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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20070531APPROVED 8/21/2007 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING May 31, 2007 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Superior Courtroom in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The purpose of this meeting was to hold a public hearing an the County Manager's recommended 2007-2008 budget. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and Commissioners Valerie P. Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, Barry Jacobs and Mike Nelson COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County Manager 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. 1. Opening Remarks- Chair Chair Carey said that the public will be speaking on the budget tonight. He said that the policy requires that speakers can speak up to 3 minutes, and he asked all to limit their comments to 3 minutes and to avoid redundancy and duplication. 2. Presentation of Manager's Recommended Budget far Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Laura Blackmon made the PowerPoint presentation. Manager's Recommended Budget Fiscal Year 2007-08 Orange County, NC May 31, 2007 Public Hearing Tax Goal Meeting pressing needs and mandates related to children, seniors, economically disadvantaged has come at a price • Commissioners concerned that historical tax rate increases and rising property valuations have become a burden for some taxpayers • April 2007 Board Adopted Tax Goal - Fiscal year 2007-08 targeted tax rate increase is amount required to pay new debt service obligations Recommended General Fund Budget Totals $172.2 Million • Recommendation represents a 5.3 percent increase over 2006-07 original budget • Increase of $8.7 million over original fiscal year 2006-07 budget of $163.5 million Recommended Tax Rates • Countywide ad valorem tax rate of 94 cents per $100 of assessed valuation - Increase of 3.7 cents over the 2006-07 rate of 90.3 cents • Impact on taxpayer with $200,000 in valued property is $74 per year - One cent on property tax rate generates $1,247,881 Maintains Chapel Hill Carrboro Special District tax rate at 18.85 cents per $100 of assessed valuation - One cent on property tax rate generates $802,246 General Fund Revenues -pie chart Education Funding Overview • Overall Education support totals $82.5 million -Includes funding far local school systems and Orange County Satellite Campus -Durham Technical Community College Education Funding Current Expense • Provides funding for 18,530 elementary, middle and high students - Increase of 338 students from previous school year - Recommended budget maintains per pupil appropriation for CHCCS and OCS at $2,957 • Total current expense funding equals $55 million - Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools - $33.7 million - Orange County Schools - $21.1 million - Durham Technical Community College - $181,000 • CHCCS to receive additional $15,122,338 from district tax - Equivalent of $1,329 per pupil • Provides 4 months operational funding for community college satellite campus Per Pupil Allocations to Local Schools State Mandated Funding Formula -table Additional Education Funding • Recurring Capital - $2.4 million • Long-Range Capital - $4.1 million • Debt Service for School Facilities - $18.9 million • School Health Nurses - $566,744 • School Social Workers - $557,272 • Fair Funding for School Health and Public Safety Expenses - $800,000 Cost of Fully Funding Local School Requests • To fully fund Orange County Schools budget request increase of $3.7 million - Per pupil equivalent of $3,413 - a per pupil increase of $456 - Equates to $5.7 million increase for Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools - Would cost 7.6 cents on ad valorem tax rate - Impact of this increase on a property owner with $200,000 in property would be $152 per year. To fully fund Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools budget request increase of $6.8 million - Per pupil equivalent of $3,510 - a per pupil increase of $553 - Equates to $4.4 million increase for Orange County Schools - Would cost 9.01 cents on ad valorem tax rate - Impact of this increase on a property owner with $200,000 in property would be $180 per year. Debt Service • County's obligation far debt increases by $4.6 million - $2.2 million for partial year debt service on $59 million new debt authorized to construct several new facilities including two schools, a technical community college satellite campus, senior center, justice facility and soccer complex - $2.4 million required to offset lass of Lottery proceeds previously dedicated to repay school related debt service Other Budget Highlights • Recommended funding for Medicaid increases $545,436 - Brings County's total Medicaid appropriation to $4,570,236 • County Employee Pay and Benefits - Majority of costs associated with recommended pay and benefits package offset by salary savings 9.1 New County Staff Resources - To comply with State mandates and staff new facilities - Net County cost = $276,000 Document Availability Orange County Budget Office - 208 South Cameron Street, Hillsborough • Clerk to the Board - 200 South Cameron Street, Hillsborough • Public Libraries in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Cedar Grove • County's website - www.co.orange.nc.us Budget Schedule • Budget Public Hearings - May 31, Superior Courtroom, Hillsborough - June 4, Sonja Haynes Stone Center, UNC Campus, 150 South Raad, Chapel Hill • Budget Wark Sessions - June 5 -Southern Human Services Center - June 7 -Link Government Services Center - June 14 -Southern Human Services Center - June 18 -Link Government Services Center - June 21 -Southern Human Services Center Budget Adoption - June 26 -Southern Human Services Center ~ All meetings start of 7:30 p, m, Commissioner Jacobs said that Orange County, since 1997, has funded schools at the highest levels of any county in N.C. He said that the Board of County Commissioners does not make allocations to specific programs or does it cut programs, but gives a lump sum to the school boards. He said that the Board asked the Chair to send a column to the paper about the real estate transfer tax. The legislature does not allow the County to charge other taxes, so if this real estate transfer tax does come to fruition, then that will help the budget situation. Chair Carey said that there are six counties that have been approved to levy the real estate transfer tax, and they are all on the east coast of the state. 3. Public Comment Anissa Vines is one of the community representatives on the Board of Health. She thanked the County Commissioners far their support of Health services in Orange County. She spoke of the needs at the Health Department. She said that the County Manager is recommending three pasitions to provide mandated services in the Food and Lodging program. She said that it is estimated that about 40°~ of a family's food week's budget is spent in restaurants and on carry-out foods, however the overall inspection compliance has fallen to 85°!0, and for restaurants it has fallen to 77°~. These positions are essential. In terms of staffing, the Board of Health wholeheartedly supports the Manager's recommendation on pay and benefit improvements far County staff. The Health Department is also faced with serious salary compression issues, limiting the ability to hire qualified staff. She spoke about two programs that the Board of Health wishes to maintain. The first is the Families in Focus and Intensive Home Visiting program. This program is not mandated, but it provides young families that have risk factors for child abuse services to prevent child abuse and promote healthy families. Reduction in this program will mean that families will no longer have these services available in Orange County. The Board of Health is asking for supplemental funding for the staff person in this position. The second program includes the Medical Reserve Corps and the Community Emergency Response Team. These programs have successfully recruited 200 volunteers to assist in the event of a disaster or emergency situation. Without the support of the Volunteer Coordinator, the County will not be equipped to respond. She made reference to primary care services and said that because of the temporary health personnel, they are unable to provide adequate services to the patients. Despite some grant funding that the Health Department has received, this program will require County funds to sustain it. She urged the County Commissioners to consider the needs of the Health Department. The patient numbers are limited by the facilities and not by the number of residents who need services. Sherron Leplin spoke in support of full funding of the OCS budget. She told a story about a child at Grady Brown Elementary that did not speak or know any numbers, letters, etc. The child had never been in school. She said that in kindergarten, the staff and teachers worked with him, but he still did not speak at the end of the year. He is now in the second grade, and he is making major progress by smiling and playing with his peers. She said that he would not be ready to be a third grader had appropriate intervention not taken place early on from the school staff that was there. She asked the County Commissioners to remember this child as they think about funding the schools. Sandra McKee spoke in support of fully funding the OCS. She is a product of the OCS and has three students who have graduated from Orange High School. She has also been a teacher in the OCS for 30+ years. She asked the County Commissioners to fully fund the budget as requested by the OCS Board. She asked the County Commissioners not to cut funding that could directly affect students. She said that one specific suggestion for reduction if the budget is not fully funded has been in the area of staff reduction that could occur in the areas of the academically gifted and exceptional children, and English as a Second Language. Two of her children were in the AG program and her other child was served by the exceptional children's program. Without the extra help in the early years from specialized staff, school would have been much more difficult for this child. She said that there has been an influx of Hispanic children in Orange County, and many times these children come without knowing any English. Losing any position in these areas would be a hardship on those who are left. She said that another proposed cut would be the elimination of all middle school and JV athletics. She said that she will be retiring at the end of this school year, but her heart will still be with the students and the teachers. Michele Rivest, Executive Director of the Orange County Partnership for Young Children, thanked the County Commissioners for past support and the County Manager for her recommendation to continue funding childcare subsidies through the Department of Social Services. She said that these funds are critically needed and provide many benefits. Childcare in Orange County is about $1,000 per month per child and this is beyond the reach of many working families. She said that in a study that her organization did last year, it was found that over 200 employers in Orange County rely on these families far their employees. She said that the County funds were also used this year to leverage support for the local More at Four program. She said that her board will stand by the County in supporting early childhood education. Tracy Weeks, Director of Instructional Technology and Media for CHCCS, said that, given the potentially drastic cuts in the current budget, she is expressing her deep concern regarding the instructional support teachers that will likely be lost due to the lack of anticipated funding for the 2007-2008 school year. She said that the North Carolina State Board of Education has directed the schools to generate future-ready students for the 21St century, with the goal that every student use technology to access and demonstrate new knowledge and skills needed to be competitive in a constantly changing international environment. She said that literacy in the 21St century requires students to employ information and express ideas compellingly. The school media centers and the library and media specialists are best equipped to work with the students to develop these necessary skills. Since 2000, the schools have had library media assistants, which allowed media centers to operate under a flexible access model. She said that the media assistants are vital to this model. She said that if the funding for next year remains as planned, they will likely lose all of their elementary media assistants along with many other vital teaching and assistant positions. This will have a direct impact on the literacy development of the students. She said that this funding is necessary to only maintain the level of quality instruction and not to enhance it. Isabel Garland said that her daughters attend Cedar Ridge High School. She said that she is pleased with education in OCS. She said that they only have three ESL teachers for 11 schools. She said that this limited service could not help students to learn English. She asked that all of the ESL positions be restored. Gwyn Esch is a parent of children in OCS. She pointed out the representation of teachers and parents from CHCCS and OCS and said that they take education very seriously. She said that cutting teacher assistants and permanent subs is a concern and takes qualified teachers out of the classroom. She said that these positions are more than just luxuries, but an absolute necessity. She said that the budget cuts the County Commissioners are forcing the school boards to make directly affect the functioning of the schools by increasing teacher workloads, work hours, and family stress, while decreasing the quality and continuity of instruction and disciplinary management of the student bodies. She asked the County Commissioners to fund the OCS budget to maintain the current staffing needs. This may require an increase in the tax and she said that she is willing to take this on until the community finds more fiscally sound solutions to the County's continuing budget woes. Melinda Canada said that maternity care coordination helps them every day. She said that if she needs anything to help with her child, they are always there. She asked that this not be cut out. Laneikwa Mitchell said that her maternity care person is a role model and takes stress from her when she needs someone to talk to. She asked the County Commissioners not to cut this program. Bob Schriener, Chair of Chapel Hill Library Board of Trustees, introduced some of his board members. He read a prepared statement: "The Chapel Hill Public Library Board of Trustees is happy to represent the Chapel Hill Town Council this evening. We thank you for your budgetary support, for the library studies and planning that you have encouraged, and for the clear messages that libraries are important. Your continuing support of the Chapel Hill Public Library helps ensure quality library services for all residents of Orange County. As the Orange County Library Services Task Force concluded in 2004, the Chapel Hill Public Library is `a significant partner in the provision of library services to the County.' A large proportion of the citizens of Orange County who use the CHPL live elsewhere in the County (40% of registered borrowers). Yet Orange County is currently providing just 12.5°~ of the cast. Furthermore, the proportion of the cost of the CHPL that Orange County provides has declined from 16.4% in 1999-2000 to the present 12.5°~ in 2005-2006. That is a 23.8% decrease for Orange County in support of total CHPL expenditures. During this same period, the cost of operating the library has increased 28.3°~. We are requesting that you begin to reverse this trend. Your 12.5% cost share is buying 40% of library use, and that is too great a discrepancy. We request that the County increase the dollar amount it has been providing to the Chapel Hill Public Library by 10°~ over the next 5 years, 2°~ each year. Orange County residents have a lot to gain from use of the Chapel Hill Public Library. Chapel Hill's library building expansion is entering final design stage, and the expansion is still on schedule for completion in 2009. The Town also funded a second children's library last fiscal year, recognizing that services for children are the fastest growing of all library services. Thank you for your continued support for libraries and education in Orange County." Karen Jeremiah is a school media specialist at CHCCS and apart-time employee far the Orange County Public Library. She said that the Superintendent recently shared the cuts that the budget faced and that people would be losing their jobs, especially at the elementary school level. These positions include teacher assistants in K-3, custodians, clerical office staff, gifted educational specialists, exceptional children staff, world language teachers, science specialists, and media assistants. She is one person working to meet the informational needs of aver 700 children at her school. She said that her full-time assistant needs his job and she needs him. She said that there are many good people's livelihoods at stake here, not to mention the quality of education that they are providing to the children of Orange County. Jennifer Roth is a parent of two children and an elementary world language teacher at CHCCS. She said that she and her husband were drawn to the school system because of the many exceptional programs that are offered. She said that significant cuts are being considered that will have a dramatic impact on the quality of these programs. She urged the County Commissioners to consider the impact that this will have on the children. She said that the CHCCS world language program serves as a model for the entire country and is recognized for its continued effort to provide quality instruction to the students. She asked the Board of County Commissioners to approve the budget that CHCCS proposed. Mark Peters read a prepared statement:: "I kindly ask the County Commissioners to adopt a new policy. We have a SAPFO to guarantee that we have sufficient number of classrooms, but what we also need is a "SAPFO for operating expenses." Parents should not have to come by the hundreds or thousands every single budget year just to keep the school systems from laying off teachers and canceling programs. We need to insure that programs will be continued from year to year at the starting point of the budget. The budget should not start every year by going backwards and cutting school programs. The school budget should start like the County's budget did this year for its own employees, which keeps all County staff, gives them a pay raise, and hires new employees to keep up with growth. Why aren't we doing the same for the schools? This dichotomy troubles me greatly. We can call this new proposal the "School Funding Continuation Ordinance" or maybe the "Schools Lose No Ground Ordinance" or maybe the "Keep Our Teachers Ordinance." This policy would require the County Manager to propose a budget every year that continues the programs that currently exist, even with growth. The school districts would report the costs associated with continuing current services. New programs would be listed separately. The Commissioners would still have the right to question the items in the continuation budget, but the starting point will be much more fair to our children and their future, rather than being a calculated negotiation ploy to make parents happy with any increase just to keep the districts whale. Both districts lost a significant amount of funding last year and stand to lose even more ground this year. It is not right to make parents fight every year just to keep the school systems whole. It is not right to force the school systems to cannibalize themselves to give teachers raises. It's not fair to the teachers to face losing their job every year. I think it is great that we have these new facilities in the County, but there is a cost associated with them. A year when County construction is at an all time high and the state continues to try to bring our teachers' salaries up to par is not the year to fund construction by laying off teachers instead of increasing taxes. I invite the Orange County Schools parents to join us in support of fully funding both of our districts' requests. We would love to have you June 4`" and we will do our best to make you feel right at home at the Stone Center. Please fully fund our schools. I ask anyone who agrees with this proposal to please stand." Ray Martin is President of Chapel Hill-Carrboro Association of Educators. He said that this is a 300+ member association of bus drivers, bus monitors, custodians, cafeteria workers, maintenance workers, clerical staff, teacher assistants, media center assistants, education specialists, teachers, assistant principals, principals, district-level specialists, directors, and executive directors. He said that he represents the family of educators that is entrusted with the children. He said that the Orange County Board of Commissioners is truly an educational Board of County Commissioners and has the best two school systems in the state. He said that he would like to give the County Commissioners achallenge -cut services or raise taxes. He said that, even with an increase, there will be cuts. He made reference to page 12 of the Manager's Recommended Budget PowerPoint, and increasing new County staff resources. He said that this number is low because there will be a new high school opening this year and the new middle school will need to be fully staffed this year. He said that a lot of teachers get their salaries from the County funding. He thanked the County Commissioners for the opportunity to speak. Kathy McKinnon said that she is a taxpayer and a world language teacher in Chapel Hill. She asked the County Commissioners to exhaust every possible means, including consideration of raising the special district tax to adequately fund the school budget so that the schools do not lose quality programs and central personnel. Roberta Clark read a prepared statement: "My name is Roberta Clark. I reside at 113 Collins Avenue in Hillsborough. I am here to urge the Commissioners to include in the County budget the $150,000 for renovation of the tennis courts at Orange High School included in the Orange Caunty Schools Interim Capital Investment Plan for 2007-08. The courts at Orange High are presently in deplorable condition and have not been resurfaced for many years, probably at least 14. Surfaces are cracked and eroded, far from level, and drainage is poor. Some improvement in the lighting is also needed. These courts are used extensively for recreation and competition by two groups of citizens: the physical education students and tennis teams of the high school and the general public. High school team competition especially requires home courts that are level and well maintained, have adequate drainage, and are properly marked. At present these courts do not meet that standard. The courts are also used by a wide variety of the general public far recreation and for the Parks and Recreation Department's busy program of tennis clinics and lessons. Participants in the tennis program are players of all ages and levels -from children of six or seven years old to seniors of 70 or so, from beginners to experienced players in intercommunity competition. Tennis is known as a healthful "sport for a lifetime" for all ages. It promotes aerobic and muscular fitness, balance, coordination, flexibility, and bone strength and density. In one medical study of 10,000 people over a period of 20 years, 3 hours a week of moderately vigorous tennis cut the risk of death in half from all causes. The County needs to renovate and maintain this facility as one measure to promote the health and fitness of our community. I thank the commissioners for their consideration of this budget item." Jean McDonald is a parent of CHCCS children and asked the County Commissioners to fully fund the school budget. She said that Ephesus Elementary is very vibrant and diverse and she thinks it is important to invest in the children's future. Julie Youngman has children in CHCCS and she is outgoing President of Ephesus PTA. She said that she agrees with all who have spoken before her regarding fully funding the school system's funding request. She agreed with Mark Peters that it is a travesty to begin each budget year with the presumption that the schools' budgets will be cut. She said that they need to at least keep the status quo each budget year. She said that at Ephesus Elementary, they prize their foreign language teachers, science teachers, and teacher assistants. She said that Ephesus has a literary collaborative program that relies on others and any funding level that depletes them of these programs is wrong. Marty Hanson is a parent of children in the OCS. He said that he was asked by family, friends, and colleagues to come and speak. He said that he was told that it was appropriate to be polite, thoughtful, positive, and to advocate raising taxes to solve the huge funding shortfalls. He said that he was told that funding shortfalls was a back roadway to capture public support for a tax increase. He believes that the tremendous shaving of concerned parents -whether from CHCCS or OCS -are here with at least one common thread, which is to tell the Board of County Commissioners that it is appropriate to fully fund the school budget as presented. He said that on April 19t", 2000 the Orange County Board of Commissioners filed an action agenda with the subject, "Fiscal Year 2007-2008", and was called The Budget Update. He made reference to page 11, which says, The Board of Commissioners find that the schools are well- funded in Orange Caunty, that growth in property and sales taxes allow for expansion of funding, even within the framework of benchmarks and of targeted percentage of expenditures." He said that clearly this is not the case today. He suggested that the Board consider outside financial consultation to review Orange County's current and ten-year projected financial needs. He made reference to page 5 of the PowerPoint presentation regarding $18.9 million of debt service for school facilities. He asked about the interest rates on this and if these could be lowered. He said that full financial disclosure on the website that clearly details sources and uses of funds should be an integral part of the mandate. He said that the County Commissioners are the guardians and gatekeepers of the educational future of their children and the future of America. Scot Winters said that he is a taxpayer and has children in CHCCS. He said that one of his sons had special needs and received special educational services, and after several years he gat to grade level. At that point, he was told that his son no longer qualified for services. He said that he was told that if his son failed the following year, that he could again receive special education services. He said that he is concerned about this issue. He said that the properties in the County have the value that they have because of the school systems. He said that he is concerned about the decision to put budget funds in arrears for the lottery. He would like reconsideration in all areas to keep education a priority. Mitch Cox said that he has taught almost 25 years in OCS, had two children graduate from OCS, and is a taxpayer. He encouraged the Board of County Commissioners to support the OCS budget and to fully fund it. He said that the State has mandated, beginning with this year's Freshman class, that all high school students, in order to graduate, will engage in a research project their senior year. OCS has been requiring a similar assignment for the last ten years. He said that today, while sitting in his classroom, he listened to one of his students as she was giving her presentation advocating for public school financial support for the arts, and she mentioned the difficult choices faced by many counties and school systems. The presentation included issues such as choosing between teaching students mathematics and teaching them music. He said that he would hate to see Orange County having to make such a choice, and that is why he is here to urge the County Commissioners to fully fund the budget request. Dennis Whitling, Chair of Orange County Schools Board of Education, read a resolution that was passed at the last board of education meeting: WHEREAS, the Orange County Schools Board of Education has unanimously approved an increase in the system's operating budget of $3.7 million to fund district needs; and WHEREAS, The North Carolina legislative mandates and the addition of 8th grade to Gravelly Hill Middle School amount to $1.8 million; and WHEREAS, Funding far our new initiatives are important to enhancing educational opportunities for Orange County students; and WHEREAS, Based on current County budget projections, we recognize that not even our mandates and Gravelly Hill Middle School requirements will be fully funded, with no new money for new initiatives; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Schools Board of Education supports an increase in the County ad valorem tax and/or an adjustment in the County budget allocation to fund the 2007-2008 school budget. This, the 21St day of May 2007. He added that this resolution was passed unanimously. He said that the school board recognizes that the County Commissioners have been diligent in supporting education in the past. He thanked all people that came out to support the school board's position. Sue Cunningham is a parent of an OCS student. She said that she supports the OCS Board of Education in the budget. She said that there are some aging schools in the OCS and in some schools, there is no heat and air. She said that for children to get notes home telling them to wear jackets, mittens, and hats to class is not acceptable. She said that Cameron Park's gym has 12 heating/air units, but usually only one unit is working. She said that OCS could not finish Gravelly Hill and complete the mandates with the amount of money proposed by the Manager. Also, Orange High School's track is eroding. She asked the County Commissioners to please explore more options to raise the funds to fully fund the schools' budgets. She spoke in support of raising taxes to fund the schools. Andy Hencke has children in CHCCS. He commended the County Commissioners for placing the education of all children in the County at the forefront of the budget process. He encouraged the Board to return the budget for revision to fully fund the school systems. He asked the Board to be willing to increase property taxes and to consider aneeds-based exemption. He suggested investigating fully financing capital projects across the lifespan to spread out the debt service without putting pressure on the annual process. Michael Buck said that he read in the newspaper that as County Commissioners, they desire to remember Mildred Parker as they deliberate on the impact of fully funding the schools. According to the paper, Ms. Parker, in her letter to the County Commissioners, expressed concern that a tax increase could cost her as much as three month's social security. As he read this article, he wondered why Ms. Parker was being remembered only now. He asked what policies were crafted to assist those for whom taxes are a substantial burden between the annual budget processes. He said that the rising costs of maintaining and operating schools are not new phenomena. He asked what steps the County Commissioners plan to take in the coming year to avoid this situation next year. He asked the County Commissioners to raise his taxes in spite of the hardship on Ms. Parker. He said that past failure to protect Ms. Parker should not be an excuse to compound that failure by under-funding 18,000 school children in the County. He said that his school district needs new teachers and funding to renovate alder schools. He said that no one likes tax increases, but they provide services for all citizens. He said that the County will be building new facilities and there should be a commitment to education also. Kelly Monroe-Porco is the current OCS Parent Leadership Council President. She said that the Parent Leadership Council supports the full funding for the OCS and raising taxes to do this. She said that it is a misconception that OCS parents are not in favor of raising taxes. She asked those people that were in favor of spending about $15 mare a month to fund the schools to please stand. She said that this County may be one of the tops in the State for education funding, but the State is 43rd in the nation in educational funding. She said that building new schools does not necessarily mean that they are funding education, but funding growth. She said that in order to say that Orange County is one of the tops in educational funding, they need to fully fund the schools that they build. She said that by not funding the budget fully, the Board of County Commissioners is saying that these budget items are not necessities. Jennifer Pepin has children in OCS. She is also an employee of the CHCCS. She said that the shortfalls that are projected are overwhelming. She said that, as a parent, she does not understand any decision that does not include fully funding the schools' budgets. She said that schools today are asked to do so much more than simply educate the youth -they are asked to parent, socialize, protect, and teach them. She said that when she was in school, they did not need SROs, ESL teachers, or nurses; but there were not so many problems and issues like there are today. She said that if the teachers are not given every possible resource available, they will eventually leave. She said that teachers are asked to do too much to not be funded by the Board of County Commissioners and supported. Lydia Pepin is 11 years old and is an OCS student. She spoke in support of fully funding the schools' budget. She said that she is concerned that if they are not fully funded, there will not be teacher assistants. She said that taking away gifted and exceptional student teachers is like taking away children's comfort, stability, and needs. She said that if the County Commissioners do not fully fund the schools, it will hurt the students. She said that the schools need all of the staff to help successfully teach the students. Sarah Kendall is in the 3rd grade at Cameron Park. She said that their school needs money and fully funded budgets. She asked the County Commissioners to give OCS the money it needs. Aaron Kendall is a ~h grader at Stanford. He said that it is budget crunch time. He said that he could tell the County Commissioners all about the budget line items. He said that all OCS schools have needs. He said that they couldn't afford to not fund their schools. He said that each student deserves to have a clean, functioning school that houses dedicated and appreciated staff. He said that if excellence is possible, then good is not enough. Suzanne Gould has a son that works at the jail as a Deputy Sheriff and she is a teacher. She said that her son says that there are so many young people in jail. She told him that school systems that support children at an earlier age are much better off. She said that these at-risk children need school-funded programs. She said that Orange County needs to have alternative sources for the tax base and it needs to broaden the tax base. She agrees that all schools need to be funded. She suggested charging developers with taxes, going after delinquent taxpayers and cheaters, going after the University to make it pay far the infrastructure that it is requiring, reconsidering the bonds and reducing the debt on the bonds by spreading it over the lifetime and possibly refinancing at a lower interest rate. She also urged the County Commissioners to go after the education lottery. She thanked the County Commissioners for the good job that they do. Susan Houck is an OCS parent. She said that she appreciates all of the services she receives from their taxes. She said that they may save a few dollars in their taxes now but they will pay in the future for not fully funding the schools. She asked the Board to fully fund the OCS by raising ad valorem or by having the real estate transfer tax or widening the commercial base. Carol Elliot is a parent of OCS children. She added support to all who came before her asking the County Commissioners to fully fund the OCS budget. Virginia Guilfoile is an eight-year volunteer of CHCCS and President of East Chapel Hill High School PTA. She said that the PTA believes it is counterproductive to cancel contracts and cut back hiring teachers and teacher assistants in order to provide State-mandated pay increases. She said that they have placed a tremendous burden on the educators to accomplish the objectives of No Child Left Behind. She said that staff is being demoralized by being asked to do more and more every year and with fewer programs to support student achievement. She said that the PTA of East Chapel Hill High School asks the County Commissioners to uphold the commitment to education and to fully fund the budget. Joseph Shinnick is a parent of OCS children. He thanked the Board of County Commissioners far the support of education. He supports fully funding the OC5 school budget. He spoke in support of raising his taxes and doing whatever needs to be done to fully fund the schools' budgets. Ron Geib is a parent of OCS children. He said that there are repair issues at Cameron Park. He said that the fact that the County Commissioners are considering not funding the full budget is not acceptable. He supports an increase in his taxes. Gene Mauck is a substitute teacher in Orange County. He said that he does not think the Board of County Commissioners realizes what they have in the teachers of Orange County. Teachers help out wherever and whenever needed, with or without raises each and every year. He said that he has seen teachers paying out-of-pocket for school-related items. He said that teachers stay as long as is needed during the school day. He said that taxes are low here and he asked the County Commissioners to raise taxes. He said that athletics in middle schools should not be cut because some students go to coaches far advice and have no one else to turn to, and have better success at school because of participation in sports. He said that the County Commissioners should write the State about the lottery funds. Aerin Benavides thanked the County Commissioners for the work they do for the community. She is President of the PTA Council for CHCCS. She is a widow with three children who moved here for the schools and to be near her sister. She said that she has two children on college scholarships. She said that education is the best gift to give your children. She said that the PTA voted on this and had an official referendum that says that they would like the County Commissioners to fully fund their schools. Carolyn Phillips has children in the OCS. She said that they have heard about the problems at Cameron Park and there are a lot of them. She said that she couldn't imagine losing the gifted teacher at Cameron Park. She said that they need to be adding new teachers and not cutting them. She appreciates all that the Board of County Commissioners does for the schools. She would like to be able to add teachers and make facilities safe. Kirstene Leysieffer asked the County Commissioners to please raise her taxes. She said that the OCS budget is based on 50% unfunded mandates by the State as well as the need to complete Gravelly Hill Middle School. She said that OCS has quality schools, but there are some disparities. She said that she has been attending school board meetings for the past month and a half and one of the goals of the Board of Education is for all schools to be equally appealing for all students and parents. She said that not funding at the requested level is a hardship on the schoals and on the school board to meet this goal. She also supports the real estate transfer tax. Jacky Kendrick is a parent of OCS children. She asked for full funding far bath school budgets. She said that she is going to make a sacrifice as a single parent and have her property taxes raised. She has already given up haircuts and highlights so that she can sponsor two kids in Colombia. She challenged all parents to give up eating an extra-large pizza every month or something similar to help pay for more taxes. Jane Frederick has four children in CHCCS. She said that she has been trying to explain to her children what is going on with the budget and why she is attending so many meetings. She asked the County Commissioners to say yes to new taxes because there is only the property tax to fund all services. Wendy Vavrousck is a parent of OCS children. She said that as long as there are two separate school systems the County Commissioners will have to fund two budgets. She said that each year the schools will need to fund State mandates. She said that she is willing to have her taxes raised to support education, but wants the County Commissioners to look at alternatives as well. She said that the proposed budget for OCS is not elaborate, but is a fiscally responsible plan. She said that the children are the future. She said that the degree to which the County invests in the schools directly correlates with the degree to which the County Commissioners truly believe that children really are the future. John Lau spoke about the short-term issues versus the long-term issues. He said that it is always more difficult to take something away from someone once they have it. He said that cutting the school budget is a short-term solution, but will have long-term affects. Taxes are always going to go up and he is willing to pay higher taxes in Orange County. He wants the best for the kids. Jack Haggerty spoke on behalf of the Chapel Hill High School Governance Commission. The Commission would like to ask the County Commissioners to fully fund the budget request of both school systems. He said that the investment in the schoals would benefit all citizens of the County. Debbie Werden is a parent of OCS children. She said that her child recently fell and suffered scrapes on the disintegrating track at Cameron Park, and so did two of his classmates on the same day. She said that they moved to Hillsborough so that her children could attend Cameron Park and have been thrilled with the teachers and staff. The school has many capital improvement needs. She said that one of her greatest concerns is the possible hiring freeze that could result in a kindergarten class size of 30 students, which would be a 35% increase at Cameron Park due to a very large entering class. She said that it will be difficult if the kindergarten teachers are spread too thin. She said that she would gladly pay mare taxes to preserve the top-notch education of the County's children. Robyn Whitman is a northern Orange County native and is in support of fully funding the OCS budget. There will be more cuts in instructional materials, for which teachers and parents are already paying out-of-packet. She said that the Superintendent's letter points out that OCS is woefully in need of physical improvements. She said that she is very concerned about the possibility of cutting middle school and JU athletics. She said that athletics is a positive in children's lives and gives them academic incentive, escape, bonding, etc. She said that sports provide a ray of hope for a lot of children. She asked the County Commissioners to fully fund the OCS budget as requested as well as the CHCCS budget. She said that every time the County supports things like a senior center, an animal shelter, and other special interests, the children end up paying a price. She is willing to pay more in taxes this year and next year, but it is not fair to ask this for infinity. She said that merger would cause more problems than it will 501Ve. David Werden is an OCS parent and he is in support of raising taxes for the schools. He said that his six-year old son already knows more Spanish than he does. He said that this is an example of the high level of education received at OCS. He said that this level should be maintained and improved upon. Jennifer Jansen is a CHCCS parent and a parent volunteer. She said that she is astounded how many people moved cross-country just to be in the CHCCS district. She is in support of raising taxes to support the schools and to fully fund the budget requests. She said that the schools are an engine driving the local economy and helping the real estate market. She is also concerned about the impact of tax increases on the elderly and those with fixed incomes in the County, however, she said that senior citizens benefit also from the healthy economy and the real estate markets that excellent school systems provide. She is also concerned about cutting the ESL teachers, which would hurt the Hispanic population. She is also concerned about the prospect of cutting middle and JU athletics. She asked the County Commissioners to find creative ways to fully fund both budget requests. She supports tax increases to maintain educational excellence. Ben Lloyd is an Orange County farmer. He commended Laura Blackman far the budget proposal. He said that at last year's budget public hearing there was a man that had done a study of his tax increases since he moved into his house in 1986. The properly tax on the gentleman's house had increased 512°~, along with every other property owner in Orange County. He said that with last year's 7°~ increase added to it, that makes it 519°~. He made reference to Commissioner Steve Halkiotis, who commented last year that the property tax has reached its saturation point. He said that he has lived in Orange County for 77 years. He said that, so far, out of the speakers here tonight, he has only known one. He said that he is delighted to live in a county where the people are so affluent that they can pay taxes unlimited. He said that he assumes that everyone that spoke all have the ability to pay. He said that he wonders haw many of them expect to make less money this year than they did last year. He said that he puts in about 200 acres of soybeans every year. He has been trying to put in soybeans today and the ground was so hard he could only get 150 acres in. He is concerned about crop loss. He said that property owners in northern Orange County -the farmers, the elderly on fixed incomes -are struggling to survive. He said that Orange County used to have 120 dairy farms and now there are 10. There will not be any more dairy farms because the property taxes have become a major expense. He asked how many tax proponents are willing for their food bill to go from 10°~ of their income to 25-30°l0 of their income to save the family farm. He said that these tax increases are going to kill a lot of the people in Orange County. He made reference to the State of the Economy book prepared recently and listed tax rates in neighboring counties - Alamance County is 57 cents, Chatham County is 59 cents, Person County is 65 cents, Wake County is 63 cents, and Orange County is 90.3 cents. He said that the commercial tax base in Orange County is almost nil - 14°l0. Durham County has 44%, Mecklenburg County has 35%, Guilford County has 35°~, and Wake County has 49°~. He said that this problem should have been eliminated a long time ago. He said that the over-zealous environmentalists have had this County closed down. He sat on the Board of County Commissioners in the mid-80's. He said that the Department of Commerce told him that Orange County had the most potential in the state of North Carolina for good, clean, high-paying economic growth. He said that, as of today, nothing has materialized. He said that recently he met with an economic development representative of the State, who was told not to worry about Orange County because it does not want economic development. He said that he had children in OCS and he believes in as much education as they can afford. He said that, if the desires of the tax proponents are carried out, many will not be able to live here. Eric Davis has children in OCS. He said that he is saddened but motivated by what is needed. He said that the County Commissioners have a difficult job. He said that the County Commissioners can use their heads or hearts. He said that, for himself, education breeds prosperity. He said that his mom raised four children by herself, but she did what she could to make sure education was a priority. He said that any decision that takes away from the educational process will be a detriment to the community. He asked the County Commissioners to fully fund the OCS budget. Pam Seamans is a CHCCS parent. She said that the existence of Meadowmont shows how the County has changed over the years. She is PTA President of Rashkis and they fully support full funding of the two school systems' budget requests. She said that the County Commissioners deserve thanks for what they do. She said that many choose to live in Orange County for the quality education, but because they have to come each year and speak, then maybe the Board of County Commissioners does not value education. Her school is four years old and is overcrowded already. She said that they are willing to pay for education. Bryan Hampton is a parent of OCS children. He thanked the Board of County Commissioners for the historic dedication to education. He said that this was the major part of the decision to move to Orange County. He said that this is the reason that the homes have such a high value and that some new businesses are moving to the downtown area. He asked the Board of County Commissioners to support education in any way possible. He said that his taxes are 40% less than what he was paying in Connecticut. He said that he does not mind paying higher taxes for education. He said that by maintaining the per pupil, and due to the contracts they have with teachers, this will not cover the costs. At Cameron Park, the facilities are deplorable, but the teachers are great. Tammy Neese is parent of OCS special needs children. She said that her children would not be where they are today without these special needs teachers. She is here to advocate full funding of the OCS budget request. Gayanne Chambless thanked the County Commissioners for this public forum and she appreciates the position they are in. She said that Orange County is one of the best in the State far balancing the quality of life -residential, commercial, and green space. She said that a 3.7% budget increase for the County will not even begin to meet the needs of the school children. OCS has not ever been fully funded and this has had effects. She said that there is no fat on the budget because they have never been fully funded. She said that now the school system is talking about cutting staff and programs. She said that you have to get the money where the money is and spend it where it is needed -the property tax. She is on a fixed budget but she is willing to make sacrifices to pay higher taxes. She said that in the year's past, the schools have only been given a Band-aid. She distrik-uted Band-aids to the County Commissioners. Robert B. Nichols said that he has been asking himself what he gets for his tax dollars. He has been paying taxes in Orange County since 1948. For the last ten years, the County has been reappraising his property. He paid for his education by going to war and then the GI bill. He has paid far his own family's education and now he is paying far other's education. He lives in northern Orange County and he furnishes his own water and sewer and has no trash pickup. He said that the only thing that he sees as a service to him from the County is a Deputy Sheriff on his road once or twice a day. In the last ten years, on average, he has paid $2,405 in County taxes. He said that this is a lot of money because he is 79 and retired. He said that the County should try and get a sales tax increase or a flat tax. He said that he appreciates Laura Blackmon holding the line an the budget. Carolyn Landever said that the question here is about costs and benefits. She said that the majority of residents in Orange County care about both school systems and without a tax increase, both systems will face hardships. She knows that there are residents who have a hard time with tax increases, but most enjoy the results of a good school or higher property values. She said that the benefits are for all. She asked the County Commissioners to raise their taxes. Kimberly Nevin is a parent of CHCCS children and a volunteer in the schools. She is supportive of all teachers. She said that cutting staff is unacceptable. These are not extra positions, but basic needs. She said that they recently moved to Orange County for one reason -the reputation far funding and supporting the great schools. She asked the County Commissioners to please fully fund schools. Marc ter Horst is a resident of Chapel Hill and a parent of children in CHCCS. He is also a resident of Orange County and an advocate for the community. He has served as PTA President for two different PTAs and he is currently Co-Chair of a school improvement team at Seawell Elementary. He has learned through volunteering that schools do not exist without the community, and he believes that community does not exist without the schools. He is advocating full funding for both school systems. He supports continued employment for teachers, TAs, and staff. He also supports continued funding for operational costs for all schools, old and new. He asked the County Commissioners to consider a school funding continuation ordinance, or SAPFO for operating expenses. He would also like a County service-funding ordinance based on the population. He said that continuation-funding ordinances would help determine the desired commercial tax base. AI Hartkopf is a member of the OCS Board and volunteers at two schools. He said that they all have wants and obligations. He said that everyone wants to keep taxes low but there are obligations. He said that there are other ways to fund education rather than raising the taxes. He said that Ben Lloyd and Robert Nichols helped him get elected. He said that there is mare than one way to raise money for schools such as economic development and commercial tax bases. He said that this is a culmination of many years. The County needs to fund the schools. Jeff Denarim is a CHCCS parent. He said that he recognizes that the County Commissioners do not have the flexibility in the funding mechanism to shift the burden more towards people who can afford to pay more for taxes. He said that the Board of County Commissioners should organize the public and the parents to help them get the flexibility in Raleigh. Lori Merritt is a teacher's assistant in the OCS, and her job is in jeopardy. She said that she cannot afford higher taxes, but she cannot afford to lose her jab either. She said that OCS has high standards, higher than Durham County. She is in school to become a teacher in Orange County and she wants to teach here because the standards are so high. If there are not teacher assistants to help the children, then no one will help them. She said that athletics help in student performance because of the standards. She asked the Board to do the best it can do. Kimberly Holzer is a teacher in the CHCCS system. She said that without a permanent sub or teacher assistants, the classes are collapsed -where two classes are squished into a room. She said that at Culbreath she has not had to face this issue and she moved here so that her children could go to these schools. She said that there are standards here. 4. Adjournment The Board agreed by consensus to adjourn the meeting at 10:38 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Moses Carey, Jr., Chair Donna S. Baker, CMC Clerk to the Board