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5 <br /> departments to prepare funding plans that allow for a 10 percent reduction in <br /> non-permanent personnel areas and, provides no equipment or vehicle <br /> purchases. In order to meet these guidelines, staff will be exploring alternative <br /> means of delivering some County services, and in most instances, consideration <br /> will be given to exchanging some currently offered lower priority services for <br /> other higher priority ones. Staff will explore opportunities to reassign money and <br /> staff. As those plans are considered, staff plans to ask the Board, in future <br /> budget work sessions, to act on recommended service delivery alternatives in <br /> order to avoid reduction or elimination of activities, services and programs the <br /> Board may not wish to eliminate. <br /> Orange County has always valued its employees. The Board affirmed this <br /> commitment in its Guiding Principles by stating, "The County's workforce is a <br /> valuable asset which should be protected." As departments look at ways to <br /> meet funding targets for FY 2009-10, the ultimate goal will be to retain the current <br /> workforce. This may mean some employees continue in their current jobs while <br /> others may be required to work in different capacities — regardless of the <br /> assignment. The Manager's highest priority in the upcoming budget process will <br /> be to retain employees and avoid reductions in force. <br /> Staff highlighted historical trends in Orange County's revenues and <br /> appropriations at the Board's January 10 retreat. During that conversation, staff <br /> engaged the Board in a preliminary conversation about a number of budget <br /> drivers, including a target tax rate and funding for schools, that would affect the <br /> upcoming budget for FY 2009-10. Attachment 6 is a copy of the handout <br /> provided to the Board at the retreat. This handout highlights a number of <br /> questions and budget drivers that would impact the upcoming budget. At the <br /> retreat, Commissioners were asked to give thought to the questions posed on <br /> Attachment 6 and be prepared to make decisions, at tonight's work session, that <br /> will guide how staff proceeds with the upcoming budget year. The County <br /> Manager recommends the Board decide on its common guidance and direction <br /> regarding the FY 2009-10 budget by using Attachment 6 as a point of reference. <br /> 3) Federal Economic Stimulus <br /> o Recommended Board Action — The County Manager recommends the <br /> Board review Attachments 7 and 8 and provide direction to staff regarding <br /> priority projects for anticipated Federal Economic Stimulus monies. <br /> Early in January 2009, Rebecca Troutman of the North Carolina Association of <br /> County Commissioners requested a list of possible shovel ready projects to prepare <br /> Governor Beverly Perdue for a meeting with President Obama's Economic <br /> Development Team. Attachment 7 includes a list of the projects provided in <br /> response to Ms. Troutman's request. More recently, a staff work group met and <br /> developed a more comprehensive list of potential projects that may be eligible for <br /> Stimulus funding. Summaries of those projects are included in Attachment 8. The <br /> Manager recommends the Board offer direction regarding staff proposed projects or <br /> other priority projects Commissioners may be interested in submitting for Stimulus <br /> funding. Following tonight's discussion, staff will prepare a final list of potential <br /> Stimulus projects for approval at the February 17 regular Board meeting. <br />