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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 05-22-2014 APPROVED 9/4/2014 MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING May 22, 2014 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Budget Public Hearing on Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the DSS Offices, Hillsborough Commons, Hillsborough, N.C. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Mark Dorosin, Alice M. Gordon, Earl McKee, Bernadette Pelissier, Renee Price, and Penny Rich COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: Interim County Manager Michael Talbert and Assistant County Managers Clarence Grier, Cheryl Young and Clerk to the Board Donna 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. Openinq Remarks Chair Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to add Approving the County Manager's Employment Contract item to the agenda. VOTE: UNANIMOUS (6-0) (Commissioner porosin had not arrived yet) a. Approvinq the County Manaqer's Employment Contract The Board considered approving the County Manager's Employment Contract A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Price to approve the County Manager's Employment Contract. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Commissioner porosin arrived. Chair Jacobs welcomed Bonnie Hammersley. Bonnie Hammersley said it is her pleasure and honor to begin her service as County Manager. She looks forward to working with the Board and staff in the coming months and years on the issues and challenges before them. She hopes to work with government partners to find cost effective solutions to concerns, while exploring opportunities to strengthen the County's economic and financial base. Chair Jacobs said he and the Board appreciate the opportunity to work with Bonnie Hammersley. Commissioner Gordon welcomed Bonnie Hammersley and praised her many years of experience. Commissioner McKee added his welcome and said Bonnie Hammersley's experience in other parts of the country will come in handy in Orange County. Commissioner Price welcomed the new manager and said she looks forward to working with her. Commissioner Pelissier welcomed the manager. She hopes that Bonnie Hammersley will bring new ideas to continue to make Orange County a creative and innovative county. Commissioner Price said she was excited to start working with the new manager. She said Michael Talbert will set her in the right direction. Commissioner porosin said the only thing constant is change, and it is coming. He said Bonnie Hammersley is part of this change, and he welcomes it. 2. Presentation of County Manaqer's Recommended FY 2013-14 Budqet (PowerPoint Presentation) A copy of the County Manager' Recommended FY 2014-15 Budget can be found at the following website: http://www.orangecountync.gov/finance/index.asp Michael Talbert said the proposed 2014-15 Fiscal Year budget is $195,638,505, which is an increase of$7.9 million, or just over 4 percent. He said this budget does not include a tax increase but does appropriate a significant amount of fund balance ($8.5 million). He said the budget addresses the goals set at the retreat. He said the per-pupil funding is recommended to go up $95, to $3,364 per pupil, which is a 2.9 percent increase. He said the Board had a target of 48.1 percent, and this year's recommended budget is 49.3 percent. He said the safety net services and target funds for child poverty are addressed, and these are taken up in the social services and health department budget. He said there is also funding to move the Rogers Road Sewer project forward. He said there is also $3 million in year 2 of the CIP to fund the County's share of this sewer project. He said there will be pressure in future years to raise taxes, with the possible bond referendum, the property revaluations in 2017, and over $300 million in older school needs. Clarence Grier presented the following PowerPoint slides: County Manager's Recommended FY 2014-15 Annual Operating Budget and Capital Investment Plan Presentation Southern Human Services Center, Chapel Hill Orange County, NC May 20, 2014 Guiding Principles • Balances County's operating budget without a property tax rate increase —6th Consecutive Year • Provides funding for County services at current levels • Funds local school districts enrollment growth, operational funding and debt service. Recommended General Fund Budget Totals $195.6 million • Represents an increase of$7.9 million from original current year budget of $187.7 million, which is a 4.21 percent increase from previous year original budget • Represents a $2.1 million decrease in the current year's amended budget Components of General Fund Budget General Fund Revenues...................................... $187,131,286 General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance................ $8,507,219 General Fund Expenditures.................................. $(195,638,505) Net.................................................................. $ Tax Savings Generated By the Use of Fund Balance Fiscal Year Fund Balance Utilized Property Tax Rate Effect 2009-2010 $0 0 2010-2011 $401,673 .26 2011-2012 $1,131,417 .74 2012-2013 $2,187,872 1.39 2013-2014 $5,190,118 3.23 2014-2015 $8,507,219 5.19 The cumulative tax effect of utilizing fund balance to balance the budget totals 10.81 cents. Orange County Projected Cash flows for FY2014-15 (spreadsheet) Orange County Budget Past 6 Fiscal Years (Bar graph) Proposed Ad Valorem Tax Rate Effective July 1, 2014 • Proposed tax rate of 85.8 cents per$100 of assessed valuation • This rate produces $140.6 million in property tax revenues for FY 2014 - 15 • Overall Real Property Valuation increased 1.9% • One cent on property tax estimated to generate $1,638,241 Orange County Property Tax Revenues Past 6 Fiscal Years (Bar graph) Sales Tax Revenues • Recommended Sales Tax Revenues of$19.0 million is $1.8 million higher than the $17.2 million budgeted in FY 2013-2014 due to increased in consumer spending , and current year projections • Actual sales tax revenues are down over 16% since the peak of$22.5 million in fiscal year 2007-2008 • Orange County General Fund FY 2014-15 Revenues (Pie chart) • Proposed Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District Tax Rate Effective July 1, 2014 Recommended tax rate of 20.84 cents per$100 of assessed valuation - Represents no increase in the property tax rate for the District Recommended tax rate will generate $21.8 million for the Chapel Hill — Carrboro City School District - This represents an additional $1,764 per pupil above the County's allocation One cent on district tax is estimated to generate $1,044,521. Recommended Funding for Chapel Hill - Carrboro City and Orange County Schools • Total General Fund appropriation totals $92.3 million • Funds day-to-day operations, repayment of school related debt, and capital • Equals an appropriation of 49.3 percent of total General Fund Revenues • Reflects $2.9 million increase from current year General Fund appropriation • Equates to a current expense allocation of$3,364, a $95 increase, per student for each of the 20,202 students in both districts for day-to-day operating funds and projected enrollment growth. Components of the Education Funding Manager Recommended Current Expense $67,959,528 Recurring Capital $3,000,000 Long Range Capital $3,724,849 Debt Service $16,608,984 Fair Funding $988,000 Total Education Funding $92,281,361 General Fund Revenues $187,131,286 Percentage to General Fund Revenues 49.3% The BOCC target is 48.1% of General Fund Revenues • County Education Funding Fiscal Year Original Budget % of Revenue 2009-2010 $86,378,040 48.6 2010-2011 $87,135,916 49.8 2011-2012 $84,175,033 47.5 2012-2013 $85,455,533 48.1 2013-2014 $89,424,651 49.0 2014-2015 $92,281,361 49.3 Current Expense, Recurring and Long-Range Capital, Fair Funding, and Debt Service Additional Funding for Local Schools • In addition to the $92.3 million for operations, debt and capital, recommended budget allocates $1.25 million to fund non-mandated safety net initiatives for both school districts Some of these initiatives are: • School Health Nurses - $697,380 • School Resource Officers - $556,424 • School Social Workers - $0, due to the of loss State revenue • With these additional non-mandated funding initiatives, the total funding for the local school districts total 49.9% of the General Fund Revenues Major Funded County Initiatives • Maintains all County services at current levels • Funds the increase in medical insurance and fully funds the 401(k)/457 plans for non- sworn employees • A cost of living and merit increase equating up to 2% in compensation for employees • Provides for an increased funding for Emergency Services to address the recommendations of the Emergency Services Study and Work Group • Provides funding to the Town of Chapel Hill Library totaling $568,139 • Allocations provided to non-profit organizations total $1,074,100 for FY 14-15. • Long range/pay-as-you go County capital is $464,800. • Debt service for the General Fund will be $26.5 million. Orange County General Fund FY 2014-15 Expenditures (Pie Chart) Solid Waste Initiatives • Provides for an increase in the Landfill Fees due to both an increase in tonnage and a $2 increase (from $42.50 to $44.50) in the City of Durham's tipping fees. • The closure of the landfill with public education and other related planning efforts. We expect to incur $3.7 million in closure cost in FY 2013-14. • Provides for $1.36 million in Urban Curbside/Multi-Family Fees to fund the cost of recycling programs and operations for urban curbside collections. This is a new contract for urban curbside recycling, with a fee with a rate of$59/unit. The program will transition from 18 gallon bins to 95 gallon roll carts. • Provides for $840,106 in Capital Outlay for the Recycling Division; $462,106 of those funds are in the Vehicles account and are for the replacement of vehicles based on the replacement schedule, the remaining $378,000 is in the Equipment account and will be used to purchase 7,000 roll carts for the rural roadside recycling program. • The General Fund contribution to Sanitation in the FY14-15 Manager Recommended Budget is $1.8 million; this equates to 1.13 cents on the current property tax rate. • Provides for construction for the Eubanks Solid Waste Convenience Center improvement Additional Funding Options • Appropriate Fund Balance, if necessary; The Board may use up to $650,000 without a negative impact on fund balance • Property tax rate increase • Increase in CHCCS Special District Tax Revenues Generated By Property Tax Increase Tax Increase Property Tax Revenues Per Pupil Equivalency Generated 1 cent $1,638,241 $81.09 2 cents $3,276,482 $162.19 2.4 cents $3,931,778 $194.62 4 cents $6,552,964 $324.37 5.5 cents $9.010,326 $446.01 Based on 20,202 students Revenues Generated By Increase in CHCCS Special District Tax Tax Increase Property Tax Per Pupil Revenues Generated Equivalency 1 cent $1,044,521 $84.56 2 cents $2,089,041 $169.11 3.5 cents $3,655,824 $295.95 Based on 12,353 projected students for the CHCCS School District County Capital Investment Plan Fiscal Year Appropriations County Capital Projects $5,328,410 Special Revenue Fund(Art. 46 Sa/es Tax) Economic Development $1,386,490 Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools $852,690 Orange County Schools $533,800 Proprietary Capital Projects Water & Sewer Utilities $5,030,000 Solid Waste $3,449,286 Sportsplex $1,175,000 Schools Capital Projects Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools $3,119,726 Orange County Schools $1,941,403 Total $22,816,805 Details of the Capital Investment Plan are included in the Budget Concerns and Issues for FY 2015-2016 • Federal State Budget Issues • Debt Service • County Capital Projects • School Capital Projects • Health Insurance • Post-employment Insurance benefit for retirees • Economic Development • Economy • Revaluation • General Fund Revenues FY 2015—2016 Budget (spreadsheet) Public Hearings and Work Sessions (All Meetings Begin at 7:00 p.m.) Document Availability • Clerk to Board of Commissioners • County Finance & Administrative Services Office • Orange County Library • Chapel Hill Public Library • Carrboro/McDougle Branch Library • Cybrary, Carrboro • Orange County Website Clarence Grier said the projected County cash flows show that there is only one quarter (October-December) in which there is positive cash flow. He said this is why fund balance is so critical. He said the current unassigned fund balance is approximately $36.7 million. Clarence Grier said the Orange County budget in the past 6 fiscal years has increased approximately $18 million, growing from $177.6 million in 2009-10 to $195.6 million for the current year. He said this is reflective of the recovery of the economy. He said the largest components of the property tax revenues are real property, being $132.6 million, and registered motor vehicles, being $7.9 million. He said it is anticipated that the new collection method will make registered motor vehicles a larger component moving forward. Clarence Grier said property tax continues to be the largest portion of the general fund revenues, at 72.8 percent. He said property taxes have been 74 to 76 percent in past years, but the use of fund balance has decreased the reliance on property taxes. He said the bond rating has been upgraded to AAA rating for all three major rating services, and this lowers the debt service rates moving forward. Clarence Grier noted that the largest expenditure of General Fund Revenue is education, at 48.7 percent, and this is followed by Human Services, at 16.8 percent, and Public Safety at 11.5 percent. He referred to the slide on Concerns and Issues for Fiscal Year 2015-16 and said both school systems have a combined total of$330 million in outstanding projects and older facility needs. He said the health insurance costs for the County continue to increase, and this year the increase was 14.5 percent. He said the outstanding post-employment insurance benefit is $63 million, and the County has fully funded the past 2 fiscal years annual required contribution. He said the property tax revaluation is an issue because current assessed values are higher than property sales by 5.5 cents. He said a revaluation conducted at this time would require a $4.42 property tax increase to generate the same amount of revenue as is budgeted this year. He said the gap in general fund revenues and expenditures is growing at a rate that is unsustainable. He suggested a property tax increase or reduction in expenditures may be necessary in the next fiscal year. Clarence Grier reviewed the spreadsheet outline of the projected future budget for fiscal year 2015-2016. He said the Revenues are projected at$187,131,286, with 1.5 percent property tax growth and a 2 to 3 percent sales tax growth. He said the anticipated appropriated fund balance excess is $4.5 million, with expected adjustments of$7.1 million and estimated preliminary revenues of$194,309,751. He said taking into account the estimated expenditures of$2.6 million and estimated expenses of$198.2 million, there would be a budget shortfall of $3.9 million He said this would equate to $2.59 cents on the current property tax rate. He reviewed the dates for future public hearings and the document availability. Commissioner Gordon said this budget presentation was given on May 20th and questions arose about the CHCCS district tax. She said she had found a couple of interesting historical notes related to this. She said in 2005, there was a referendum to implement an OCS district tax, and it was defeated. She said there was also a referendum in 1996 to expand the use of the CHCCS special use tax from just operating to also to include capital. She said this passed with a vote of almost 2-1. Chair Jacobs noted for the public that the Board does not make any decisions about the budget until after the public hearings. Chair Jacobs said that the Board may have its own opinions about how the schools' money should be used, but that is not the role of the Commissioners. He said the Board gives the schools a per-pupil amount, and the school systems decide what the money is used for. Commissioner porosin referred to Commissioner Gordon's comments on the past history of school taxes. He hopes no one will conclude that the County school system is any less passionate about funding the needs of the children in the OCS district. He said it is common for the County not to have a special tax because the district is funded with a property tax. Commissioner Gordon said she is a strong supporter of both school systems, and she just thought the historical information was interesting. 3. Public Comment Art Menius welcomed the new manager. He said he greatly appreciated the proposed increase in their budget for the Arts Center, where he is executive director. He said this past fall the center increased their arts and education program to all four Title 1 schools in the Orange County system. He said they serve a total of 93,000 people at the center, and 1/3 of them are school children. He said 90 shows have been presented, all tied to the core curriculum in the Chapel Hill Carrboro School system, and more than 2,200 adults took classes in the art school. He said the after school arts emersion has reached a high of 40 kids every day, and this includes bus transportation from the school to the center. He said there are conversations ongoing with the Hillsborough Arts Council to bring services north of Interstate 85, and the goal is to have art school classes in downtown Hillsborough as early as this coming fall. He said the goal is to serve all of the citizens of the County. He said the center has an economic impact of almost $3.5 million annually in Orange County. Jeff Danner has lived in Orange County for 14 years. He said the school districts bring the Board budgets, but no new initiative. He said the schools requests are never fully funded, and teachers are fired and course offerings are reduced. He said this process has worn everyone down, and it has been accepted as the new normal. He said the Board has a means to raise revenue, and it has been 6 years without a tax increase. He understands that the Board does not set how the school spends money, but this is a partnership. He recommended that the Board put together a budget with a guiding principle of firing no teachers. He asked the Board to think about why they want to serve. He said there seems to be a higher value placed on tax minimization than anything else. He said this is the year to do something differently and just fund the schools. James Barrett said he is not speaking officially for the CHCCS Board, but he would like to offer some reactions. He referred to the $750,000 addition to the CIP for the older school projects and said he agrees that it is preferable to build capacity at existing facilities versus building new green built schools. He said the issue is timing, and it takes more time to add on that it does to build new. He said the additions need to be started right away in order to increase capacity enough to avoid plan B for elementary #12. He said this $750,000 is a request to get started earlier on an alternative plan for elementary#12, which is already in the CIP. He said if this is not started next year, there will be a need to build new in order to meet the growth. He referred to the operating budget and said that every additional dollar received will be used to save teacher and assistant positions. He said the requested budget is not some huge expansion budget, but simply provides for all of the existing positions. He said the school board has looked at the cuts that would be necessary to meet the manager's recommendation, and all of them would have a negative impact on teachers, assistants and students. He said the Board is their last hope. He thanked them for their past support of education, and said he looks forward to their continued support. Robert Dowling said he is the executive director of Community Land Trust and he expressed thanks for the County's on-going funding, support and advice to him and his board. He said the Board gives them $149,000, which is a lot of money, but this same amount has been given since 2008-09. He said the Community Land Trust has grown a lot in that time. He said there are discussions about a proposed charter amongst the local governments and the home trust. He said he hopes there will be a funding formula in this charter. He said there are 227 homes in their inventory, and they have sold 38 homes this fiscal year. He described one owner who is an employee of the Orange County school system and bought a townhome off Old 86. He said this person is a real community builder and a great ambassador for the Home Trust. Ann Gerhardt is the executive director of Compass Center, which is a domestic violence agency that also provides health sufficiency and debt reduction programs, as well as community education. She said Compass Center has never asked for an increase in funding. She said when the Family Violence Prevention Center and the Women's Center merged, the agency programs remained the same, and this came with the same amount of funding. She said the merger has been a great success, and capacity has grown and so has the ability to serve domestic violence victims. She said the center is losing $85,000 in funding from both the state and United Way. She said she is asking the County for an increase of$10,000 in funding. She said this funding is to help prevent the police departments, legal systems, and towns from doing the job that the center can do. She said this saves the County money, and reduces police domestic violence calls and employee absences for business owners. She said the center gives back to the County and leverages $600,000 back in revenue from stated other resources. She thanked the Board for their help, and asked for an increase in funding from $59,500 to $69,500. Ashley Desena said she just moved to Orange County about a year ago. She referred to County employee salaries and said there is a growing disparity between private and public employee salaries. She said it is estimated that public workers now make an average of 30 percent more than private sector workers. She said this figure has increased when you count the benefits received by public employees. She said the register of deeds, which is an elected position, makes a salary of$76,000. She said county employees need to absorb more of increased health care costs. She does not think the government should be in the business of funding non-profits, especially to the tune of$2 million. She said it is impossible to appropriate tax payer money and process it through the inevitable administrative process and expect the same amount of money to come out on the other side. She said it is just common sense that the amount received by the non-profit will be less than what was appropriated. She cited a study that showed non-profits receiving government funding reduced how aggressively they pursue outside money through fund raising. Gary Wallach said he is here to support fully funding the schools. He said this year is different, since the CHCCS has gone through all of their rainy day funds, and it is still raining. He said he knows the County cannot make up for state cuts, but it is a bit direr for their school systems this year. He said his son has a disability and has managed to survive this long in the school system because he has had superb help. He said his son is a junior, and he got this far with so much support. He said when assistants are taken away, it is critical for someone like his son. He said the district is down to the bare bones and he hopes the Board will consider this. Marie McAdoo is from Elfand, and she is a member of United Voices. She said she stands on behalf of the school boards and she asked the Board of County Commissioners to fully fund their budget. Karen Dunn is with Club Nova, and she thanked the Board of County Commissioners for all of their support and funding. She said this is one of the stronger club houses in the world, and this is because of the support from Orange County. She said the club house model is an intentional community for people with serious mental illness. She said the model is based on 36 international standards created by members and staff of the worldwide community. She said people with mental illness have the same needs, hopes and aspirations as everyone else, and the club house model offers all of those opportunities and provides a critical safety net that saves lives. She thanked the Board again for their support. Elvira Mebane lives in Efland, and she speaks on behalf of the Orange County Schools and asks the Board to fund their budget. She said one reason is the fact that the schools will have to fund the social worker positions this year, and these positions are needed. She said her grandson may need this service. She said he does not have a teacher assistant in his classroom this year, and he has had some regression in his learning. She asked the Board to fully fund what OCS has requested. She also asked the Board to please look carefully at funding activities in the rural areas, specifically the Efland- Cheeks Center expansion. THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED VIA EMAIL: From: Bridget Mora Dear Chairman Jacobs and Board of County Commissioners: I am writing to urge you to make fully funding all Orange County schools (OCS and CHCCS) your top budget priority this year. Our public schools are the heart of our community; not only for the students, parents, and teachers, but also for the businesses that requires an educated workforce and the community that needs the next generation of leaders to keep our county vibrant. The BOCC has a long tradition of supporting our public schools, for which I thank you. Our public schools need your help more than ever - even as enrollment grows and state mandates increase, our state funding has dropped, our fund balances have been exhausted, and the grant monies have been spent. You are the last line of defense, and the citizens of Orange County are counting on you. Please do whatever it takes to fully fund the budget requests of Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. If it means raising taxes, cutting other programs, or some other creative means, fully funding the schools must be our county priority right now. We trust you to make wise decisions about how to fund the requests. Once again, thank you for your ongoing commitment to high quality public education in Orange County, and for your service on the Board. Respectfully, Bridget Mora Co-Chair, Special Needs Advisory Council for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools From: Renate Deckner I am kindly asking the BOCC to fund the FULL budget request of both CHCCS and Orange County Schools. We are depending on the BOCC to fund our schools. I do believe in their commitment to education in our community and their ability to think creatively about how to fund our schools. Please do whatever it takes to make full funding happen. I would be happy to pay more taxes if that is what it takes to ensure quality education for our kids. From: Anne Beaven 109 Braswell Rd. Chapel Hill I am writing to urge you to continue current funding to our schools and even to look for ways to increase funding. The good reputation of the Chapel Hill School systems is a huge draw for young families to move to CH. If the funding continues to drop and poorly paid teachers continue to leave then the town will no longer have this advantage. I have a 5 year old son who will be starting at the Chapel public schools next year. I live in CH because of the reputation of the schools. This means that I commute to Durham and my spouse commutes to RTP, which is a lot of wasted time driving when we could live closer. I know there are many families like mine who would consider moving away if things continue to move in the same direction. Hello, I am writing again to urge the board to fully fund both the Orange County and Chapel Hill Carrboro School Districts' budget requests. I was very disappointed to see the interim county manger's recommendations. He mentions that not raising taxes is unsustainable and what are more unsustainable are the cuts to education that will occur if taxes are not raised this year (both the county and the special district tax). Funding public education is one of the most important things we can do to ensure economic stability. We just had an election and we returned some of you to the board to do the right thing, to stand by your promises to support our schools at a time when the state has turned their back (despite some recent talk out of Raleigh). We have not raised the county tax in over 6 years; it is time, the future of our region is too important to not make this choice. Please show the courage to do what is best for our students and our economy, it is the correct moral choice and I would argue the correct political choice as well. Thank you. Karen Herpel 204 Wild Oak Lane Carrboro, NC 27510 216.287.7758 From: Debra Gomes Phone Number: 919-338-2141 Message: My husband and I are very concerned with our public schools. We moved from California 7 years ago and chose Chapel Hill because of the quality of the schools. We know how quickly schools can decline. We want you to creatively figure out a way to FULLY fund the budget requests of Orange County and Chapel Hill/Carrboro Schools. People will not only leave the schools if they quality starts to decline, they will also leave the area effecting everything from our property values, schools, ability for companies and the Universities to find quality employees. We live in a town where people put their children's education FIRST. I know my husband and I would not stay if we see the quality of our kids education start to slip. The problem with our districts budget it not an issue that can be put on the back burner. It is an issue that must be addressed NOW. It has already been postponed and our reserves are gone. Tomorrow is too late. From: Chris and Claire Giordano Phone Number: 9199678327 Message: We have 2 children in the CHCCS (1 at MES and 1 at FPG). We have been so happy with the quality of the teachers and administrators at both schools. However, we are very concerned that if the County Commissioners do not fully fund the proposed budget that the quality of the teaching at our district schools will decline. Education is crucial to our children's future and to the success of NC. We live in Chapel Hill because of the quality of the schools. We are happy to pay an increase in property tax to fully fund our schools. Thank you for your past support of schools in Orange County and I thank you for your future support. We vote based on support for education. Gentlemen and Ladies: I am writing to urge you to fully fund the Carrboro City School District's budget request. I have two grandchildren who attend McDougle Elementary School, and I am impressed over and over again with the kind of attention, dedication and professionalism my grandchildren's teachers have exhibited over these past five years when my grandson began kindergarten. These teachers need to be compensated well for what they do for our children and ultimately our entire society. Please do not cut back the teacher's salaries nor do we want to cut back on the fine programs that are offered at this school. Our children need them, we need them, and our country needs them. Yours truly, Carolyn Fahey Grandmother From: Mira Brancu Phone Number: 9192404278 Message: Dear County Commissioners, Due to cuts in state funding, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District has been requested to make significant cuts ($2.2 million) in education. I am asking as a parent to please fully fund the district's budget request. Most parents move to this area specifically because of the excellent quality of education in this school district. We pay extremely high taxes specifically assuming that a large portion of those taxes are going to education. The district has excellent teachers who are underpaid and stretched very thin already with lack of school supplies for the kids, We as parents already support the schools by volunteering our time and resources and purchasing supplemental materials throughout the year in order to make up an already tight budget above and beyond the high taxes we pay. Further cuts will probably drive our excellent teachers out due to frustration at the lack of support. It will also anger parents who are already paying taxes and purchasing additional ma! terials and donating funds and time to the district. A quality education is one of the things that makes the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district an extremely highly desirable place to live. If the quality of education is compromised, more people will leave the community and less will be interested in coming in, which will ultimately effect the overall economy of the area. Funding education is actually an incredibly wise long-term investment in the community's economic viability. Thank you so much for your support and public service during such a tough fiscal time. From: Kelly Hogan Phone Number: 9199603373 Message: Like many parents, I urge you to fund our schools. When Chapel Hill is listed as a great place to live, it is for the people, the weather and the educational environment of our schools from kindergarten right through UNC's graduate programs. I have a friend moving from Vermont, and while she would rather live in Durham for proximity to her future work-- she would only look in Chapel Hill because of the schools. Durham is making their city quite attractive in a lot of ways-- but they do not have what we have wonderful schools. Top notch schools. Please help us retain what makes Chapel Hill the Southern part of heaven-- the teachers and the quality education at all of our 11 elementary schools, our four middle schools, and our three high schools. From: Mellicent Blythe Phone Number: 919-929-1008 Message: Dear County Commissioners, I am writing to urge you to fully fund CHCCS and Orange County schools. While the slowly recovering economy creates many challenges for our local budgets, strong schools are a critical part of driving growth and property values in Orange County. We already lose out to neighboring counties on much of people's spending money. If our schools fall from their place as state-wide leaders, there will be irreparable damage to what makes our community attractive to small businesses and residents. We cannot wait for next year or the next budget. If we lose teachers and programs, we will struggle for years to make up from our backsliding. Thank you for your public service. I realize you face many difficult decisions and devote much time and energy to improving our community. Please continue to do what is best for our community by fully funding and supporting our schools. Respectfully, Mellicent Blythe From: Alexander Kovalev Phone Number: Message: Dear Orange County Commissioners, I am writing this note to urge you not to make cuts to educational budget for the Orange County and CHCCS districts. High quality public education is the main magnet for the professionals to move to Orange County from many other places in and out of state. This drives demand for homes and rental property and increases tax revenue. If you inflict cuts on this county's educational system, there will be very few incentives left to move here and buy homes and start businesses. Please don't undermine business growth in the county by reducing educational funds. Please find some other way to reduce any budget shortfalls. Thank you for your consideration. Alexander Kovalev 102 Quailview Drive Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Dear Esteemed Members of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, On reading the Chapel Hill News this morning I am reminded what wonderful people live in our community. There are great ideas about how to do reasonable, lovely things to enhance life for all of us. But I feel compelled to express to you that some of these ideas, unfortunately, need to wait for a better day when it comes to funding. As you know, children in Orange County have had some protection from the agenda of our State Legislature to privatize education. That is to say, creating failure of public schools via de-funding. Some protection of our children owes a debt of gratitude to you, our County Commissioners. Other aspects of this protection have come from the two school boards, educators, and parents. Unfortunately the reserves are gone, and we have hit a point of crisis. Where we value the provision of quality services for all children, and would like to do as much as possible to create opportunities for the next generation, we are now in a position to desperately hold onto the shreds that are left after all "extras" are gone. We are to the point of no more textbooks (causing teachers to require time to create curriculum), significantly reduced funding of school libraries (inability to purchase books), reduced number of teachers/increased class size, reduced number of teacher liaisons to assist with children who have time-consuming needs (e.g., a fourth grader who cannot read in a classroom of 29 other children who are reading at or above grade level), reduced number of school office staff(e.g., no one left to spare if there is a need to stay with an emotionally disturbed child -who would be suspended from a charter school(!), or sick child until a parent arrives, or proctor an exam for a child with special needs)... The list goes on and on, honestly making me feel sick. Please, where it is in your power to do so, fully fund all schools in Orange County. The provision of quality education — how can it even be in question that it is important?You have many lovely ideas in front of you, all requiring funding, but our schools are in crisis. Thank you for taking on this very difficult job. Your work makes a difference in the life of your community. Sincerely yours Kenneth and Alexis Poss Chapel Hill From: Greg McAvoy Phone Number: 9199678349 Message: Dear Orange County Commissioners, I appreciate the difficult choices that you have to make, balancing people's ability to pay additional taxes with the need to provide necessary services. Our son attends Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools. We couldn't be more impressed with the quality of teachers and the schools he has attended. However, even with the great teachers he has had. However, he is a highly gifted student and even with current staffing it has been a challenge to meet his academic needs. Although he had a tremendous teacher in second grade, he would come home saying that he wished he had more challenging work. In third grade, his teacher was Candace White at Glenwood Elementary, the winner of teacher of the year at Glenwood the year she was our son's teacher. She was even more skilled as a teacher, particularly at providing gifted students with extra work. In our third quarter meeting with her, she said that she thought of herself as someone who could meet the needs of high-level students, but she found it difficult to keep up with our son. It was only with the help of Ms. Bittle, the gifted specialist at Glenwood at his needs were more fully met. The lesson here is that even at current staffing levels the needs of the district's best students are not effectively being met, and it is disturbing to think that due to a budget shortfall the district is considering eliminating some or all of the gift specialists. The services that they provide are necessary, not luxuries that students can do without. I urge you to fully fund the school district's budget request even though this means an increase in taxes for residents of the county. The failure of the General Assembly to think responsibly about the students' future means that others must make up for their shortsightedness. County residents are behind you. Please take bold action and fully fund the school district's request. From: Andrew Ross Phone Number: 9196196178 Message: Dear County Commissioners, I am a resident of Chapel Hill for over 7 years now. I am writing with some great budget concerns regarding education in North Carolina and specifically, in our district. However, I first want to thank you for your service during this tough fiscal time. I am a strong Democrat and recognize the challenges that you have had to deal with. As an involved parent of an 8-yr old daughter at a Chapel Hill Public School (Seawell Elementary), I also understand the challenges that each school administration and it's teachers have had to deal with. To say a lot is asked of them is an understatement. Likewise, parents are asked to give more money, give more time and get more involved. I probably receive on average 5 emails a day either from the school or district with some specific request of parents, usually money or a request for volunteers. I don't think the school administration, it's staff or it's parents should have to devote so much time and effort to funding schools. For example, I run a committee that helps to maintain the school grounds on a $500 annual budget. There are several acres. Just purchasing basic tools will run me beyond that on an annual basis. I have spent at least $1000 of my own money to ensure the grounds are in good shape in addition to contributing to most fundraisers that the school has and believe me, there are many. Schools must be adequately funded and by that I mean funded to ensure proper support is in place for educators and students and only teachers and their bosses really know what that means. Teachers must be paid and paid well. It is despicable that we want to pat ourselves on the back for offering a starting salary at$35000, and I believe that number won't hit for years to come. We love to talk about how important our teachers are but we sure don't pay them like they're that important. North Carolina has become the laughing stock for a number of issues across the country and our education spending per pupil is at the bottom. I think if we are going to look back in 15-20 years with any sense of pride about policies that were created, schools must be funded at or near requested levels and teachers should be paid at rates near the top of the nation, not the bottom. Raise taxes, cut other programs, end the giveaways to industries that don't need it, do whatever it is you have to ! do to show how important education is in this state. Education is the beginning, the middle and the end and without a good, accountable, well-funded system, little else will be achieved. I'm confident you will do the right thing and stand up for fully-funded schools. Thank you. From: Melissa Maloney Phone Number: 9199290132 Message: Dear Commissioners, I am a resident of Carrboro and the parent of two children: one in middle school and one in elementary school. I am writing to ask you to, please, do whatever you can to fully fund our schools. Year after year our schools have been experiencing cuts and we feel them. Seriously, at the holidays we were asked to not send gifts of candy or a teacher's mug?What they really would appreciate was copier paper. The fact that we are losing talented teachers to other states and other professions is very real. Two of my daughter's middle school teachers (Great teachers!) have left during this school year. If we continue to chip away at teacher support as we add more responsibilities (and more testing) and freeze their salaries, we can't expect any different results. We hire quality teachers not martyrs, not superheroes, not dummies. I know that you have been very supportive of education, and I am proud of our reputation of having some of the best schools in the State. Our great schools have drawn many people and businesses to this area, but we can't continue these cuts year after year without them having an impact. I really believe we are at a tipping point, and that we have to find a way to fully fund our schools. I know that you are faced with many tough budget decisions, and I appreciate your service to our community! I know that much of this issue stems from decisions made by our legislature and cuts to education made at the State level. Be assured, I am contacting my elected State officials with my concerns as well. Thanks for your consideration. Respectfully, Melissa Maloney From: Andrea Richardson Phone Number: 919-537-8432 Message: To the County Commissioners Please commit to education in North Carolina! This is the most important issue and it is up to you to act. The future of North Carolina depends on our children. Without a solid education our children will face a bleak future where they cannot successfully compete for jobs and the welfare of our population will be in peril. My husband and I are both scientists, we live in the Chapel Hill Carrboro School district, and we cherish our children's education. This last year we were thrilled that our eldest son has become very motivated to excel in school and it's due in large part to his wonderful 5th grade teacher, Kalie Norton. She is bright and dedicated and has fully engaged all the children in her class. We was such a refreshing change after having seen our son struggle with less than stellar teachers who only go through the motions without passion or joy. You see, while we currently have some fantastic and talented teachers we do have some lackluster teachers. Students with poor teachers suffer because they lose interest in school resulting in almost certain academic failure. ! We cannot afford to lose our great teachers. Ms. Norton's job is so vital to our son's future as well as the state's future. If we suffer more budget cuts we will lose our most talented and vital teachers, like Ms. Norton. As the best teachers leave so will the families. North Carolina will suffer a brain drain. Ignoring our children's education by implementing shortsighted budget cuts will have lasting harmful consequences. In closing, we appreciate your public service during such a tough fiscal time. Please prioritize education by raising teacher pay to the national average and fully fund our schools budget request! Sincerely, Andrea Richardson From: Catherine Neal Phone Number: 9199698820 Message: I respectfully request that you act in the best interests of all North Carolina's children by raising teacher pay. If the May legislative session does not take corrective action, we will lose many of our most talented teachers. Such losses would cause devastating and lasting harm to North Carolina public school children. According to the National Association of Educators, the average public school teacher's salary in North Carolina dropped 15.7% from 2001-2012. This drop meant that North Carolina was 51 st in the country in the growth of teacher pay during that decade. While no one enters the teaching profession to get rich, the contraction of their pay combined with an increase in student testing, accountability and expectations has combined to leave our teachers' professionalism questioned and their calling under assault. I am embarrassed by these facts, and you must be, also. You must already know that North Carolina teachers are leaving the state at an alarming rate for better paying opportunities in neighboring states or outside of their chosen profession. Teachers cannot afford to financially support themselves or their families. Entire websites have sprung up filled with their stories. The loss of these dedicated and talented professionals negatively affects our students and the future development of our state. PLEASE find a way to raise North Carolina teacher pay to the national average, where it was as recently as 2008. Recent surveys show that well over 90% of North Carolina's citizens agree that teacher pay should be raised. This is a nonpartisan issue that is about the future of North Carolina. From: Fleur Meng Phone Number: Message: Hello, I am a parent of two boys in Chapel Hill-Carrboro (6th grader at Culbreth Middle, 5th grader at Northside Elementary), and I am writing to respectfully request that the Orange County Commissioners fully fund CHCCS's request for$3.8 million to continue its commitment to quality education, including its gifted programs. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, and thank you for your time. Kind regards, Fleur Meng From: Nicole Bratten Phone Number: 9192404775 Message: Respected Commissioners, Please vote to fully fund the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. The budget cuts our district faces will directly and negatively impact the quality of education my two children currently receive at our local public elementary school. Three years ago, my family relocated to Chapel Hill from the Silicon Valley. We were excited at the possibility of living somewhere that not only had good jobs and a reasonable cost of living, but still maintained a reputation of excellence in public schools. We were okay paying Chapel Hill's higher property taxes if it meant we could send our kids to good neighborhood schools. This was the type of place every family dreamed of living, and we had made it our reality. Three years later, we are faced with budget cuts that change 2 out of 3 of the reasons we moved here in the first place. Without quality education for our children, we will be forced to look for private school which makes this no longer an affordable place to live. And what about those families who cannot afford private school? Cutting our district's budget sends a message that education is not a priority here. People who live here will be forced to seek out quality education elsewhere and people who were considering living here will look elsewhere. This does not lead to a growing, thriving community in which people dream of living. Though we already pay higher taxes than surrounding areas, I would support a tax increase if it meant that we could protect and fully support the education services in our public schools. Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful consideration. Sincerely, Nicole Bratten Dear Commissioners, We would like to say thank you. Thank you for your service to our community, your leadership, and your ongoing commitment to education in Orange County. We know that you are faced with many difficult choices, especially as retrenchment from Raleigh puts increasing pressure on local municipalities to make up the difference. We recognize that it puts you in a tough spot, but we also urge you to bear in mind the following facts: Education drives growth. One of the great values of this community is its schools. The quality of public education in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and greater Orange County draws businesses, property owners and taxpayers like no other feature in our community. Failure to fully fund the budget requests of the school districts has a real impact on their ability to educate our children. We risk losing a significant part of our attractiveness as a community when we lessen our financial commitment to the educational institutions that have served as the most visible beacon leading people to call this place home. Education builds value. Property values in Orange County significantly exceed those of our neighbors. Much of that value is driven by the quality of our schools. The best way to keep property values high is to continue to ensure that OCS and CHCCS remain among the very best schools in the state. The only way to keep our schools among the best in the state and region is to fully fund the budget requests of both school districts. Fully funding our schools sends a message to students and teachers that our community remains committed to the best possible future for our citizens, no matter what happens in Raleigh. There is no tomorrow. Capital projects have been delayed. Fund balances have been exhausted. Central office staffs have been gutted. Every last bit of fat has been drained from the budgets of both OCS and CHCCS. If you fail to fully fund the schools' budget requests, real and seriously impactful cuts will have to be made. Cuts that will impact every student. Cuts that will impact the lives and livelihoods of staff inembers that work, live and pay taxes in Orange County. We call on the Board of County Commissioners to think creatively to determine the most efficacious way to fully fund the budget requests of our school districts. This may mean raising taxes, cutting costs in other areas, or some combination of the two. We trust in your ability to make the best decisions for the County. The parents, teachers and students of Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill / Carrboro City Schools look forward to the Board of County Commissioner's decision to fully fund our schools, and thank you for your demonstrated commitment to growth and value in our community by your continued support of public education in Orange County. Respectfully submitted, CHCCS PTA Council From: Karen Herpel Phone Number: 216.286.7758 Message: Thank you for your past support and dedication to provide full funding for the CHCCS school district. I am asking you to continue this support and support Orange County Schools' full funding request as well. I know this will require a tax increase, possibly one higher than you have asked of citizens before, but I firmly believe that you have the public's support and the support of the business community who has gone on record stating their support. Without excellent schools, you do not have an excellent community. At a time when the state has turned it's back on public education, we must all come together and weather the storm, we cannot let our schools suffer and our students and teachers academic needs and morale decline. If there was ever a time to raise our taxes it is now. We must also reach out to other counties and band together to make changes at the state level. Without people in the legislature who understand what a strong public education system means to us! the economic vitality of a state and the future if it's citizenry we will be in this same position of having to make painful instructional cuts to both districts, cuts that will be detrimental, cuts that will have long lasting effects; our region will not thrive if this is the path we go down. Please fully fund both Chapel hill-Carrboro and Orange counties' requests and help us make changes at the state level. Thank you. From: Kim Eheman Phone Number: 919-260-0069 Message: I fully support legitimate and appropriate education in Chapel Hill, Orange County and beyond. Please increase our tax rate so we can secure the future for the children of our community. Sincerely, Kim Eheman Resident of Chapel Hill From: Virginia Purcell Phone Number: Message: Please fully fund the Chapel Hill school budget for 2014-2015! Our children's futures depend on it! The gifted specialists improve education for the entire classroom not just individual students!! Sincerely, Virginia Purcell From: Jessica Sherrieb Phone Number: 9194380623 Message: I am writing to respectfully ask that the Commissioners fully fund the CHCCS schools. I am a parent of two children in CHCCS schools and a rising Kindergartner. My family moved to Chapel Hill in part for the excellent schools and we are in favor of increased taxes to pay for them. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Jessica Sherrieb From: Marissa Elk Phone Number: 919-904-4355 Message: Dear County Commissioners, I am writing to express my wholehearted support of the proposed budget, including a tax increase as needed to fully fund the CHCCS budget. As the mother of 2 school-age and 1 soon-to-be school age child, I can tell you that we moved here a little over a year ago based largely on the strength of the school system. Despite having family in Raleigh, we chose to buy a house in Chapel Hill so that our children could benefit from what we feel is a superior public school education. Just as we try to shop at Chapel Hill businesses and attend local activities, we are fully supportive of the school system and would happily pay even more in taxes than we already do to maintain as high a level of quality as possible in the school system. I ask you as strongly as possible to approve the budget as proposed. Regards, Marissa Elk From: Laura Morgan Phone Number: 9196244946 Message: Dear County Commissioners, i am writing as an advocate of our schools and our county. Please look carefully at this budget and fully fund our schools. It appears it is time for a tax increase - but only to fund our schools. There is nothing more important than our schools and children. Thank you for your consideration. Laura Morgan From: Emily Moseley Phone Number: 919-932-8507 Message: Dear Commissioners: As you know, recent state budget cuts have put our schools in the terrible position of being underfunded, even with just continuation budgets. The CHCCS and OC schools have had very little increase in budget over the past six years, when our area has experienced great growth. I know the CHCCS have already absorbed $11 million in cuts over the last 10 years. There is nothing left to trim without slashing substantive services to instruction which will hurt students. As a property owner and taxpayer, I want to see a raise in the property tax rate to fully fund all schools in Orange County. Many thanks for your service, Emily Moseley From: Claire Nelson Phone Number: Message: I have taught third grade in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools for 18 years. Every year tough decisions have to be made regarding the budget. Chapel Hill has a diverse population of students all with legitimate needs. Our service needs are different from other districts. The demands are ever increasing. Classroom teachers need those additional resource and specialist positions to help us meet the needs of ALL our students. Please consider fully funding the budget request for the 2014-15 school year. Sincerely, Claire Nelson From: Alice Chuang Ivester Phone Number: 9196362749 Message: Dear Board of County Commissioners, I am writing to plead with you to fund the Chapel Hill 2014-2015 school budget. I understand that financially you have to make difficult decisions. I work as an educator and physician at UNC, and we are faced with some of the same decisions daily for patient care and for our medical student programs. It is hard sometimes to step forward and advocate, but because this is my job I try to remember that the best decisions are the ones that benefit my students and my patients first. I am proud to say that my child attends Chapel Hill public school. When I explain this to our physician friends who live elsewhere, they don't understand why our child goes to public school. I explain it very simply. Chapel Hill schools are excellent. Chapel Hill schools are diverse. Chapel Hill schools provide my child (and soon second child this fall) with a myriad of opportunities that I did not have going to private school growing up. Gifted education, music education, special needs education, arts education, language education...all of this is important and contributes to our NATIONAL reputation for having excellent schools. Our service needs are different from other districts and because this has always been recognized by you, we have been able to maintain this reputation of excellence. Please approve our budget so we can continue our diverse excellent educational programs. Regards, Alice Chuang, MD Associate Professor UNC School of Medicine From: Jennifer Carbrey Phone Number: 919 942 7598 Message: As a property owner and taxpayer, I want to see a raise in the property tax rate to fully fund all schools in Orange County. From: Alyse Levine Phone Number: 919-240-5434 Message: Please fully fund all schools in Orange County. As a property owner and taxpayer, I want to see a raise in the property tax rate to fully fund all schools in Orange County. From: Casey Saussy Phone Number: 919-698-6570 Message: Please fully fund all schools in Orange County. As a property owner and taxpayer, I want to see a raise in the property tax rate to fully fund ALL schools in Orange County. From: Debra Gomes Phone Number: 919-338-2141 Message: My husband and I are very concerned with our public schools. We moved from California 7 years ago and chose Chapel Hill because of the quality of the schools. We know how quickly schools can decline. We want you to creatively figure out a way to FULLY fund the budget requests of Orange County and Chapel Hill/Carrboro Schools. People will not only leave the schools if they quality starts to decline, they will also leave the area effecting everything from our property values, schools, ability for companies and the Universities to find quality employees. We live in a town where people put their children's education FIRST. I know my husband and I would not stay if we see the quality of our kids education start to slip. The problem with our districts budget it not an issue that can be put on the back burner. It is an issue that must be addressed NOW. It has already been postponed and our reserves are gone. Tomorrow is too late. Commissioner McKee said someone mentioned teachers had been fired without adequate funding. He asked the schools systems to provide numbers on this. Michael Talbert said this will be requested. 4. Adiournment of Public Hearinq A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna Baker Clerk to the Board