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Nick Didow, member of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, <br />said that he talked with Delores Simpson from the Orange County Board of Education. Based <br />on their conversation, he would like to share some of their comments. He thanked the Board of <br />County Commissioners for their support. He said that this year is an unprecedented year. He <br />said that in February of last year, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board heard over five <br />million dollars of requests for new initiatives in the City school system alone. The School Board <br />pared that down to 3.3 million dollars of additional funds to request from the County <br />Commissioners. In February of this year, there was eight million dollars requested for new <br />funds, and the School Board pared that list down to the unprecedented amount that was <br />requested this year. While the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board is grateful for the <br />County Commissioners' support, they have a shortfall of $900,000. The Chapel Hill/Carrboro <br />City School Board of Education appreciates the County Manager's and the County <br />Commissioners' suggestions on ways to modify the tax revenue increases, etc. However, they <br />are not going to be able to fund all those items that they feel have merit. He reflected on the <br />working relationship between the Board of County Commissioners and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro <br />City Schools Board of Education. His Board asked him to attend this meeting and to make a <br />commitment to include and partner with the County Commissioners in all that the Board of <br />Education does. The Chapel Hill/Carrboro Schools are rededicating themselves to be a partner <br />with the County Commissioners for the good of all the people in Orange County. They would <br />welcome suggestions from the Board of County Commissioners and County staff. <br />John Link mentioned the New Hope Fire Department Tax. The staff <br />recommendation remains the same, that the Commissioners adopt the present tax rate of 5.15 <br />cents per one hundred. The County staff believes that the fire district has within its reserve <br />funds and/or contingency fund the ability to address their needs next year without raising the <br />tax. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he would like to see a listing of each fire district and <br />what money they receive from outside resources and a list of the needs for each district. He <br />mentioned that there was so much misinformation as to the needs of the New Hope Fire <br />Department. <br />Commissioner Carey asked if the Board has ever asked for audits from fire districts. <br />Rod Visser said that this was discussed several years ago. According to state law county <br />governments cannot require fire districts to present an audit. The County usually gets an <br />accounting of the numbers, but nothing that would constitute the level of an audit. <br />Motion #1: <br />Budget Director Donna Dean said that this budget ordinance sets the countywide tax <br />rate at 91.9 cents and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools district tax at 22 cents. The <br />ordinance has the New Hope Fire District tax at 5.15 cents. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Brown, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to <br />adopt the 1999-2000 Orange County Budget Ordinance, to include a countywide tax rate of 91.9 <br />cents and a Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools district tax of 22 cents. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />Motion #2: <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to <br />adopt the revisions to the employee pay and benefits plan for 1999-2000 including the 1999- <br />11