Orange County NC Website
6. ReviewlAdapt "Resolution of Intent to Adopt 2002-03 Orange County Budget <br />Ordinance" <br />Rod Visser said that, based on the changes that the Board has discussed tonight, there <br />have been reductions totaling $4.7 million - $3.1 million is to make up for the anticipated State <br />reimbursement loss. About $1.6 million is from a combination of individual capital project <br />allocation changes or cuts and asix-month hiring freeze. This lowers the tax increase to three <br />cents. <br />Chair Jacobs said that another option would be to make further cuts to bring it down to a <br />2.5-cent increase. This would require a cut of an additional $250,000. <br />Commissioner Carey asked that the County Manager figure out the additional cuts. <br />Commissioner Gordon questioned whether the County Commissioners really want to do <br />that. She verified that the tax increase would be 2.75 cents with the extra $220,000. She said <br />that the voters have already approved atwo-cent tax increase with the passing of the bond. <br />Chair Jacobs said that one other tax decrease that we should mention each time we <br />have this discussion is that far 213 of the population in the County, the district tax is reduced by <br />an additional one cent for those in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School district. <br />Commissioner Carey and Commissioner Halkiotis said that they support bringing the tax <br />increase down to 2.5 cents and asked that the County Manager come back with a <br />recommendation of how to do this. <br />John Link said that he would like to see the Board adopt the Resolution of Intent with the <br />2.5-cent increase. He said that the additional $240,000 needed could be addressed with some <br />of the unanticipated revenue. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to <br />set the tax increase at 2-112 cents. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to <br />establish the per pupil amount for the schools at $2,516. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Brown, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to <br />set the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district tax rate at 19.2 cents. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />5. County Operatina Budaet Matters <br />Fire District Tax Rates <br />Rod Visser said that for 11 out of the 12 fire districts, the tax would stay the same. We <br />have a 20-year contract with the Town of Chapel Hill to provide services to South Orange. <br />There is a .65-cent tax increase needed far this fire district to meet the contractual obligation. <br />This would bring that fire district tax to 8.5 cents. The annexation of Southern Village occurred <br />last year and the tax collected from that area needs to be made up in same way. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Carey to <br />approve the .65-cent tax increase for South Orange Fire District. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />The staff will bring the capital project ordinances on Thursday evening. <br />In answer to a question from Commissioner Halkiotis about how the County would fund <br />an increase in salary for teachers if the State makes that recommendation, John Link said that <br />