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Commissioner Gordon said that the CHCCS Board Chair, Valerie Foushee, thought the <br />school system was sending the materials to Commissioner Gordon, but she was getting <br />them off the Internet or getting them herself. After January 30, that was corrected and <br />Commissioner Gordon began receiving materials and was involved in the site selection <br />process. That process included meeting with the Chair and Vice Chair of the CHCCS <br />School Board and reporting back to the commissioners. <br />Chair Brawn said that there seems to be a problem about all the things that have been <br />agreed upon. <br />Commissioner Jacobs suggested putting it on the agenda in the fall with the new Orange <br />County School Superintendent. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked the staff to define mandates and bring it to the joint <br />meeting with the school boards in September. <br />Commissioner Carey said that they should not have to define what a mandate is every <br />year. <br />Commissioner Jacobs made reference to the fund balance percentage of the school <br />boards. He asked about the importance of having a target fund balance and having the <br />school system not maintain it. John Link said that the fund balance is useful for the <br />school boards to help them fund things that the State does not. The school systems <br />need the fund balance because they do not want to run the risk of the Board of County <br />Commissioners not funding a particular program. He made reference to mandates and <br />said that they (County and school boards) could agree on pay increases for teachers <br />and insurance and others like that. Beyond that, he would caution the Board of County <br />Commissioners that these other issues of mandates could be problematic. <br />Chair Brown asked far all interlocal agreements with the school boards to be put an the <br />agenda in September at the joint meeting with the school boards. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the accounting firm that the County asked the <br />school boards to hire and what was found. Finance Director Ken Chaviaus said that <br />there was not a lot of history and they found some change. Commissioner Jacobs said <br />that he wanted to see what was found. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked Ken Chavious about the fund balance. Ken Chavious said <br />that the levels were set years ago and it is time to look at this again. The reason for the <br />difference in the two levels is that far the CHCCS, part of the fund balance is cash flaw <br />and for the OCS, there is a lower amount because there is no district tax. <br />Commissioner Carey apologized for missing the last meeting about school budgets and <br />asked about the discussion of the district tax. Commissioner Gordon said that the OCS <br />mentioned that they were looking far revenue enhancements. Commissioner Gordon <br />asked if they were looking at a district tax and Interim Superintendent Mike Williams said <br />no. The CHCCS is asking for the district tax to be raised by two cents. She said that the <br />interesting thing about the meeting was what was not said. <br />Commissioner Carey would like to reduce the district tax and he will ask the Board of <br />County Commissioners to consider this. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she would be interested in the Orange County Schools <br />taking on the issue of a district tax as opposed to an increased countywide tax. <br />Chair Brown asked about the passible decreases in funding from other sources for the <br />schools. John Link said that the school systems did not ask the County to replace <br />