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APPROVED MAY 5, 1997 <br />MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />DECEMBER 7, 1996 <br />GOALS AND OBJECTIVES RETREAT <br />AT THE <br />HOMESTEAD COMMUNITY CENTER <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for their annual retreat on Saturday, December 7, <br />1996 at 8:30 a.m. at the Homestead Community Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair William L. Crowther and Commissioners Margaret <br />W. Brown, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordon and Stephen H. Halkiotis. <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers Rod <br />Visser and Albert Kittrell and Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe (All other staff members will be <br />identified appropriately below) <br />Chair Crowther called the meeting to order. He reviewed the agenda for the day indicating that <br />they would be discussing the present goals and creating and adding new ones as necessary. Several <br />changes were made to the agenda and they are incorporated below. <br />COUNTY FISCAL POLICY CONSIDERATION AND FORECASTS FOR 1996-97 <br />1. Revenue Trends and Projections <br />Budget Director Sally Kost reviewed the revenues and expenditures. In summary she made the <br />following points: <br />1. The growth in the tax base will increase from an estimated 4.1 % in 1996-97 to an estimated <br />23.2% in 1997-98 with the new revaluation. <br />2. The impact of revaluation on the general fund tax rate will be a decrease in the rate to an <br />amount of between 14.75 cents/per $100 valuation to 17.75 cents/per $100 valuation. <br />3. After revaluation, one cent on the General fund property tax will yield $612,000 to $620,000. <br />4. They had budgeted the growth in the tax base to be 3% and now expect it to be 4% which <br />will be an additional $400,000 <br />5. Sally Kost projects a 3% growth for the one cent sales tax which is collected here in the <br />County and a 6% growth for the 112 cents collected statewide and distributed to the County on the basis <br />of population. <br />6. Sally Kost noted she is not concerned about the $200,000 drop in sales tax revenues <br />because she feels that it will be received when sales tax revenues are received for the last quarter. <br />7. Other revenue sources should remain the same except for the charge for services when the <br />new jail opens. <br />8. There will be no dramatic increase in the intangibles tax. <br />9. Earnings on investments are up to $870,000 and they estimate receiving in 97-98 $950,000 <br />to $1,000,000 for investment earnings. <br />10. The fund balance is at 10.4% which means they may want to appropriate more fund <br />balance than they did last year. <br />Sally Kost will let the County Commissioners know about the fund balances for the two school <br />systems as soon as she receives their audits. <br />School enrollments figures were reviewed. The current per pupil cost is $1,782. <br />John Link noted that the Human Services Advisory Committee will be reviewing the allocations <br />to outside agencies and also the present and projected outcomes for these agencies. He suggested and <br />asked that the Board discuss considering OPC Mental Health as a department of the county instead of <br />an outside agency.