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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20040603APPROVED 919!2004 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING June 3, 2004 7:30 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday, June 3, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. in the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The purpose of this meeting was to hold a public hearing on the County Manager's recommended 2004-2005 budget. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Margaret Brown, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordon, and Stephen Halkiotis COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Jahn M. Link, Jr., and Assistant County Managers Rod Visser and Gwen Harvey and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. Chair Jacobs made reference to the blue sheet, which was a draft tentative schedule for upcoming budget work sessions. The final budget will be adopted on June 23rd Chair Jacobs said that the Board of County Commissioners does not appropriate money to specific school programs or positions, but to the school as a whole. It is up to the school board on how to spend whatever money they receive. Chair Jacobs said that there has been some confusion about cuts to education. He said that there has not been a cut in the funding for the school systems, but an increase. The issue is how much of an increase compared to what was proposed by the school boards. The cuts in funding are coming from the state and federal level and these are: programs far mental health, care for pregnant mothers, senior dental care, and building classrooms to accommodate the smaller classes required by the State. This could cost the County more than $900,000 in school construction capital. When the Board met with the Legislative Delegation, they requested more flexibility for the school systems, so that if they wanted to use the class size reduction money to pay far 2"d and 3rd grade teacher assistants, that it would be allowed. He noted that some parents have already written to legislators. 1. Presentation of Manaaer's Recommended FY 2003-04 Budaet County AZanager's Recommended 2004-OS Annual Operating Budget Manager's Recommended General Fund Budget Totals $137,351,929 ~~} Proposed General Fund Tax Rate Increase of 4.5 Cents • Recommended tax rate of 89 cents per $100 of assessed valuation • Nearly 1.4 cents of proposed increase attributable to funds needed to pay debt service on the sale of the 2001 voter approved bonds and alternative financing • Homeowner with $200,000 home would pay $90 more in property tax - Tax bill would increase from $1,690 per year to $1,780 per year • One cent on tax rate generates $1,011,179 Major Milestones far Fiscal Year 2403-04 • Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance {SAPFO} provides for reasonable and sustainable construction of new school space for students • Development of recreational facilities at Little River Park, Efland Cheeks Park, Twin Creeks Park and West Ten Soccer Complex • Creation of emergency notification network for non-English speaking residents during natural disaster periods • Cedar Grove Branch Library at Northern Human Services Center opened in April 2004 • Students in both school districts have new learning environments with opening of Rashkis Elementary School and OCS alternative school Tonight's Presentation /General Fund Revenue Highlights /General Fund Expenditure Highlights /Solid Waste Enterprise Fund /On the Horizon General Fund Revenue Highlights Property Taxes Remain Largest Single Source of Revenue General Fund Revenues • Estimated real property tax base growth for fiscal year 2004-05 will be about 4 percent - Properly Tax revenue increases about $7.65 million from original 2003-04 budget . Approximately $3.1 million comes from natural tax base growth and the balance produced by the proposed tax rate increase • Projected overall growth in sales tax is 4.5 percent • Able to appropriate $1.6 million out of fund balance - Equivalent of about 1.6 cents on tax rate • State and Federal assistance to local governments continues to erode - Overall expected growth in other County revenues, including those revenues received from State and Federal sources, totals $300,000 Growth in Property Tax Base Compared to County Operating Budget Growth General Fund Expenditure Highlights Orange County Has Historically Led The State in Education Funding Source: Annual Publr"c School Forum Report Public Education Funding for Fiscal Year 2004-05 • Total General Fund appropriation for Education increases by 5.6 percent and totals $66.3 million - Reflects a $3.5 million increase from 2003-04 • Overall share of County budget is 48.4 percent - BOCC funding target is 48.1 percent - According to the Public School Forum of North Carolina, "county education funding generally consumes one-third of local budgets." • CHCCS District Tax remains at 20 cents per $100 valuation - Anticipated collections of $12.9 million • Equivalent of $1,178 per student Proposed Per Pupil Appropriation of $2,620 • Orange County Board of Commissioners allocate school funding to each district based an an equal per pupil amount - Commissioners do not appropriate money to the Schools for individual line-items or specific purposes • Increase of $54 over the FY 2003-04 allocation of $2,566 Bath systems experiencing increases in student membership - Orange County Schools - 127 students - Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools - 277 students - Cost to fund increase in students totals $1,036,664 or the equivalent of 1.03 cents on the tax rate - Cost Required to Fully Fund School Requests County Highlights • County assumes responsibility far providing animal services effective July 1 • Budget reflects rising demand for public assistance and public health needs of residents • Homeland Security capital grant funds of $1.4 million will enable County to improve the reliability and linkages for emergency responder agencies • Completes transition of Emergency Medical Transportation from rescue squad to County functions • Retains Social Safety Net to help address budgetary crises in human services programs County Highlights • Allows for debt repayment of first two issues of 2001 voter approved bonds and alternative financing plan - Examples of financed projects include new schools, parks, affordable housing, Orange County satellite campus of Durham Tech • Maintains employee pay and benefit plan • Provides funding far new General Fund positions to address increased demands for service and staff new parks • Implements long-range cost saving initiative by bringing Rural Curbside Recycling Program "in-house" • Significant impacts related to capital equipment that must be purchased far day-ta-day operations such as public safety and solid waste Examples of Capital Costs On the Horizon • Factors shaping County budgets, policies, and programs for 2005-06 and beyond: - Future BOCC decisions on school funding equity • Collaboration opportunities between the two school systems • Educational Excellence Work Group • Assessment of the efficiency of school resources - Operating/maintenance/support services for new facilities • Orange County satellite campus of Qurham Tech, Senior Centers, Justice Facility, Animal Shelter, new parks - Operating impacts from the opening of three new schools • OCS Middle School #3, CHCCS High School #3, and CHCCS Elementary #10 - Additional park acquisition and development through 2001 bands and Lands Legacy program - Sustainability of Orange County government in terms of organizational mission, functions and resources Public Hearings and Work Sessions (All Meetings Begin at 7:30 p.m.) Work sessions on June 10t" 1St" and 17t", with adoption on the 215Y. All work sessions are at the Southern Human Services Center. Final adoption is June 23rd at the Southern Human Services Center. Document Availability • Clerk to Board of Commissioners • County Budget Office • Orange County Library • Chapel Hill Public Library • Carrboro Library • Cedar Grove Library • Orange County Website: - www.co.orange.nc.us PUBLIC COMMENT: Robert Schreiner, Chair of the Chapel Hill Public Library Board of Trustees, was representing the board of trustees and the Chapel Hill Town Council. He thanked the Board of County Commissioners for the continued support of the Chapel Hill Public Library. He asked for increased support for their library and for all public libraries in the County. They would like to reach the same level of excellence of the school support in the County. Last year, the support from the County helped them to circulate 300,000 books and other materials to Orange County residents who do not live in Chapel Hill. He said that the Chapel Hill Public Library continues to lead the State in the annual per capita circulation - 14 books or other materials compared to the State average of 4.4. The cost per circulation is 29% less than the State average. He said that the board has been working far years to relieve the overcrowding of the present facility and provide more space for the collection. In November 2003, Chapel Hill residents voted by a margin of 3-1 to authorize a $16.3 million band to expand the building. The Chapel Hill Tawn Council has agreed to start issuing bonds in 2004-05 and to begin the expansion. He said that the responsibility to pay for the expansion would only be that of Chapel Hill residents. They are asking that the Board of County Commissioners consider an increase in the commitment to the expansion by increasing its annual support to the library. They request an increase in the operational funding level for public libraries to the State average level of funding over the next three years. He asked that the Board also consider additional support to implement projects identified in the Library Master Plan. Michele Rivest, Director of the Orange County Partnership for Young Children (local Smart Start agency), spoke on behalf of working parents that need childcare subsidies. She said that the Orange County Partnership is well aware of the current shortage of childcare subsidies and scholarships in the County for low-income families. Their Board of Directors considers this issue its top priority. They have committed $1.6 million annually to support working families in the community. Despite this support, there have been over 200 preschool children on the waiting list this year. The Partnership has experienced five years of declining Smart Start funds, but the board has maintained its commitment to childcare scholarships. She gave five reasons for supporting working families and young children with childcare subsidies -educational opportunities of children, difficulty in families finding and maintaining employment without subsidies, every $1.00 invested in high quality childcare returns $7.00 in future casts for school remediation and public assistance, quality child care contributes to the economic growth of the County, and the childcare sector is a significant component of the economic infrastructure of the County and State. She asked for County support for this program. Alice White was representing the Board of Health as an at-large member and Chair. She thanked the Board of County Commissioners far ongoing support that enhances the health of the citizens. The support enabled the Health Department to continue to provide services to the most vulnerable populations. For the coming fiscal year, the Board of Health would like to ask for expanded support for children, pregnant women, and teens by authorizing the Health Department to begin offering primary care services for these citizens. The most recent community health assessment completed by the Health Department and the Orange County Healthy Carolinians shows that the overriding concerns of mast of the residents in the County is the cost of getting healthcare and access to adequate healthcare. Nearly 15% of Orange County residents are without health insurance, creating an additional barrier to receiving health services in a timely way. The Board of Health wants to ensure that all children and pregnant women get access to medical care in Orange County. The addition of these services completes the final outstanding recommendations that were part of the 2001-2004 strategic plan. The new positions requested for the Health Department are supported by reimbursements or by fees charged. She said that they recently hired their first Orange County dentist far the dental clinics. The Department and Board are hard at work developing the next three-year strategic plan. A key part of this plan will be increasing educational services for all residents in critical public health areas, such as protection of groundwater resources, prudent management of private septic systems, preventing exposure to environmental hazards, communicable disease prevention and management, and chronic disease prevention. She thanked the Board for funding the replacement of the HVAC system at the Whitted Center. David Whisnant read a prepared statement. He is a parent of two children at Carrboro Elementary. He is concerned about the recommended budget because it is occurring in the midst of a badly skewed public discourse about the whale matter of taxes. In the current climate, taxes are bad, tax cuts are good, and tax increases are political suicide. Taxpayers are oppressed, resentful, and vengeful in the voting booth. He said that this is a pernicious and antisocial discourse, and that it serves no one -least of all our children. He is speaking to set himself and his family against this anti-tax discourse and the shortsighted social stinginess that flows from it. He asked the Board to speak honestly to the people of Orange County about the need to support the schools and the necessity of taxing ourselves to do it right. The tax value of his family residence is $266,000. The last tax bill they paid was about $3,000. The recommended budget projects that 48.4°~ of the budget will go for schools. This would come to slightly less than $1,100 for his family. If this is added to what is paid to the Chapel Hill school district, his family of four, with two children in school, pays about $1,600 per year in property taxes to support educational services in the city and county. He said that this is a paltry sum and that it is starving and damaging the schools, and his family and other taxpayers easily can and should do better. An additional three cents on the tax rate, which Superintendent Pedersen estimates would give the system nearly $2 million more, would cost his family only another $81.00. An additional nine cents would cost them $240, and would fully fund the system's 2004-2005 budget request. So a total of $360, or $30 per month, would do it all. He urged the Board to enact such an increase, send them the bill, and send the schools the money. He believes that a majority of his fellow citizens are willing to pay taxes to protect and improve the quality of our lives together. He said that taxes are not evil, but a legitimate price to pay for living in a humane society. La Wanda Rainey-Hall is a teacher in the CHCCS. She represents Glenwood School. She thanked the Board for support of education in the past. She asked the Board to consider all funds requested by CHCCS, so that they could continue expansion and to meet the needs of the growing population. Robert Dowling, Director of Orange Community Housing and Land Trust, thanked the Board for continued support. He said that they finished a big project under budget, and they can make do without an increase. He said that they closed on about 52 homes in the Land Trust in this fiscal year. By the end of this calendar year, they expect to have 100 homes in the Land Trust. Their vision is that, 20 years from now, there will be some homes that are permanently affordable to teachers and other public sector employees. Sue Russell, President of Child Care Services Association, spoke in support of County funding for childcare subsidy. She said that high quality childcare is very expensive, ranging from $8,000 to $12,000 per year. Most families with young children cannot afford to pay this. These parents can choose either not to work or to use makeshift childcare. She said that in a County with so much wealth, these choices are not fair or right. There are currently over 500 children on waiting lists for childcare assistance at Child Care Services Association or DSS. She said that research shows that if we invest well in a child's first three or four years, they are more likely to do well in school and in life. The key to high quality childcare is the education, compensation, and retention of the childcare teacher. In Orange County, about'/ of the teachers working in childcare centers have degrees, yet their median hourly wage is $10.50 per hour and about one out of four does not have health insurance. Childcare teachers are more likely to be uninsured than most people living in Orange County. When the young children of these childcare teachers need childcare and there are no funds to help their parents pay for it, the impact is especially hard. Childcare directors have identified this as a critical need for their staff and for the children in the community. She said that whether the Board chooses to target County funds for childcare assistance to low-income teachers and assistant teachers or to low- income families in general, there is no doubt about the need. Ernest Dollar, Executive Director of the Orange County Historical Museum, thanked the County Commissioners far continued support and for initiating the purchase of the Adams Tract. He spoke about the magnitude of the mission of the museum. It has become a tourist attraction, with a yearly visitation of 7,000 local, national, and international visitors. The museum has over 1,500 artifacts ranging from 8,000 BC to September 11t". He said that no other place could claim the Regulators, Elizabeth Cotton, or Dean Smith. He said that 80°~ of Americans learn their history from museums and historic sites rather than history books. He said that the decisions and actions of the Board of County Commissioners are all recorded in the museum. He asked the County Commissioners to reconsider their funding request. Mary Ann Peter thanked the County Commissioners for their support of $5,000 for the Orange County Historical Museum. She volunteered to be the board's first fundraising chair. They are in desperate need of stabilizing their funding to keep the doors open. She said that the life's blood of the museum is its volunteers. This year the volunteers donated more than 3,500 hours of their time and a lot of money for un-reimbursed expenses. The volunteers need to know that the County appreciates and supports its museum. Secondly, the second floor of the museum serves as the only public art gallery north of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. They would like to replace the old lights with track lighting and acquire same display cases on which to display three-dimensional art. Thirdly, the diversity and number of their museum offerings is growing. One of their goals is to incorporate the African American experience in all of their exhibits. She hopes that the County Commissioners will increase the funding by the modest amount that they are requesting for this year. Jeff Durst is the Education and Interpretation Specialist for the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough. He spoke in favor of the Human Services agency funding request. He spoke about Teaching with Hillsborough's Historic Sites, a collaborative heritage education project sponsored by the alliance and two of its member organizations. This project began five years ago. The programs focus on history and social studies as well as language arts, computer technology, visual arts, dance, mathematics, and science. The tours this year will pay special attention to Hillsborough's 250t" anniversary and its role in Orange County. In order for these programs to operate effectively, The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough is seeking the support of Orange County far $5,000. Their goal for next year is to have classes from all seven Orange County elementary schools participate and to see an increased participation in CHCCS. Robin McMahon is with the CHCCS. She is an educator and she represents a lot of the educators present. She asked the County Commissioners to fund excellence in education for the children. They are asking the County to fund the children first before anything else. She asked the Board to keep in mind all the services that they need - it is not just the basics anymore. She said that this level of funding basically keeps the lights on. The Manager's recommendation would not permit the expansion of services to their growing student population, and would even jeopardize a continuation of some of their programs. She said that the workshops and professional development and support services taught her how to be an excellent teacher. Last week she was named as CHCCS Teach of the Year for the district. She said that she was a product of the CHCCS and all the extra services that they provided her. She asked the Board to fully fund their school system and to fund their children first. Dennis Whitling has been a County resident for 18 years and is currently running for the Orange County School Board. He spoke in support of additional funding for the Orange County school system. He made reference to appendix E of the merger study, which is the merger study done in 1986. In that report, the district tax was $522. It is now $1,078, according to the recommendation. In 1986, the district tax was 15°~ of the total CHCCS budget. In today's funding level, it is 31 %. This has the affect of reducing, or at least limiting, the funding level for the Orange County system. He said that there is a lot of discussion about equitable funding. He proposes to go back to the 15°~ figure and reduce the district tax over athree-year period, which would result in a funding increase in the OCS. This would be neutral for CHCCS. The County tax could be applied to increase funding for both school systems. Conrad Weidan is a Chapel Hill resident. His youngest child is getting ready to start kindergarten. He spoke in support of the funding for Chapel Hill schools. One of the reasons he lives here is because this area is pro-school. He has no problems paying additional taxes for school programs. Pam Anderson is Director at Chapel Hill Daycare Center. She said that there is money set aside in case there is a crisis in human services, and childcare is facing a crisis in human services. It is good for the County when childcare centers are fully staffed, because it means that people are out working. The cost of childcare for infants is $1,000 per month and childcare teachers at her center are only making $23-24,000 a year. These teachers cannot afford childcare for their own children. This affects her classrooms because she is losing teachers. Her center operates strictly off of tuition and the subsidy dollars far parents who cannot pay the tuition. She said that elementary school teachers across the street are facing the same thing because they cannot afford childcare. She asked for the help of the County Commissioners to consider putting money toward childcare subsidies. Anne Lutes has daughters at Grady Brown Elementary School. She said that she heard a lot of talk at the merger forums about getting rid of inequities in the two school systems. She said that it was constantly said that it could be done without merger. She had really high hopes far this budget. Not raising the district tax is a step in the right direction, but the budget does not do enough for OCS. She would rather pay higher taxes and have better schools. This budget does not strike her that it is better funding. She is afraid that it was rhetoric to stave off the merger monster. She asked what the parents of Orange County had to do to get better funding for the Orange County schools. She challenged all candidates for County Commissioner to make public their stand for the Orange County Schools and what they plan to do to get rid of the inequity. Melissa Bostrom -not here Julie Dermoty is a Literacy Specialist at Mary Scroggs Elementary School. She said that she does not agree with the recommended budget. She said that the proposed budget provides the bare minimum to the personnel, programs, and resources. They cannot do more with less. She said that this year was one of the lowest per student increases in ten years that she has been a teacher in Orange County. This concerns her. Support already in place will be eliminated with this proposed budget. She said that she hopes the Board will reject the budget before them and provide a realistic budget that supports the quality the County Commissioners demand. This budget is less than 20°~ of what was requested. Gayane Chambless thanked the Board for looking at the budget and figuring out haw to fund both school systems. She said that she does not think this budget is sufficient to meet the needs of the schools. She is willing to pay more per year in order to fully fund the school systems. She said that 17 years ago the Board of County Commissioners addressed merger and instead of that, they opted to look into mare collaboration and holding the funding disparity at a maximum of 3°~. This has not happened. The difference has grown too as much as 13.5% within one year alone. Regardless of the difference between the two systems and the best intentions, the fact remains that Orange County has been under funded for many years. The one need that has not been met that concerns her the most is the fact that they do not have sufficient social workers in the school systems and there are many children falling through the cracks. Currently, the social workers have double the maximum recommended caseload according to national guidelines. The recommended budget is only $54 per child over what was budgeted last year when OCS was under funded by 15.3%. This $54 will barely cover the cost of two textbooks, much less the need of two social workers. She begged the County Commissioners to throw OCS a lifeline to catch up with the years of under funding. James Henniger said that a County Commissioner was quoted in the paper as questioning whether the funding disparity between the districts is an issue of social justice. He has heard the argument that parental wealth is the major factor in scholastic performance and that this should explain the difference between city and county statistics. He said that it was more in line with the budget shortfalls. The special district tax has morphed into something it was not intended to do. The rural folk of Orange County did not vote for a special teacher supplement during the depression, so now we are to suffer for all succeeding generations. He said that, clearly Orange County, through the actions of the County Commissioners, is providing opportunities to same people while denying it to others. According to the recommended budget, CHCCS will receive $1,178 more per pupil than County students. He said that Commissioner Carey has been the lightning rod an the merger issue. He quoted Supreme Court Justice Marshall, "We sit not to resolve disputes over educational theory, but to enforce our constitution." It is an inescapable fact that if one district has more funds available per pupil than another district, the former will have greater choice of educational planning than will the latter. The people have spoken clearly that they want to maintain their unique districts. If you continue the present funding disparity, they may lose that option. The present system is inviting traditional intervention. If that happens, we will be merged. He said that if we are to maintain two districts, the special district tax must be reduced so that County schools can be adequately funded. The County school board's request sets the per pupil appropriation at $2,852, which is 4.1 cents on the tax rate. He said that disproportionate funding is disproportionate opportunity, and that is a social justice issue. Randy Garcia said that he is representing TROSA, Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers. This is anon-profit organization. He is celebrating four years of being off drugs. He is a staff member at TROSA and he has served over 23 years of prison time. He said that TROSA works. It is not the cure all for every person, but it is a good program. He asked the Board to reconsider their application for funding. He said that there will always be drug addicts and most criminals are in prison for drug-related issues. Since 1995 when TROSA started, they have served 45 Orange County residents at a cost of $55 per day for 12,000 days of service. It is a two-year program. This is a total cost of $650,000 that Orange County did not have to use. They have not had any support from Orange County. They are only asking for $10,000. He said that TROSA would not close the doors to anyone who needs help. They provide everything for anyone that needs it -clothing, food, education, medical services, etc. AI Hartkapf thanked the Board for the high level of commitment to the schools. He said that he and his wife moved to Orange County because of the schools and the funding commitment shown by the Board of County Commissioners. He has two daughters at Hillsborough Elementary School and they are delighted with the education received there. He made reference to his daughter's EOG scores and said that it is clear that the Orange County school system performs significantly better than the State watermark. This moment of pride in his daughter and in this system is made possible by the Board's commitment to providing funding at the level needed. He hopes this moment of pride will be repeated far parents across Orange County by raising the watermark. He said that the Board has time and time again thought outside the box to find innovative ways to do what was best for the citizens. This is one of the opportunities to think outside the box and do what it takes to fully fund the needs of the Orange County schools. Teri Stern spoke on behalf of the Seawell Elementary School Governance Committee. She said that they understand that the County Commissioners give a bucket of money and the board of education decides how to allocate the funds. They hope that the funding determination is not arbitrary. She said that the Board of County Commissioners should use whatever means available to properly fund the schools, which are a vital part of Orange County's identity. They are particularly concerned with teacher assistant funding. Kindergarten through third grade teacher assistants are critical and must be fully funded. They are frustrated that the State can cut class sizes by a few students and think that a reduction of merely a few students renders teacher assistants unnecessary. They have written the State representatives about these matters and have copied the Board of County Commissioners via email. They support the CHCCS proposed budget. Karl Knapp is a resident of the Laurel Springs neighborhood and he has two children in the CHCCS. He supports a larger increase in the per pupil allocation. He said that the proposed $54 increase represents only two percent growth, which does not even keep pace with the six percent growth of the budget or the four percent growth in the tax base. The proposed amount would not even provide enough funds to match the State mandates and other critical needs set forth as the minimum. He said that he knows it is not the responsibility of the County Commissioners to decide on line items in the budget, but it is their responsibility to know the consequences of the decisions made about per student funding levels. If this funding level is maintained, the teacher assistants, Spanish teachers, social workers, substitute teachers, school resource officers, and others will be cut. He understands the concern about the general spending in the County, but last year there was broad support for increased funding in the Orange County schools and many County Commissioners made statements to the effect that they supported increased funding. Naw is the time to act an it. He believes that the 48.1 °~ target for education is not appropriate far this budget. He said that it was time to reconsider this target. Ingrid Harm-Ernandes is a parent of two Orange County students. She said that the cost of the new Chapel Hill schools is considerably more than the new schools in Orange County. She said that the buildings are being paid with capital expenses, so the burden is on all taxpayers in the County and not just Chapel Hill. The district tax does not go to building the schools, as she understands. She said that OCS was paying $2 million less for a middle school being built in Orange County, which is the same template as Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill. This is also six years later, so it is really not $2 million less, but more than that. This $2 million could have been spent on many worthwhile programs that are under funded. She asked if we were paying for frills in schools instead of programs. She asked the Board to consider, not just how much is going into the budget, but how well we are spending the money. She said that Orange County students do not expect a lot, but they deserve it. Rick Kennedy is a parent in the OCS. He spoke about an experiment at UNC that parallels the experience of Orange County citizens who have the misfortune to care about public education. In the experiment, a rat was thrown into water and had to swim to survive. There was no hope of any rescue for the rat. He said that OCS has no hope of any rescue year after year and swimming against the current of what will be. Some people in the County are treated as less than worthy. He said that they are no closer to equal opportunity then they were ten years ago. He said that he has seen the board of education restrict public comment to just one meeting a month, and he has seen a chairman stop a citizen from speaking her mind about the board's performance, and the other board members let him get away with it. The board has also moved public comments to the end of the meeting, hoping to minimize the effect of dissent. He said that they have padded the central office at the expense of academic programs and have enacted policies regarding nepotism that apply to everyone in the school system except themselves. And now the chairman has plagiarized the graduation speech far the seniors. He said that Chapel Hill makes us all understand the first law of local politics -what Chapel Hill wants is what Chapel Hill gets. He said that the second law was what they do not want, they give to us. He said that the County must accept a massive economic burden for Chapel Hill's benefit. He said that the Board of County Commissioners trumpets the importance of quality education for all, rather than provide it. He said that this County is segregated by socioeconomic status, and no amount of debate will change that. He hopes that on July 20t" we throw the bums out and constitute a new board worthy of his trust. He asked that the Board reduce the tremendous gap created by the special district tax. Ruth Pershing lives in Chapel Hill. She is a middle school teacher at McDougle Middle School. She currently teaches highly gifted students in the 7t" and 8t" grade who are accelerated by two years in math. She is concerned about the dire situation of the schools' budget, both in the County and City, and its impact on the math classes. Her current assignment is a part-time temporary position carved out of a small allotment of what is normally funded for teacher assistants. Her job is considered only a 60°lo position and carries no benefits. The position also has no security and is likely to disappear entirely in the coming year. If her position were discontinued, her accelerated classes would be taught by regular team teachers, and the result would be that all other math classes would get significantly larger, and teachers would have bigger planning loads. She said that the gifted learners should be celebrated and encouraged, not merely shunted aside to take an advanced class with apart-time teacher stretched to the breaking point. She spoke in support of a full-time position for accelerated math and remedial math. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Gordon to adjourn the meeting at 9:20 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board