Orange County NC Website
On sales tax side, this will be the final year of the Medicaid sales tax swap. The County <br /> will lose the sales tax from Article 44 and will also begin to lose some on Article 39, which is <br /> based on the redistribution. The County is also holding the Towns harmless. This is averaging <br /> about$200-300,000 a month that is coming out of the Article 39 and going to the Towns. She is <br /> also anticipating a 10% reduction in sales tax collections. <br /> Other major revenue highlights include that there is a significant decrease in <br /> construction-related revenues— building permits, environmental health permits, etc. There is <br /> also a significant decrease in transfer and Register of Deeds fees. The cumulative amount of <br /> that is about a $1.5-2 million loss next year. She is still assuming that the County will also lose <br /> money on the School Construction Impact Fee side. <br /> The biggest news is that the County has received information from the Association of <br /> County Commissioners about some legislation introduced in the last few weeks that counties <br /> are advised not to budget public school building fund monies next year. This is a $1.5 million <br /> loss. Also, the County has billed the State $3.4 million in public school building fund money and <br /> lottery proceeds. These monies were for Phoenix Academy renovation, Elementary#11 <br /> planning, Stanford Middle School HVAC replacement, renovation of science labs at Stanford <br /> and Stanback, and debt service for Cedar Ridge. The County has received $2 million of this. <br /> Last week, the Governor directed the State Budget Office to withhold the February and May <br /> deposits from the counties for public school building fund and lottery. When the General <br /> Assembly approved the lottery, there was a clause that it could not be withheld from counties to <br /> balance the State budget except for one condition — if the Governor issues an emergency <br /> budget act. This is what has happened. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz asked where the County would find this $1.4 million if the State <br /> does not release it. Donna Coffey said that the proceeds from the lottery are budgeted in <br /> individual school capital projects. The school capital projects could be reduced. <br /> Commissioner Nelson asked about the plan that the Manager has to communicate this <br /> information to the public. <br /> Laura Blackmon said that the easiest way is to do an op-ed and to communicate directly <br /> to the media. The other way is to post it on the website. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that he would like to have a conversation about the <br /> revaluation and whether anything different should be done. He would like to have a better <br /> understanding about some issues like the utility funds. He wants to know where the County is <br /> with the revaluation issue, and the ramifications of doing something different. He said that <br /> people assume that if their values go up, that their taxes will go up. He also thinks that the <br /> Board needs a calculation that will be above the tax neutral rate. <br /> Laura Blackmon said that she has asked the Tax Assessor John Smith about some of <br /> the requests that are mentioned. She said that it would be March 17th before anything would be <br /> back. <br /> Commissioner Gordon agreed on talking about the revaluation and said that there is <br /> something amiss about the revaluation process. She said that if counties revaluate every four <br /> years, the state will allow them to collect the full amount from the public utilities. If it is not done <br /> every four years, then only 75% can be collected this year. This needs to be communicated as <br /> clearly as possible. She thinks that all County Commissioners want to do the right thing, but the <br /> question is what the right thing is to do. <br />