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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-2004-024 - Fiscal Year 2004-05 Budget Ordinance Orange County North CarolinaFiscal Year 2004-05 Budget Ordinance 6 ,~ p _ ~,oa ~~ ~~ Orange County, North Carolina oG •a~~~~ Be it ordained by the Board of Commissioners of Orange County ~~ Section I. Budget Adoption There is hereby adopted the following operating budget for Orange County for this fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004 and ending June 30, 2005, the same being adopted by fund and activity, within each fund, according to the following summary: Fund Current Revenue Interfund Transfer Fund Balance Appropriated Total Appropriation General Fund $133,030,784 $2,063,533 $1,674,440 $136,768,757 Emergency Telephone Fund $449,123 $0 $62,067 $511,190 Fire Districts Fund $2,229,107 $0 $26,675 $2,255,782 Section 8 (Housing) Fund $4,350,046 $0 $0 $4,350,046 Community Development Fund $959,481 $208,311 $0 $1,167,792 Efland Sewer Operating Fund $45,000 $40,000 $0 $85,000 Revaluation Fund $0 $155,611 $0 $155,611 Vsitors Bureau Fund $533 090 $0 $196,926 $730,016 Solid Waste/Landfill Operations Fund $6,801,447 $0 $1,210,505 $8,011,952 Section II. Appropriations That for said fiscal year, there is hereby appropriated out the following: Function Appropriation General Fund Governing and Management $7,133,287 General Services $8,837,434 Community and Environment $3,370,176 Human Services $30,833,873 Public Safety $13,580,670 Culture and Recreation $2,863,554 Education $48,752,268 Debt Service $17,799,911 Transfers to Other Funds $3,597,584 Tota! General Fund $136,768,757 Emergency Telephone System• Fund Public Safety $511,190 Total Emergency Telephone System Fund $511,190 Fire Districts Cedar Grove $135,568 Chapel Hill $562 Damascus $22,262 Efland $180,647 Eno $310,861 Little River ~ $147,935 New Hope $304,816 Orange Grove $189,569 Orange Rural $398,943 South Orange $369,480 Southern Triangle $78,470 White Cross $116,669 Total Fire Districts Fund $2,255, 782 Section 8 (Housing) Fund Human Services $4,350,046 Total Section 8 Fund $4,350,046 Community Development Fund (Affordable Housing Program) Human Services $208,311 Total Community Development Fund (Affordable Housing Program) $208,311 Community Development Fund (HOME Program) Human Services $959,481 Total Community Development Fund $959,481 Efland Sewer Operating Fund General Services $85,000 Total Efland Sewer Operating Fund $85,000 Revaluation Fund General Services $155,611 Total Revaluation Fund $155,611 Visitors Bureau Fund Community and Environment $730,016 Total Visitors Bureau Fund $730,016 Solid Waste/Landfill Operations Solid Waste/Landfill Operations $8,011,952 Total Solid Waste/Landfill Operations $8,011,952 Section III: Revenues The following fund revenues are estimated to be available during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004 and ending June 30, 2005, to meet the foregoing appropriations: ~_____. ___ Function __~ _ ____ _~ 1 Appropriation ~ GGeneral Fund ~ roperty Tax $90,754,24? ales Tax j $20,065- ,84~~ Licenses & Permits ~ $231,500; Inter ovemmental _ _^ ( $12,807,15 ~ harges for Services _ j $8,244,10 Investment Eamings $460,000 Miscellaneous ~ ^ ^ ' $467,941 ransfers fro_m_Othe_r Funds _ _ ~ $2,063,533 Appropriated Fund Balance ~ 1 -- __ __ Tofa/ General Fund" Emergency Telephone__System Fund $1,674,440 $136, 768 757; _ harges for Services _ ____ ~ $449,123 ppropriated Fund Balance i+_ ~ ( $62,067 Total Emergency Telephone S,~stem Fun ~ $511,190 Fire Districts ~ Pro a Tax ~_ _ $2 223 288 Investment Eamings _ $5,819 p~ropriated Fund Balance $26 67 ___ ___ _ Total Fire Districts Fund $2,255,782 ection 8 (HousingLFund__~ Intergovernmental $4,350,04 Total Section 8 Fund C uni Development Fund (Affordable Housin Program $4,350,04G ransfers ftom Other Funds _ _ j $208 311 _Total Community Development Fund (Affordable Housing Programs ommuni Development Fund HOME Program) _ ~ $208,31 ----~ Intergovemmental __,_ j _ $959 481 ' Total Communii~i Development Fund HOME Pro ram ' , $959,481 Efland Sewer Operating Fund harges for Services_ ' $45,OOa ~_ransfers from Other Funds _` ~ $40,00 ~ _ V Total Efland Sewer OperaSn~r Fund# $85,00 Revaluation Fund _ i ransfers from Other Funds ~ ~~ i $155,611 _ Total Reva/uafion Funr# $155 611j isitors Bureau Fund ccu ancy Tax _ _ i_ $440,000 ^ lntergovemmentai _ _ I i- $88 09 p Investment Eamings __ ____ -- ---~ _ $5,OOU1 p ropriated Fund Balance ,___ i $196,926' Total Wsitors Bureau Fun ~ $730 01 olid Waste/Landfill Operations ~ ~ ~ _ ~ _^ ~ ales & Fees $6,426,572€ Inter ovemmental $240,OOa Miscellaneous _ ~ ~` I $1,000; icenses & Permits y $93,87 , Interest on Investments_ j $40,OOa ro riated Reserves $1,210,509 _ ,~_______ Total Solid Waste/Landtill Operations $8,011,952 Section IV. Tax Rate Levy There is hereby levied for the fiscal year 2004-05 a genera( county-wide tax rate of 88.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This rate shall be levied in the General Fund. Special district tax rates are levied as follows: Cedar Grove 7.30 Chapel Hill 2.00 Damascus 3.00 Efland 4.65 Eno - 6.40 Little River 5.20 New Hope 6.50 Orange Grove 3.90 Orange Rural 5.10 South Orange 9.20 Southern Triangle 3.00 White Cross 4.80 Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District 20.00 Section V. School Current Expense The current expense allocation for both school districts is $46,736,614. Of that total, there is hereby allocated a lump sum of $28,816,278 for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and $17,920,336 for the Orange County Schools. This appropriation equates to $2,623 per student based on the March 2004 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction certified average daily membership of 10,986 for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and 6,832 for the Orange County Schools. Section VI. School Recurring Capital Outlay The recurring capital outlay for both school districts is $2,015,654. There is hereby appropriated $1,242,787 for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools for recurring capital. There is hereby allocated $772,867 for Orange County Schools for recurring capital. Section VII. Schedule B License In accordance with Schedule B of the Revenue Act, Article 2, Chapter 105 of the North Carolina State Statutes, and any other section of the General Statutes so permitting, there are hereby levied privilege license taxes in the maximum amount permitted on businesses, trades, occupations or professions which the County is entitled to tax. Section VIII. Animal Licenses A license costing $5 for sterilized dogs and sterilized cats is hereby levied. A license for un-sterilized dogs and a license for un-sterilized cats is $10 per animal. Section IX. Board of Commissioners' Compensation The Board of County Commissioners authorizes that: • Salaries of County Commissioners will be adjusted by any cost of living increase, any in-range salary increase and/or any other general increase granted to permanent County employees. This includes adjusting Commissioners' salaries effective October 11, 2004 by the equivalent of the 2 percent Cost of Living increase for permanent employees. • Annual compensation for County Commissioners will include the County contribution for health insurance, dental insurance and life insurance that is provided for permanent County employees, provided the Commissioners are eligible for this coverage under the insurance contracts and other contracts affecting these benefits. • County Commissioners' compensation includes eligibility to continue to participate in the County health insurance at term end as provided below: / If the County Commissioner has served less than two full terms in office (less than eight years), the Commissioner may participate by paying the full cost of such coverage. (If the Commissioner is age 65 or older, Medicare becomes the primary insurer and group health insurance ends.) / If the County Commissioner has served two or more full terms in office (eight years or more), the County makes the same contribution for health insurance coverage that it makes for an employee who retires from Orange County after 10 years service as a permanent employee. If the Commissioner is age 65 or older, Medicare becomes the primary insurer and group health insurance ends. The County makes the same contribution for Medicare Supplement coverage that it makes for a retired County employee with 10 years service. Annual compensation for Commissioners will include a County contribution for each Commissioner to the Deferred Compensation (457) Supplemental Retirement Plan that is the same as the County contribution for non-law enforcement County employees to the State 401(k) plan. Travel expense allowances for Commissioners will be established at $150 per month for the Board Chair and at $125 per month for the other four Commissioners. Section X. Budget Control General Statutes of the State of North Carolina provide for budgetary control measures to exist between a county and public school system. The statute provides: Per General Statute 115C-429: (c) The Board of County Commissioners shall have full .authority to call for, and the Board of Education shall have the duty to make available to the Board of County Commissioners, upon request, all books, records, audit reports, and other information bearing on the financial operation of the local school administrative unit. . The Board of Commissioners hereby directs the following measures for budget administration and review: That upon adoption, each Board of Education will supply to the Board of County Commissioners a detailed report of the budget showing all appropriations by function and purpose, specifically to include funding increases and new program funding. The Board of Education will provide to the Board of County Commissioners a copy of the annual audit, monthly financial reports, copies of all budget amendments showing disbursements and use of local moneys granted to the Board of Education by the Board of Commissioners. Section XI. Encumbrances Operating funds encumbered by the County as of June 30, 2004 are .hereby re- appropriated to this budget. This budget being duly ado ted this 23`~ day of .'• •-~ "^^" Donna aker, Clerk to the Board %' C - ~Z~ ~larga et Br6 n, Vice Chair Qom. • Alice Gordon Steve Halkiotis ~~ ~J~J ~av ~- g Approval of Fiscal Year 2004-05 Budget Ordinance, Capital Project ~~' Ordinances. and Grant Proiect Ordinances The board considered adopting the County's budget ordinance, capital project ordinances, and grant project ordinances for FY 2004-05. Commissioner Gordon said that they have not seen this material and she asked for a brief overview so that she could have time to read it. John Link said that the specific recommendations were on page two, which is to adopt the Orange County Budget Ordinance and the countywide tax rate of 88.4 cents, and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Tax of 20 cents. The resolution amends the Classification and Pay Plan to add the new class of Parks Conservation Technician II at a salary grade 14 and change the title of existing class of Parks Conservation Technician at salary grade 12 to Parks Conservation Technician I with no change in salary grade. The Board would also authorize a two percent cost of living increase for permanent employees effective October 11, 2004 and adopt a County fee schedule. Also, in the bright pink packet are the capital project ordinances for CHCCS and OCS and grant project ordinances for Orange. County general government. These are projects that are a continuation of projects that have already started. There is also a resolution of intent to adopt the Orange County budget. This is the completed document with the actions taken on Monday evening. It just confirms the actions taken. Also, section two and section three indicate by major function the appropriation for each major function and on the. next page are the revenues earmarked for the entire budget. The next page includes the tax rate levies for each fire district. The per pupil appropriation is $2,623 per student, which is an increase`of $3. Donna Dean said that the capital project ordinances for schools and for the County-have no new funding but need a deadline extension. It also includes projects receiving new pay-as- you-go money next year. Regarding the 2/3 net debt .issuance, Little River Park project needs funds in place to pay the contracts and the new courthouse needs funds for renovations on the exterior. Chair Jacobs said that they did suspend until further discussion any fees for picnic shelters and picnic tables. Donna Dean said that this point is included in the resolution of intent. A motion was made by Chair Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to change number six on page three to reduce the property tax proposal from 88.4 cents to 88 cents, which would be a reduction of $400,000. Chair Jacobs said that the more he thought about it with the solid waste fee and the revaluation for next year, and the possibility of a countywide supplemental school tax, he believes they should exercise more rigor in reducing the operating budget this year. He would like to exercise more discipline in`reducing the expenditures. Commissioner Brown asked where the cuts would come from. Chair Jacobs said that they would come from the governing and management, general services, community, environment, culture, and recreation funding, which are about $22 million. He will leave it to the Manager to figure out which would be the-least painful to cut and to bring back some proposals. Commissioner Halkiotis said that they did this several years ago and the Manager was able to do it. He thinks it is entirely doable. Commissioner Carey said that he thinks the sentiment is sincere and he agrees with this because raising taxes is difficult. He said that the Board has asked the Manager to find cuts before, and he will support this motion, but his concern is that they have never done changes like this before on the last night and before they have had a chance to review the reductions. He trusts the Manager, but he is concerned that the cuts the Manager would make might not be the cuts he would make.. Commissioner Gordon said that this last minute change wreaks havoc with the budget process. She thinks this has been an especially chaotic process already. She agrees with Commissioner Carey's sentiment about the process. She said that the County Commissioners are becoming very unpredictable and people cannot count on the process to be followed. She will vote against this change, even though she agrees with the sentiment of lowering taxes. Chair Jacobs agreed that they need to look at the process. He thinks that Orange County is getting to be a bigger and bigger government with more functions and staff and it is more difficult to go back and challenge the funding levels that they have always had. He thinks that the process is, that until they adopt the budget, they can change the budget. The Board did not adopt the budget on June 21S'. He said that he did mention to the Manager that he was going to do this, and the Manager has had time to think about it. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he thinks they will survive this. He said that Chatham County and Hillsborough are holding their tax rate. Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and OWASA are raising their rates, and the solid waste fee will be implemented. There are a lot of unhappy people. Commissioner Brown said that it is surprising to bring this up at this time so late in the process. She said that she could not support decreasing the Human Services budget at all. John Link said that if the"Board were to pursue this motion, he would recommend that all seven of the major functions be addressed -governing and management, general services, community and environment, human services, public safety, culture, and recreation. He thinks it will take all seven of these to come back with a plan. He said that any actions to cut or reduce budgets would not occur until the Board acts on the budget amendments that would come back in August or September. He reminded the Board that two years ago they delayed filling some.positions based on negotiating with department heads. He is not calling it a freeze, but using a natural process of some positions not being advertised and others being delayed. Commissioner Brown asked John Link if he supported the reduction in the budget at this time. John Link said that he would carry out the action of the Board. He has no idea how the cuts will look and whether what he recommends will be acceptable to the Board. He said that legally, the Board would have to cut $400,000 out of one function in order for the budget to be legal and during-the course of the summer, the cuts would be applied equitably from the other functions. He would recommend taking the $400,000 out of the first function, governing and management. Commissioner Halkiotis said that John Link would not come back with proposed savings balanced on the back of the very young or the very old or the very weak and ones that cannot fend for themselves. He would not support something that would balance any cut on the backs of those that can least afford to carry it. He has faith in the Manager to look at the least onerous way to accomplish this.' Commissioner Carey said that he has concerns about this process. He has confidence in the Manager's ability, but the Board should give him the flexibility on all line items instead of just one. He will support this, but he wants to register his concerns about the process. John Link said that this would not and could not include any cuts in education. Chair Jacobs said that this motion is with the understanding as outlined by the Manager as to where the money would come from. VOl`E: Ayes,. 3; Nays, 2 (Commissioner Brown and Commissioner Gordon) A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to: 1. Adopt the 2004-05 Orange County Budget Ordinance to include a Countywide tax rate, of 88 cents and a Chapel Hitt-Carrboro City Schools District Tax of 20.0 cents. 2. Amend the Classification and Pay Plan to: - Add the new class of Parks Conservation Technician II at salary grade 14. - Change the title of the existing class of Parks Conservation Technician at salary grade 12 to. Parks Conservation Technician I with no change in salary grade. 3. Authorize a 2.0 percent cost of living increase for permanent employees effective October 11, 2004, 4. Adopt the County Fee-Schedule 5. Approve the County and School capital project ordinances for fiscal year 2004-05. 6. Approve the County grant project ordinances for fiscal year 2004-05. VOTE: UNANIMOUS i. Budget Amendment #14 The Board considered approving budget, capital project, and grant project ordinance amendments for fiscal year 2003-04. Commissioner Gordon said that this was something that was just received and she asked for a review. Budget Director Donna Dean said that this includes: ^ DSS -received an additional $3,000 ^ Department on Aging -received an additional $7,000 from the Home and Community Care Block Grant ^ Equipment and Vehicle replacements - on May 18th, the Board approved an equipment financing plan for solid waste equipment and emergency management ambulances ^ County-wide -puts some functions in the correct areas after switching to a new financial system, MUNIS ^ Governing and Management'Non-Department -allocating the health insurance increases and equity retention fund ^ Item 7- performance review issue ^ Animai Services -amount to allocate to complete animal services transition from fund balance ^ Revaluation Fund - complete a transfer from the General Fund to the Revaluation Fund to cover expenditures this year ^ Governing and ManagementNon-Department -appropriation of $25,000 to fund UNC School of Education Research Project approved by the Board ^ Environment and Resource Conservation Department -budgeting funds for ERCD for matching grant for the USDA Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program for $638,840 ^ Emergency Management -grant carried forward to next year ^ Efland Sewer Enterprise Fund -put funds in place to cover operating expense for the Efland Sewer Fund Chair Jacobs suggested=for next year to keep track of grant funds received, budgeted funds allocated, and unanticipated expenses so the Board can keep better track of these items. John Link said that he would mention this to staff. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded Commissioner Carey to approve the attached budget ordinance, capital project, and grant project ordinance amendments. VOTE: UNANIMOUS L .Utilization of Land at Public Works Facility for Parks Operation Base and County-wide Storage Facility The Board considered assembling the appropriate stakeholders to develop a plan for utilization of land at the Public Works Facility for use as a parks operations base and county