $0 Section 5. This ordinance shall remain in effect from July 1, 199X until June 30, 199X. Adopted this XXst day of , 199X.