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Personnel Director Elaine Holmes said that this would bring forth 2.5 °~ for employees and would impact over 400 employees and would address the compression issue. Discussion ensued on the amount to use for the Employee Compensation and Pay Plan. Commissioner Carey would like for the Board of County Commissioners to reduce the Manager's recommended level for the district tax for CHCCS and to add to the per pupil allocation to replace the funding that is reduced from the district tax so that both systems would get more money, which would prevent the district tax from further increasing the gap. This would also provide mare money for the Orange County School system. Commissioner Halkiotis agreed that Phase 2 of the plan should be sped up. He said that some people disagreed with the housing wage issue, but the Sheriff requires his employees to live in Orange County. It is expensive to live in Orange County, and he supports the housing wage. Commissioner Carey said that to move it up a couple of months would send a message to the employees. Commissioner Gordon said that almost all the people that came to the public hearing wanted to fully fund the schools' requests. She suggested that the Board should do something more for the schools and should allocate additional funds for school needs. Commissioner Carey said that he is not suggesting reducing the funding for the CHCCS. He asked for a figure if the district tax was reduced from 20 cents to 19.2 cents. Commissioner Gordon said that if we do this it raises the County tax rate. John Link suggested funding Lands Legacy out of the School Park Reserve Fund. The $123,000 from Medicaid reimbursement could address moving up Phase 2 to January 19t". The Board agreed to moving up Phase 2. Commissioner Jacobs said that he does not want to raise the district tax either Commissioner Halkiotis said that the Manager recommended to increase the district tax by .8 cents and to use it for opening up Rashkis Elementary. He said that you need to give the school system a heads up if the process is going to be changed and the district tax is not going to be increased to provide for start up costs. He supports the Manager's recommendation for the .8 cents if it is used specifically far the start up costs for Rashkis Elementary. John Link said that the start up costs is estimated to be $1.4 million. The extra .8 cents provides about $500,000 and the other $900,000 has to be absorbed elsewhere. He said that he assumes that all positions that CHCCS has requested are effective in the fall and he asked if all of these positions have to be brought on in the beginning. Commissioner Halkiotis said that you want to have all on board when a school opens up. Commissioner Gordon said that we should hold the CHCCS harmless. She thinks that the increase in the district tax should be kept. Also, we are trying to reduce the countywide tax rate, and this would raise it.