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APPROVED 816196 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 10, 1996 The Orange County Board of Commissioners held a Public Hearing on the Manager's recommended 1996-1997 Orange County budget on Monday, June 10, 1996 at 7:30 p.m. in the community meeting room at OWASA, 400 Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and Commissioners Stephen Halkiotis and Bill Crowther. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioners Alice Gordon and Don Willhoit. PRESENTATION OF THE 1996-1997 BUDGET: John Link gave an overview of the 1996-1997 Recommended Budget as outlined in the yellow flyer which was distributed prior to the meeting. That information, in its entirety, is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's office. PUBLIC HEARING: Lily Fare[, incoming Student Body President at East Chapel Hill High School, spoke in support of the Board of Commissioners fully funding the new high school. She specifically requested that funding for the third wing of the school be reconsidered. BJ Perlmutt, incoming Student Body President for Chapel Hill High School, spoke in support of funding the full amount requested by the school board. He felt that funding for necessary resource and clerical support staff may not be included if the full request is not approved. Clifton Metcalf, member of the Board of Trustees of the Chapel Hill Public Library, thanked the Commissioners for their previous support and requested that they continue to strengthen that support. He reported a 41 % increase in circulation from May, 1994. There has also been a large increase in requests for reference materials and a marked rise in children's visits. The new library is a great success and will continue to need increased County support. A copy of his report, in its entirety, is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's office. Rose Hetzell, a member of the Association of Office Professionals in Schools, spoke in support of funding the entire operating budget request. She also mentioned that the salaries of classified personnel have been frozen for some time which means that new employees are often hired at higher salaries than experienced employees in similar positions. Salaries need to be advanced. A copy of her comments is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's office. Peter Morcombe spoke against full funding of this budget request. He stated that taxes have increased 188% in the last 10 years and felt that local newspaper reporters should research why the cost of public education in Orange County is so high. A copy of his comments is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's office. Mark Hamilton, Chair of the Counseling Department at Chapel Hill High School, thanked the Commissioners for their continued support for public education. He mentioned that the State Legislature is considering a state-wide bond referendum which would alleviate some of