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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20050531APPROVED 811612005 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING May 31, 2005 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The purpose of this meeting was to hold a public hearing on the County Manager's recommended 2005-2006 budget. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Carey and Commissioners Valerie P. Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, Stephen H. Halkiotis and Barry Jacobs COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., 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. The meeting began at 7:33 p.m. 1. Opening Remarks- Chair Chair Carey asked that those signed up to speak strictly limit comments to no more than three minutes and to minimize duplication. He also asked that the materials that have been handed out be summarized instead of read because the County Commissioners will read the information. 2. Presentation of Manager's Recommended FY 2005-06 Budget County Manager's Recommended 2005-06 Annual Operating Budget Presentation to the Orange County Commissioners Orange County, NC May 26, 20Q5 Toniaht's Presentation ^ Major Milestones ^ Sustaining Our Resources ^ Recommended Budget Highlights . Revenues . Expenditures . County Operations . Education . Capital Funding . Employee Pay and Benefits Maior Milestones ^ Joint initiatives between County and Schools . Collaboration discussions . Educational Excellence Report . Revenue enhancement and expense reduction efforts Tremendous strides in Park Development . Opening of Little River Regional Park and Natural Area . Master site plans completed for Phase 2 at Efland-Cheeks Park, Twin Creeks District Park and Educational Campus, and Northern Park Continued progress in Lands Legacy program . More than 1500 acres of land throughout the County being protected and conserved since inception of program . Leveraged more than $3.7 million in Federal and State grants to assist with conservation and preservation initiatives New County Facilities . Opening of Cedar Grove Branch Library and Carrboro Cybrary . Planning for Southern Orange Senior Center, Orange County Satellite Campus of Durham Technical Community College . Completion of Space Study Update and County Facilities Needs Report Sustaining Our Resources ^ Sustainability Principles ^ Financially sustain existing critical services to citizens as new initiatives are considered ^ Retain stable, qualified, competent, flexible work force ^ Carefully correlate operating and capital expenditures for all initiatives or projects ^ Put infrastructure in place to meet citizens expectations for service delivery ^ Balance resources for all major functions such as education, public safety, and human services ^ All in context of County's organizational mission, legal responsibilities, and available resources Across the Nation Due to state and federal funding cuts and implementation of unfunded mandates, a number of local governments have had to become "creative" in funding services . They have become dependent on one-time budget "fixes" such as borrowing from unspent capital projects, freezing and delaying hiring, and using fund balance to try to keep tax increases low . Most have tapped all of their non-recurring funding sources . True far Orange County as well To that end, analysts predict that the majority of State and local governments will face a budget gap as they begin planning for fiscal year 2005-06 County's Revenue Highlights Revaluation -Appreciation of Property Values ^ Factors affecting real property appreciation include location, size and nature of property use . If property owner experienced valuation change that fell below the countywide average percentage and if the tax rate remained at the effective tax rate, would probably experience a decrease in property taxes . If, on other hand, the change increased the value above the average, owner would probably experience an increase in property taxes Property Tax Base ^ Overall property tax base approaching $12 billion ^ Compared to $10 billion base used to plan 2004-05 budget ^ Reflects estimated growth rate of about 19°1° ^ Average increase in non-Revaluation years between 3.5 to 4°1° Proposed General Fund Tax Rate ^ Recommended tax rate of 86.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation . Represents an increase of nine cents over the equivalent "revenue neutral" post- revaluation tax rate of 77.8 cents ^ One cent on property tax estimated to generate $1,187,580 Property Tax Revenues Continue to Be Strong -chart Other Revenue Highliqhts ^ Revenues such as sales tax reimbursements and investment earnings have clawed or decreased over last few years ^ Intergovernmental revenues for next year increase by about $1.4 million . 11 % increase tied mainly to Department of Social Services . Offsets expenditure increases such as . Daycare services . Social Worker positions added during the current fiscal year Fund Balance ^ Fund balance serves as "cash safety net" and enables entities to: ^ "Pay the bills" during slower revenue collection periods . Meet unforeseen needs should they arise ^ Recommended budget provides for no fund balance appropriation . Barring external impingements during the remainder of current fiscal year, expect year end fund balance to fall between 8 and 8.5°~ Maior Elements Driving Budget $1.9 million to increase the current per pupil appropriation by $95 $1.9 million to cover increased debt service resulting from Summer 2004 bond sales and additional programmed debt planned far the upcoming year $4.9 million to reinstate full funding for school recurring capital and County recurring and long-range capital $1.5 million far employee pay and benefits $1 million to establish reserve fund to address priority funding needs such as education and human and court related services $1 million to address the County's share of Medicaid, fuel and utilities costs Public Assistance and Foster Care ^ Number of families receiving Faad Stamps increased by about 50% in the past two years ^ Medicaid caseload has risen about 20% ^ Costs for faster care has increased due to increased casts per child as well as a rise in the number of families requiring intervention Education ^ School equity issues discussed during April 2005 work session ^ Equity in process of being defined . Programmatic . Equal per pupil funding 2005-06 education budget possible framework . Tier I -mandates/obligations . Tier II -possible restoration of State cuts or address continuation of 2004-05 school board initiatives covered with fund balance . Tier III -Educational Excellence, equity considerations Education Observations ^ Since 1997, Orange County continues to be #1 in per pupil funding in annual rankings by Public School Forum ^ $95 per pupil funding increase falls short of school board requests, but it and capital funding should keep Orange near top of rankings ^ Smallest net student increase in at least last 15 years Annual Student Growth -graph Education Observations ^ $95 recommendation aimed at addressing Tier I expenses such as salary and benefit increases ^ Actual salarylbenefit funds needed are subject to change during State budget political process ^ Recommendation does not significantly address: . $1.4 million to continue 2004-05 OCS program enhancements paid through fund balance . 2004-05 mid-year CHCCS fund balance adjustments . DPI projected loss of 123 CHCCS students Per Pupil Allocations to Each District State Mandated Funding Formula -table Education Observations ^ Based on higher per pupil increase request by OCS of $399, full funding of both school system requests equates to another 4 to 4.5 cents on tax rate ^ Recommending CHCCS district tax at post-revaluation revenue neutral rate of 17.5 cents -dawn from 20 cents in 2004-05 ^ BOCC may consider additional school funding, such as "Tier III" appropriations outside of per pupil allocation . Middle college high school initiative . School resource officers Critical Needs Reserve ^ New approach this year involves creation of $1 million reserve for critical and emerging needs ^ BOCC may allocate during June budget process, or later in fiscal year ^ Could address Tier II or III education needs -social workers, subject area specialists, other school board priorities - on per pupil basis ^ Potential non-education uses of reserve include: . Public assistance . Day care . Justice and court services . Fund balance enhancement Capital Funding ^ Changes to capital funding policy a 2004-05 priority for BOCC ^ Since 1988 bond referenda, aver 75 percent of capital funds spent for school needs ^ Capital constraints exacerbated by need in recent years to use earmarked capital funds to help balance County operational budget ^ BOCC adopted policy in November 2004 of 60% far schools, 40% far County for next ten years Capital Funding ^ Spring 2005 work sessions on 60-40 capital policy led to BOCC selection of Option ^ Includes recurring capital for schools and County at 3 cents and 1 cent of tax rate proceeds, respectively ^ Recommended budget fully implements Option 2 ^ $5 million increase from 2004-05 for school and County recurring and long-range capital ^ Progress towards $17 million+ backlog of County facility maintenancelrepairslimprovements Other Capital Considerations Uncertainty in Raleigh about impacts of potential "education lottery" Possible State sequestering of Public School Building Funds - a key component of Orange County debt service funding $100,000 construction manager initiative . 60°k from school capital, 40% from County capital . Three year pilot effort . Provide independent, critical review of County and school construction projects for savings/efficiencies Employee Pav and Benefits ^ Manager's Recommended Budget emphasis an funding pay plan on an ongoing basis and some "catch up" in increased cost of living and salary compression issues ^ Elements include: . 2.5 percent cost of living effective July 1, 2005 . Reinstatement of 2.5 percent in-range salary increases for proficient or higher work performance . Reinstatement of Meritorious Service awards to recognize top performing employees . $5 increase in County 401 (k) contribution for non-sworn law enforcement employees from $20 to $25 per pay period Employee health insurance increase of up to 16.9 percent ^ Increase in the Living Wage from $9.11 to $9.34 per hour On the Horizon ^ Start up casts far OCS Middle School #3 -opening August 2006 ^ Start up costs for CHCCS High School #3 -opening August 2007 ^ Capital impacts from phased implementation of BOCC-endorsed Space Needs Report ^ Assuming successful property acquisition negotiations, future operations/maintenance costs of SportsPlex and ca-located senior center ^ Review of various County fees to ensure they are at appropriate levels Conclusion ^ One of the most challenging Orange County budgets of past 20 years, and my tenure as Manager ^ Progress on capital repair and improvement goals ^ Address school priorities in same creative ways ^ Recognize our talented and committed employees ^ Manager and staff ready to assist BOCC in making this their budget Public Hearings - May 31" at Southern Human Services Center June 2~d at F. Gordon Battle Courtroom Work Sessions - June 9`" at Southern Human Services Center June 14t" at Government Services Center June 16t" at Southern Human Services Center Work Session/Adoption -June 20t" at Southern Human Services Center Final Adoption - June 23rd -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 (portions of document): ^ vvww.co.orange.nc.us Commissioner Jacobs said that one of the groups the Board may hear from are the County employees and it is good to see them speaking for themselves. He said that the County Commissioners share many of the frustrations that the citizens feel about funding issues. He encouraged the citizens to contact the State legislators. He also thanked the Manager and staff for their work. Chair Carey pointed out that the citizens should contact all State legislators and not just those that represent this district. 3. Public Comment Tina Siragusa is the Executive Director of EI Centro Latino in Carrboro. She gave the County Commissioners a letter with the appeal, as well as the first page of the Human Services application that they submitted. She is appealing for a correction and a consideration as stated with the new amounts, which is a $2,000 increase from $25,000 to $27,000. Karl Knapp spoke on behalf of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro PTA Council. He read a prepared statement. In summary, he said that the Council asked that the Board of County Commissioners fully fund the budget requests of both school systems. The County Manager's recommended budget would leave each district about $2 million short of their requests. They are concerned about how these shortfalls will affect students. He said that if the Manager's recommended budget were adopted, it would force the school boards to make significant cuts to specific programs. He said that in the CHCCS, a $95 per pupil increase would cover only the cost of increase for insurance and employees and would not provide funds for cast increases in other items such as utilities and employee benefits. In recent years, the school system has compensated for small funding increases by reducing the district's undesignated fund balance to the point where there is almost Wane left. He understands that OCS has done the same. The prospect of insufficient funding is forcing the school system to consider cuts such as elimination of middle school resource officers, elimination of middle school after school programs, and reductions in staffing for exceptional child programs, teacher assistants, and gifted education. He asked far full funding of both school systems' budgets. Florence Soltys was representing the Senior Care of Orange County. This is the beginning of the first year of the transfer to a private organization that they formed into a non- profit as a result of the Master Aging Plan. They have found a great need for a day health center, particularly in Northern Orange, which has formed and is growing rapidly. They are now full and need other space to expand. She gave examples of people that visit the center. They have certified nursing assistants and nurses so that the people can be cared for well. She thinks the entire community should support this program. About $0% of the people that use it can not afford to pay the cost. She said that she feels the support of John Link and his staff in helping them with this. They have also had support from Carol Woods and UNC Hospital. Bernice Goldstein is the full-time teacher of academically gifted at Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill. She asked the County Commissioners to fully fund Superintendent Pederson's budget request for this year. She said that this budget just seeks to maintain the current level of services. If the budget is not fully funded, many essential positions are in danger of being cut. Among those are the half-time gifted positions. This would seriously impact the academically gifted programs in every elementary schoal in Chapel Hill. She said that they only want to maintain the current level of services that are offered and the quality of the programs that they now have. Micaela Arneson is a 7t" grade student at Smith Middle School. She said that Chapel Hill's strength is its school systems because the schools are the largest part of the budget. She said that budget cuts would affect her classroom because teachers and assistants would be pulled in too many directions and she would not get the instruction and help she needs. She said that she and her fellow classmates are the future workforce of the County, State, and country. In order to be competitive and to represent the County well, they need funding and support. Debbie Piscitelli said that she was told to be here tonight because the County Commissioners needed to see and hear from her. She is a parent of OCS children. She said that she values quality education for her children. She and her husband together have 19 years of higher education and training. She asked if it was enough that she was there or if it became a comparison if more CHCCS parents came than OCS parents. She believes that good and fair decisions should be made based on sound data. She asked how much data was needed before it is realized that the OCS has actual needs that are not being met. She said that OCS needed the County Commissioners to keep their promise and fund these items because last year the savings account was used to add racial workers and Spanish teachers. She understands the complexities involved in funding them fully, but they cannot continue to collect data without implementing the recommendations of the studies that have been done. Carole Andrews is an OCS parent. She thanked Shirley Carraway far giving them Spanish teachers, because the test scores have shown that kids that have these courses early da better an SAT's. She wants to see these courses continue and she does not think they are something frivolous. She said that her rising middle-school daughter might not have the opportunity to take Spanish again until 8t" grade. She pointed out that middle school test scores are lower in OCS than in CHCCS. She said that Wane of the extra teachers they received last year were frivolous. She read a quote as follows: "What use is it if piled task on task and prolonging days of labor if at the close, the cheap object is left unattained?" Sue Russell is President of Child Care Services Association. She read a prepared statement. She said that their mission is to assure that affordable, accessible, high quality childcare is available for all young children and their families. She said that a family could expect to pay over $10,000 a year far childcare for a toddler in a four-star center, and more than $12,000 a year for a toddler in a five-star center. This is mare than in-state tuition at UNC. If a family makes only $40,000 a year, they must spend 25°~ of their gross income for childcare and cannot qualify far assistance. With the help of Orange County, Smart Start, UNC, the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and the United Way, Child Care Services was able to provide scholarships to 371 children living in Orange County last fiscal year. The median income of these families was $16,803. Last year, 27°~ of these children were from Latino families, and this year it is 33%. Sa far, they have helped 838 preschool children and their families locate childcare. It is critical to set a positive learning path far children in their first five years. The issue in Orange County is that mare families need help paying the cost of the high quality childcare. The needs are great, with 306 preschool and 96 schoal aged children living in the County whose families are currently on the DSS and Child Care Services combined scholarship waiting list. They are asking the County to consider making a larger investment through increasing the County's commitment to childcare subsidy. Ray Martin is the President of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Association of Educators. He presented some letters. He spoke about three promises the Association plans to make to the County Commissioners. The first one is support in the political courage to do what needs to be done to fully fund the schools. The second is to provide opportunities for more funding. He made reference to the second page of his handout and asked that the County Attorney look into this. This is regarding a lawsuit against the U. S. Department of Education for educational funding that was never dispersed. All Orange County has to do is join the lawsuit. The third promise is that he will be back at the end of June. Anna Mercer-McLean is the Director of Community Schools for People Under Six. She spoke on behalf of childcare subsidy for children 0-5 in Orange County. She thanked the County Commissioners for the support last year that served 46 children. They are requesting that the County Commissioners commit $500,000 in this budget to provide subsidy for all 0-5 year olds on the waiting list for DSS and Child Care Services. There are approximately 432 children on the waiting list at this time. Anna Mercer-McLean also spoke about the tennis program in OCS. She represents the Durham-Orange Community Tennis Association. They are asking for support and to upgrade Orange High School tennis courts, which are in bad shape and very unsafe for use in the community. There are six courts, and they need $25,000 to repair the courts. They are also asking that the tennis courts at Cedar Ridge be available to the public. She pointed out the pictures of tennis courts at Orange High School, Chapel Hill High School, and East Chapel Hill High School. Nancy Safrit spoke on behalf of the School Governance Committee of Smith Middle School. She said that they ask the County Commissioners to fully fund the budget request for CHCCS. This request would continue services at their current levels, and there are no extras in this budget. She said that if this budget is not fully funded, their middle schools might suffer the most because elementary students must be supervised and high school students have requirements to graduate. Smith Middle School students range in age from 10 to 16, and they need their after school program and their School Resource Officer. Jeff Danner is a father of two at Seawell Elementary and a member of the Seawell STC. He spoke in support of full funding for the CHCCS budget. He asked the County Commissioners to think back to when they chose to run for County Commissioner and what they wanted to achieve. He cannot believe that the demise of the school district was one of the goals. He said that the excellence of the school system is the result of decades of work by students, teachers, parents, administrators, and County Commissioners. He said that this community supports education and they are sensitive to the needs of the poor and low-income families. He said that there should be enough creativity among the County Commissioners and the citizens in the community to come up with a local funding mechanism that supports education, but does not harm the citizens that cannot afford the higher taxes. Mike Madden is a parent of a Special Olympics athlete and he spoke in support of Special Olympics of Orange County coordinated funding sources. He made reference to his PowerPoint handout. Special Olympics of North Carolina is a model program and is the fourth largest program worldwide. The County program handles more than 240 athletes and mare than 200 volunteers. The County program independently raises $15,000 and brings in thousands of hours of volunteer time. It is run by one part-time coordinator. The Town of Chapel Hill has put forth funding for this position, but the Mayor has asked Orange County to contribute part or all of the extra $16,000 to make this afull-time position. He spoke about the problems with three part-time coordinators. He said that it was financially fair for them to ask Orange County for funding for the SOOC Coordinator position. Kathy Bryan is Director of Orange Enterprises. She asked the County Commissioners to support the Special Olympics program. She said that many times when they place someone with disabilities into the workforce, the individuals miss the camaraderie of Orange Enterprises. She said that one of the ways that they have bridged the social gap is through recreational opportunities like Special Olympics. She supported Mike Madden's comments. Hal McKeel also spoke in support of Special Olympics of Orange County. He has been a coach for Special Olympics for 15 years. He asked that Orange County kick in $16,000 for the Special Olympics coordinator position. He said that this is the largest community-based program in the State. They are asking that the County Commissioners get behind this program that has proven itself year after year. Chair Carey said that Orange County believes that Special Olympics of Orange County is important and the County Commissioners have asked staff to work with the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to make this program a truly collaborative approach with all of the governments participating. He asked the Manager to give an update. Jahn Link said that they understand and appreciate the proposal from the Town of Chapel Hill in terms of appropriating funding for this position. However, the County and Carrboro have been working with Chapel Hill staff on another alternative, which involves the staff that has specialty background in this area. He said that they have been sincere in working with the Chapel Hill staff on directly providing staff support. Judy Mathias is employed part-time by Orange County Department on Aging with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. She is also President of the Band Boosters at C. W. Stanford and is also an active parent volunteer at the Orange High School Marching Band program. She has also worked with Cameron Park's PTTO and with the PTSA at C. W. Stanford. She spoke on behalf of her children in support of the OCS Board's budget. She asked the County Commissioners to fully fund the school board's budget. She said that the money raised far the marching bands is just to maintain what they have. Orange High School's Marching Band has increased by 30 students this past year and is expected to grow by 30 mare students next year. Each uniform costs $350 and the marching band tuition is $200, which is one of the cheapest in the area. If their budget is cut, then the tuition would have to be raised and children could not afford to be in marching band. Laura Dudley spoke on behalf of the Ephesus Road Elementary School Governance Committee. They strongly urge the County Commissioners to fully fund the proposed CHCCS and OCS budget of 2005-2006. They ask that the County Commissioners work toward the funding equity in a manner that helps both school systems. Failing to fully fund the budgets as proposed would result in an overall reduction in the quality of education for all children in the community. The statement was signed by all 14 members of the SGC. Laura Dudley then spoke for herself and asked the County Commissioners to give the residents of northern Orange County the opportunity to vote on the district tax. She said that the difference in resources and educational opportunities afforded to the CHCCS students is a direct result of the funds generated by their district tax, which OCS does not have. She was surprised to learn that the residents of northern Orange County have never been given the opportunity to decide whether or not to have such a district tax. She asked for a chance to vote on a district tax on the next available ballot. Mark Peters said that the County Commissioners should decide how to address the funding inequity of the schools - a countywide supplemental tax or an OCS district tax. He said that twice last year Commissioner Gordon put forth a proposal to start working on this difference in taxation, and there was never a second. Maybe this could be considered this year. He said the problems that elementary teachers are having concerning planning time are going to get worse this year with the implementation of the new calendar. If the teachers also lose their teacher assistants, then their ability to provide differentiated instruction will be negatively affected. He has also spoken with staff members that provide gifted and exceptional instruction who have been told to look for jobs. He is very troubled by this. He asked the County Commissioners to exercise due diligence in understanding what is required to maintain the current adultlstudent ratios that Dr. Madeline Grumet used in her study of the districts. The Manager's proposed budget would result in a loss of critical teacher assistants. He is also curious as to why the percentage of the budget spent on the schools has gone down several percentage points in this budget cycle. He also spoke about the inequity of capital funding for CHCCS High Schaal #3. He said that the OCS Middle School #3 is fully funded for cost overruns and the high school was told to build an incomplete school. He said that the 60140 funding formula that is about to be adopted appears to take away the revenue streams agreed to earlier when the interlocal agreements were signed and it puts CHCCS in a similar debt situation that the County Commissioners just fixed for OCS far Cedar Ridge High School. He asked that his taxes be raised to fully fund the schools. Mitch Cox is an employee of OCS and the Chair of the Orange High School Governance Team. He urged the County Commissioners to fully fund bath school systems' budgets. He underscored some items in the OCS budget -three teachers at high school level for freshman academies, reading resource teachers at the middle and high school levels, a literacy specialist, a social worker, and a psychologist are needed. He said that, given the results of the recent study comparing and contrasting the OCS and CHCCS, he knows the County Commissioners are aware of the additional support that the OCS requires for middle and high school levels. There are also needs far staff development associated with the High Five program, which promotes high school reform among five school districts through sharing of ideas and pooling of resources. He asked for the County Commissioners to support the entire budgets for both school systems. Pat Bauman is a resident of Chapel Hill and a CHCCS parent. She urged the County Commissioners to fully fund both of the proposed school budgets. She said that, when choosing a place to settle and raise their son, her family chose Chapel Hill because of the value placed on education and the quality of education. He said that the County Commissioners have an opportunity and a responsibility to demonstrate their beliefs in the value of education by fully funding the proposed school budgets. She said that less than full funding would cause positions to be eliminated and programs to be cut. Matt Kleissler is a fifth grade student at McDougle Elementary School. He is concerned about the proposed budget cuts for 2005-2006. He is concerned about not having school supplies such as books, calculators, computers, and maps. He is also concerned about losing teacher assistants. He said that the budget cuts would also decrease school safety because they could lose a school resource officer. He said that his class has done a lot to help save money because they recycle and conserve energy by not using all of the lights. They also report leaky water fountains. Donna Parke is a Media Assistant at Carrboro Elementary School. For the past 16 years, she has been a taxpayer, a parent, and a volunteer in the CHCCS. She has worked as an assistant in the district since 1993. At the April 21 ~ board meeting, she spoke about the budget cuts proposed by the Superintendent and the need to retain all classroom assistants. She asked the County Commissioners to fully fund the Superintendent's proposed budget. The proposed budget is bare banes and there are no bells and whistles or fluff. She said that if the budget were not fully funded, cuts would need to be made by the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Since the largest part of the budget is personnel, people will be losing their jobs. She said that because of the No Child Left Behind Act and End of Grade (EOG) testing, the pressure to do well is enormous. She said that if we are to leave no child behind, she asks the County Commissioners to leave no assistant behind and fully fund the budget. Mark Horst is a PTA officer at Seawell Elementary. He said that he is encouraged by the Manager's budget because it strives to cover State mandates and expenses without State money. However, without additional funding, they risk losing teacher assistants, Spanish and science resource teachers, and administrative support staff. He said that teacher assistants serve more than just in the classroom, but they supervise children throughout the day at recess, lunch, and other capacities. He said that the Department of Public Instruction is preparing for science end of grade tests, and without additional funds, the schools will lose support staff for the sciences. He asked the County Commissioners to consider increasing the per pupil funding far all schools in Orange County. Linda Carver is a first grade teacher in Orange County. She is also speaking for the members of the American Federation of Teachers in Orange County. She knows that if OCS's budget is not fully funded, it will bother the first grade students that she knows. It will make a difference if they do not have assistants. The OCS budget only maintains those things that were started with the with their fund balance and sustains current practices. She said that the American Federation of Teachers in Orange County asks that the County Commissioners fully fund the school budget. Sheila Sholes-Ross is Executive Director of Communities in Schools of Orange County. She thanked the County Commissioners for the support given to Communities in Schools in the past. She also thanked the County Manager. This organization is a dropout prevention organization and they have programs in all six of the middle schools. Last year, they served over 1,800 students. They ask that the County Commissioners support the recommendation of the Manager to continue funding for Communities in Schools of Orange County. Communities in Schools was selected for the third year in a row by Worth Magazine as one of the top 100 non-profits that is keeping children in school. Katy Weinberg is a fifth grader at McDougle Elementary School. She is concerned about the proposed school budget. By not funding the full budget, her education would be greatly impacted. Her first concern is that her school would have fewer supplies. Another concern is that cuts might be made to programs of special needs children. Also, cuts would force the school board to reduce foreign language teachers. To help save money, her class turns off lights when they do not need them, and they also use the backs of recycled paper. Her biggest concern is the possibility of losing teacher assistants. Jennifer Jansen is Co-Chair of Seawell's SGC, which has sponsored a petition and collected 293 signatures. She read the petition as follows: "The undersigned parents from Seawell Elementary School petition you to continue your commitment to excellence in education by fully funding both the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and the Orange County Schools budget requests. We request that you continue to prioritize education in Orange County and preserve the integrity of the classroom learning process by fully funding the schools' budget requests. We acknowledge the challenging budget climate this year, we recognize the Commissioners' goal of funding increases for Orange County Schools and we trust that you work toward this funding equity in a manner that helps both Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools. A solution needs to be implemented in the 2005-2006 year. Move toward funding equity and preserve local control." Lynn Lehmann is a CHCCS parent. She is also a member of the Carrboro Elementary SGC and she was representing this group. She introduced the Spanish-speaking member of the SGC, who was representing the Hispanic community. She asked the County Commissioners to rework the County Manager's recommended budget to approve the Superintendent's request for a fully funded budget. The Manager's recommended budget could do harm to their students by possibly denying things such as studentladult ratios in the elementary classroom, afterschool programs for at-risk middle school students, school resource officers, elementary world language teachers, exceptional children's teaching staff, and gifted education specialists. The district may also have to reduce school supply money by 20°l°. She said that she recently saw a figure that it costs North Carolina a minimum of $23,000 to house one prisoner for a year. The Superintendent and school board are asking fora $270 per pupil increase, for a total of $2,898 per person. She said that if the budget cuts continue, there could be more prisoners than school students in North Carolina at a much higher cost. She asked the County Commissioners to make a statement that education is the first priority in Orange County. Linda Coleman is the Co-President of the East Chapel Hill High PTSA. She would like to see both school budgets fully funded. She said that 13 years ago her family had the opportunity to live anywhere in the country. They have three children. They wanted to live in a community with a climate of acceptance because they have two adopted children from different countries. They chose Chapel Hill and have been very happy here. She said that this is the first year that she has focused on the budget because of the drastic nature of the cuts. She wants to make sure that her 12 year old receives the same education that her older siblings did. She made reference to the Newsweek article about America's best high schools. The two high schools in Chapel Hill are both in the top 100, and she thinks this speaks to the budgets that have been allotted to the schools. Lisa Stolakis is PTA president at Chapel Hill High School. She said that she and Linda Coleman are both nurses and both volunteer in the CHCCS. She said that budget cuts started in the mid-1980's and have stayed. She said that patient care was directly affected, nursing staff was greatly reduced, and remaining staff had increased patient care responsibility. Many nurses became more frustrated. The result was that the nursing shortage began. She said that budget reductions in schools would directly affect classroom education. Teaching staff will be decreased and remaining teaching staff will have increased teaching responsibilities and many teachers will become frustrated. Adequate staffing in elementary and middle schools is crucial to meet basic education and safety needs. She said that one education historian said that the single mast important way to improve high schools is to improve elementary and middle schools. She knows that the County Commissioners care about people, and she asked them to please not cut what they knave already works. She asked the County Commissioners to find a way to fully fund both school systems. Amy Porter is a CHCCS parent and a second grade teacher at McDougle Elementary. She said that a decision to fully support funding far both school systems sends a clear message to the voters that they stand for high quality public education. She said that when the budgets are not fully funded, the systems are forced to make dangerous cuts. In Alamance County, she has seen teacher assistants removed. She said that there is a teacher crisis in North Carolina now and cuts will force more teachers to retire early and more young, qualified teachers to choose other careers. Tam Konsler is a representative of the Orange County Employee Relations Consortium. He was asked to address the County Commissioners regarding the pay and benefits portion of the Manager's recommended budget. The Consortium is a group of employees appointed by County departments to represent all employees. One of their charges is to communicate concerns raised by employees. Far the past two years, the single overwhelming issue raised by employees has been the County's pay plan. Specifically, their concerns include the lack of opportunities for employees to move higher in salary range, the lack of cast-of-living compensation to keep up with rising costs, and the limited 401 k contributions. He said that their incomes have remained stagnant with only one cost-of-living adjustment of 2% in the last three years. Implementation of the 2003 Classification and Pay Study without the funding of in-range salary increases in any of the past three years has caused significant salary compression, when newly hired employees' salaries are at levels close to ar equal to employees with longer service. This has been a blow to employee morale. They urge the County Commissioners to support the Manager's Employee Pay and Benefits recommendations in full. They ask that the 2.5°~ in- range salary increase be reinstated to support longer service employees and begin to address salary compression. Secondly, they ask that the County Commissioners provide far a 2.5°~ cost-of-living adjustment to help employees address rising costs and to make up far lost ground with regard to pay. Thirdly, they ask the County Commissioners consider a substantial increase to the County's 401 k contribution. They believe that the County Commissioners' investment in the employees of Orange County to carry out the business of Orange County is money well spent. Carol Cheek is an OCS parent and President of Cedar Ridge Band Boosters. They are a third year band program that has grown from 21 students to 92 students. They are expecting another 40 students in 2005-2006. With this increase in students, there are staffing, uniforms, and equipment needs. It is impossible for them to raise the amount of money needed to fund this program. She said that giving every student the opportunity to be a part of the band program is very important. She asked that the County Commissioners approve the $25,000 shown for each high school band program as well as to fully fund the entire school budget. Bob Bourett is a parent of three children in public schools. He had three points. First, the budget requests submitted by bath school systems are fiscally responsible and educationally necessary. He said that further cuts in non-classroom expenses do not appear feasible, but the proposed County budget does not even cover increases in operating costs over which the schools have no control. Therefore, failure by the County to provide all requested funds would force the school boards to make personnel cuts that would have a dramatically negative impact on the education of Orange County students. For the past eight years, he has volunteered at least an hour a week in elementary school classrooms. He said that part-time volunteers could not replace full-time educational professionals. Second, the citizens of Orange County have a long history of generously supporting K-12 education and continue to do so today. He recognizes the additional needs of the County besides schools. The only way to address these needs is a tax increase. He is confident that there are many voters who would gladly pay higher taxes in order to ensure adequate funding for the schools. He previously communicated his views to the Board via email and was pleased to received a response from Commissioner Jacobs, who noted his desire to continue the County's traditionally strong support for public education, but also painted out that a large tax increase works against having a diverse community in which people of all income levels can afford to live. Third, challenging circumstances require creative solutions. He said that perhaps it might be possible to achieve the twin goals of affordable taxes and the best public education in the State by establishing a graduated system of property tax rates. The County could follow the example of the progressive income tax and shift some of the property tax burden to those most able to pay. He thanked the County Commissioners for their many hours of dedicated service to Orange County. Tammy Finch is a half-time Gifted Education Specialist at Ephesus Elementary. She is in support of Superintendent Pederson's proposed budget. She asked for all items to be funded. She said that, for many years, CHCCS has been known for its excellence. To keep being excellent in education, it needs to be fully funded. She said that a vote to fully fund the budget is a vote for children. The children are the future leaders in the County. She urged the County Commissioners to fully fund the school's budget request. Natalie Noukhaly is a first grade teacher at McDougle Elementary and she represents the SGC, which is comprised of parents, teachers, and staff. They support full funding of the requested budget of CHCCS and strongly oppose anything less because it will negatively impact the quality of instruction. They are alarmed that if the Board of County Commissioners does not fully fund them that the school board may be forced to eliminate teacher assistants as acast-saving measure. This makes the goal of closing the achievement gap more elusive. Aerin Benavidos thanked the County Commissioners for allowing her to voice her opinion. She is a widow and she moved to the area to be near her sister in Durham. She chose to live in Chapel Hill because she values education. She values education so much that she feels that it is better than her own healthcare. If she had to choose between chemotherapy far herself and education for her child, she would choose education. She does not mind paying more taxes. She said that the value of education is invisible and just as necessary as the air for our children tomorrow. She moved here from Lima, Peru and she heard about Chapel Hill from an executive that came to speak at her private Schaal about the quality of education here. She found that everything he said was true and even beyond that. She spoke in support of full funding for the schools. Lisa Napp thanked the County Commissioners for everything that is happening in Orange County -the conservation efforts and the Grumet report. She is a parent of an OCS student and has often wondered and reflected on the two school systems. She believes that when we look at the budget, the poverty level of same of the children should be considered. She said that the 2004 ABC report showed that OCS had double the amount of children in poverty enrolled than the CHCCS. She hopes that the citizens get a chance to vote on a district tax, but this is not possible for this fiscal year. She liked the tier 3 option and she would like to add social workers to this. This year they had a social worker far three days a week at her school and it has changed the lives of many children. Ellen Manning spoke in support of full funding for the CHCCS and OCS budgets. She spoke about the importance of teacher assistants. She came to Frank Porter Graham as a second grade interim teacher and said that she could not have done this without her teacher assistant, who had taught the class by herself before she came in as the teacher. She said that without teacher assistants, she does not know how the teachers would be able to do reading assessments and running records. Matt Cox is a member of Club Nova and has been a member since 1988. He has been employed far five years as van driver for Club Nova. He has his own apartment. He also joined the faculty of the International Center for Clubhouse Development, and he has traveled to other countries and around America helping to develop and certify Clubhouses International. He said that Club Nava has improved his quality of life and is doing so for many others. He said that Club Nova serves about 45 members a day, and there are 120 active members. All of the members are part of the target population -people with serious mental illness. He said that they are cost-effective, participant driven, community based, prevention focused, recovery outcome oriented, and reflect best practice. Shiro Belovicz has been a member of Club Nova since February 2002. She said that members of Club Nova really help each other out. She said that some of their goals for the future include continuing to provide quality service to people with mental illness in Orange County. They are eager to renovate and expand their space to serve more members. They are currently bursting at the seams. They are concerned about whether they will be able to pursue their goals. She said that they heard from Judy Pruitt at the last OPC Board meeting that some programs may have to be downsized. They want to know if Club Nova is one of those programs. Anne Jackson is a member of Club Nova. She said that they need to continue receiving Medicaid funds. They currently receive $9.35 an hour for the services they provide -the lowest reimbursement rate in mental health services. They need to continue receiving State dollars for services provided to non-Medicaid eligible members. They also need to receive the full County subsidy that they have received over the past few years. She thanked the County Commissioners for their support over the years. She gave an example of community service and said that during Hurricane Fran, Club Nova became part of the Orange County disaster relief site for the Red Cross and were open 24 hours for the first few days for emergency crews. They believe that they should give help as well as receive it. They served 1,500 meals a week to emergency crews and Orange County citizens during this time. She said that Club Nova has given her an affordable place to live. Ken Perry thanked the County Commissioners for their support of Club Nova. He said that they need continued funding from the County in the form of the subsidy. They also need transitional funding to help them in their three months of operating independently of OPC Mental Health. They are hoping that Verla Insko will help them to secure the money for the transition. They need a backup in case this does not work out. They are estimating $200,000 in transition money. Thirdly, they need more transitional monies to help them get their computer system ready for new responsibilities. They also need to know that there is a safety net in case State funding is held up or if there are other transition issues. Will Wyland said that the State has mandated huge changes in the mental health system. He said that there is a one-month period in August after the RFP's go in and before the divestiture is supposed to start an September 1St. This will be a critical funding time for Club Nova. Chair Carey pointed out that it was 10:00 and there were still 40 people signed up to speak. The Board agreed to hear all people that had signed up to speak. Timothy Pettrey lives in Cedar Grove and he is a member of Club Nova. He thinks that this is the most gratifying program that he has ever been in. He said that Matthew Cox drives the van and he catches the van in the morning and works at Club Nova and goes back home at night. Kayla Zaragoza has been a member of Club Nava for five years. She said that Club Nova gives her a place to go when she has no other place to go. She said that the staff and members are extremely knowledgeable. Through Club Nova, she has been back in the working world and has completed two transitional appointment jobs. Without Club Nova, she would not have so many opportunities, including going back to school at Alamance Community College for graphic design and also taking art classes in the community. Marilyn Ciocci said that she became a member of Club Nova last year. She made reference to the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The first level of needs is shelter, and she has found shelter at Club Nava as well as privacy and solitude. The last level is self-esteem, and she has found self-esteem among the members of Club Nova. She asked the County Commissioners to continue to fund Club Nova. Pickens Miller has been a member of Club Nova since 2000. He has worked five different jobs through transitional employment. This has enabled him to do many things. He thanked the County Commissioners for helping Club Nava through divestiture and onward. Mitchell Price is the Director of Development for Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina. He thanked the County Commissioners and the County Manager for their hard work in providing funds to local agencies with limited resources. The County support has assisted them for many years in providing family planning services and sex education programs to Orange County residents. This year they anticipate meeting the healthcare needs of over 12,000 people, reaching an additional 5,000 through their educational program. He encouraged the Board to support John Link's funding recommendation for Planned Parenthood. This funding will help them to provide reduced fee services to young people. Their focus this year will be on the Latino youth education program aimed at pregnancy prevention in adolescents. Dianne Jackson is an employee of CHCCS. She is also President of the American Federation of Teachers in North Carolina. She represents teachers in both school districts. She said that the school districts are the main reason that same people have moved to this area. She recognizes the difficult task of providing funding for the area school districts, but she also recognizes the need to fully fund both school systems' budgets. As educators attempt to meet increasing local, state, and national educational requirements, they must have the staff, resources, and programs reflected in the Superintendents' fiscally lean proposed budgets. Karen Casey is a CHCCS parent. She is also a teacher assistant at Frank Porter Graham. She works for a teacher that is from England, who depends on her to assist in assessments and report cards, to take the class while she does running records, to log on NC Wise for attendance, conduct reading groups, math groups, writing, and workshop. She logs in permission slips and takes notes and calls from parents regarding afterschool status. She takes students to the nurse, to lunch, to specials, to assemblies, to recess, and on class trips. She copies daily and weekly lessons, and she logs on the computer for STAR Reading and STAR Math and research projects. She grades homework, spelling tests, writing, and math. She also bandages boo-boos, wipes noses, washes scrapes, zips jackets, ties shoes, and helps to pick up spilled backpacks. She continued to list the things she does each day. She said that if a teacher did all of this every day, they would not have time to teach. In the end, a great number of children would be left behind. Arlene Furman is a resident of Carrboro and her children have been enrolled in both school systems. She moved to Carrbora to gain more mobility in her life, having lost the majority of her eyesight. In the past four to five years, she has stood before the Board to request the County Commissioners to find money to fully support the OCS. Tonight, she is asking that the Caunty Commissioners listen to all parents and fully fund both school systems. She received a phone call from Superintendent Pedersen over the weekend stating that the CHCCS will came up $1.6 million short of being able to fund mandated increases. She said that if the CHCCS cannot cover these mandates, it would be very bad for OCS, which has been chronically under funded for years. In the past few years, County school shortfalls have been explained by Jahn Link as unsolvable and simply a matter of arithmetic. She said that John Link should know that these explanations would no longer suffice and that if he does not have a better solution, he should find a new jab. She disagrees with the tiered solution. She said that it is the County Commissioners' job to fix the funding problem and to come up with a funding formula that meets the needs of both systems. She said that a simple and clear solution would be to laver the district tax, and increase the countywide property tax. Libbie Hough is Chair of OCS Board. She thanked everyone that has advocated for funding for both school systems. She totally concurs. She spoke on behalf of the OCS Board and on behalf of the 7,000 children in OCS. She said that they realize that taking students to levels of excellence requires more resources and support. Their 2005-06 budget request tames directly from community-generated plans or from mandates, and their needs have been substantiated by the findings of the Educational Excellence Work Group. Last year, they were encouraged to reduce their fund balance to make much needed improvements in OCS. Using these savings, they increased non-tenured teacher supplements 11 %, hired social workers, and reinstated the elementary Spanish program. They are counting on the Caunty Commissioners for financial support to help keep these improvements in place. They have also tightened their belts. Last year they privatized janitorial services at Orange High School, implemented the Energy Education Program, and received a donation of funds for their afterschool program. This year that program, together with their Child Nutrition Program, will provide $300,000 towards district efforts. Their local budget request focuses on the basics -literacy, dropout prevention, increasing academic rigor, and teacher recruitment, development, and retention. Next week, the Board of County Commissioners will formally receive the OCS request, and on the request will be the first ever district wide Literacy Specialist. Also, the first ever district wide Math and Science Specialist will be on this request. She said that Orange County students deserve an excellent education and it is imperative that they have access to equivalent resources as CHCCS does. She made reference to the recent discussions about equity and merger, and said that over the last two years both districts have spent many hours on callaboratian efforts. Throughout it all, the one clear thing is that OCS has done an excellent jab with the resources they have been given and the children of rural Orange County deserve more. She asked the County Commissioners to fund their budget request fully and to finally address the $13.3 million different in local funding that keeps the OCS from providing the educational services that are needed. Ken Perry is a CHCCS parent. He supports taxes for all causes that have been mentioned, particularly education. He would like to ask State legislators and the Governor to fund education better, but he would not wait for this to happen. He said that the buck stops here. He finds it odd that the concept of voters having an opportunity to vote on issues is bad. He thinks everyone should be allowed to tax themselves as much as they want and be able to vote on it. He said that it would be easier to put the countywide district tax an the ballot rather than trying to guess what people think. He said that the district tax is not evil. He suggested a progressive property tax, where the richer people are taxed more. He said that he was shacked to learn that a farmer OCS Board member made a motion to put the district tax before the voters and he did not even get a second to the motion. He is confused about the politics behind it. Chair Carey pointed out that no county in the State has the authority to do a progressive property tax. Lisa Stuckey is Chair of the CHCCS Board. She thanked the County Commissioners for their support of the schools. The two districts are well funded, and this reflects the value the community places on education. She said that they face challenges that are unprecedented. The General Assembly is facing a $1.3 billion deficit. How this will be addressed remains uncertain. If some of the budget scenarios being discussed in Raleigh actually occur, the results locally could be devastating. Their district is also growing at a slower pace and did not meet State enrollment projections last year. As a result, their State and local budgets include adjustments under enrollment. They are still graving, but the projections were off. Also, utility rates, employee benefits, and other items make this year's budget tighter than ever. Their fund balance is also tapped out and they must build this back up. An additional factor this year is funding equity. However equity is ultimately defined and however it is ultimately achieved, she urged the County Commissioners to make sure that both districts benefit. She said that funding bath districts at the levels requested this year will be a step toward equity and would allow them to continue to meet the needs of their students. The budget request from CHCCS provides for a 6.5°~ increase in funding. Of that, approximately 40°~ covers the local portion of State salary and benefit mandates. Forty-eight percent would go toward continuation of existing services and meeting higher costs. Twelve percent addresses new initiatives, including those related to collaboration efforts. She said that the recommended per pupil increase of $95 would almost caner the local casts of State salary and benefit mandates. It would not pay far utility price increases or continuation items. It would not pay for new initiatives and it would leave them in a position of needing to reduce their proposed budget by $1.6 million, requiring cuts in existing programs and positions. Jennifer Roth is a teacher and CHCCS parent. She voiced her concerns about the current budget crisis. She was drawn to this school system because of the many exemplary programs offered to students. She asked the County Commissioners to fully fund Superintendent Pederson's budget request. She said that the funding request would allow for the continuation of many valuable programs. Quality will be compromised if the funding request is not granted. Heidi Harkins spoke on behalf of the Parent Advocacy Committee at Mary Scroggs Elementary School. She said that they fully support Superintendent Pederson's proposed budget. The CHCCS system is one of the finest public school systems in the state, and it is why many of them made the decision to move here. They believe that an adequately funded school system is a sound investment in the future of our children. Of the $2.9 million requested increase, 88°~ of it is necessary in order for the school system to continue to operate at its current level. The remainder, which would be used to support new initiatives, is modest. She said that funding education below the current level sends a message to children, teachers, and parents that they are not worthy. They are concerned with the health, safety, and education of their children. Jean Hamilton is a CHCCS parent. She is also a parent representative on the Estes Hills Elementary School Governance Committee. She supports the funding request of both school systems. She said that it was a sad irony that state and federal government rhetoric on improving public education is not matched by increased funding. She asked the County Commissioners to raise the property taxes so that both school systems could be funded adequately. In the event that the County taxes are not raised enough, then she requests that the special district tax be raised. She said that equity is when one's claim to resources is equal to one's contributions. In the case of the special district tax, it means that it is fair that the CHCCS gets more funding if its citizens choose to pay more. She said that their children should not be held hostage by a one-sided notion of fairness. Gary Wallach is a CHCCS parent. His son has special needs and will be in third grade at Frank Porter Graham. He said that the Manager's recommended budget could be devastating for his son. One of the reasons is the threatened loss of teacher assistants, which are very important for a child with special needs. He said that he and his wife chose to live in Chapel Hill for the schools. They are willing to pay a premium so that their son can get the services he needs. He said that an increase in only two cents over the proposed rate is worth it to them. Martha Sheard Farley is a CHCCS parent and a math teacher. She asked the County Commissioners to please fully fund the schools. Chistina Grobin has lived here for about 29 years and she works at UNC. She said that Orange County has historically been the subject of admiration in terms of public schools. She said that this cannot and will not continue if the schools' budget request is not fully funded. Good public schools are the bedrock that supports the County's economy. She said that the PTA at Smith Middle School has had a dramatic increase in the number of appeals from teachers for direct support in classroom items. She is willing to pay higher taxes to support public education and she expects the County Commissioners to respect and reflect the will of the people. Katherine Everson is a special education teacher at McDougle Elementary. She asked the County Commissioners to fully fund both school districts' budgets for the next year. She is very passionate and concerned about the impact on special education and at-risk students, many of who are African American and Latino, if classroom assistant positions are reduced. She said that their district has long supported an inclusive model of special services where students with exceptional education needs remain in their classroom for most of the day. She said that there are so many ways that the teacher assistants contribute to the success of these at-risk students. If these positions are lost, she believes that the weakest students will suffer the most. Faith Nager lives in Chapel Hill. She has listened to individuals tonight and has thought how fortunate these children are to have caring, highly motivated staff affecting the outcome of their education. Her son has high functioning autism and he has not been that fortunate. She said that children with disabilities who are more challenging to teach get shoved around from one placement to another. Her son has been in two schools in three years and will attend a third school next year. She said that children like her son are truly at the mercy of people who are inadequately trained and lacking any kind of empathy. Her son has had one staff member fully trained in the education of people with autism, and this person has been spread around to two or three locations in one day. Her son is meeting approximately half of his IEP goals, and with the proper help, he could meet them all. She said that the system is failing him, and he is not the only child caught up in this situation. She does not understand how a school system that is unable to give staff adequate training for children with special needs with the current funding, is expected to cut back on its budget and still enrich children's lives. She asked the County Commissioners to not ask the school system to educate autistic students without the behavioral, visual, and educational modifications necessary to offer them an appropriate public education. If the proposed cuts are made to this budget, it will most likely affect the neediest students. Gayane Chambliss said that everyone throughout the County values education and all are willing to pay for that education. She said that last year the County Commissioners recommended that the OCS reduce their fund balance, indicating that once the fund balance was used to implement programs, the Board of County Commissioners would support the continuation of those programs. Using the district funds, OCS increased local teacher supplements, added social workers and elementary Spanish teachers, and now they ask that the County Commissioners continue to support these efforts. She pointed out that the social worker situation in OCS is still one social worker for 930 students, which is about 200 more than what one social worker has in CHCCS. She has seen the effects of children not getting what they need. There are many unmet needs, and this has been verified by the study commissioned by the County Commissioners to look into the differences between the two school systems. The most notable difference is the needed support resources to help the children survive. The $95 increase in per pupil funding does not even help to purchase two textbooks. She spoke about the history of inadequate funding for the past six years, which totals 49% under funding. Michelle Rivest is Executive Director of the Orange County Partnership for Young Children. She thanked the County Commissioners for the support for childcare subsidies this past year. She hopes that this is made a permanent part of the DSS budget. The subsidies helped support 40 children in the community this year. There are currently over 300 preschool children on the waiting list in Orange County, despite the $4 million that Smart Start and other entities provided. The investment benefits working parents in being able to stop the cycle of poverty far their family. These families earn around $20,000 a year and cannot afford $700 a month for childcare. The investment also benefits the local employers because it provides the workforce in the community. She shared the data and the County's contribution with the local Chamber of Commerce, and they were very interested and totally unaware of the impact that childcare subsidy makes to the County, and they are creating a committee to see how employers can be part of the solution. She thinks that additional support can be generated if the subsidy continues. Mark Hyman is a psychiatrist. He and his wife moved to Chapel Hill from Durham two years ago almost entirely because of the schools. They have two children at McDougle Elementary and they are happy with the education. It is obvious that the teacher assistants are an integral part of what happens in the classroom. He thinks that the CHCCS system is a very large draw for people like himself. He drives a half hour to work because he wants his children to be in school here. He does not think that the County Commissioners want to do anything to downgrade the school system. He asked for full funding of the schools. Dennis Whitling is an OCS board member. He thanked the County Commissioners for supporting HYAA. They are expanding the program to include 15-17 year olds. Regarding the school budget, he reiterated that the budget that his board presented dovetails with the strategic plan that was put in place several years ago. It also dovetails with the educational excellence report to provide positions that they need to advance the education of their students. His main objective is to discuss the equity gap and what to do about it. He thinks that everyone can agree that the scheme far funding the schools does not provide equity. The educational excellence report made this very clear. He thinks it is incumbent upon the County Commissioners to close the gap beginning with this budget cycle. He said that all children in the County deserve equal treatment. 4. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 p.m. Moses Carey, Jr., Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board