Minutes 05-24-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

target and look at the true needs. She said that OCS has not asked for a per-pupil increase for three years. Also, this year's funding recommendation from the Manager is the lowest percentage of the General Fund allocation since 1995. She said that OCS has done the best that it can do with the funding, but there are state and federal budget cuts and more children coming in. OCS has been asked by the County Manager to use its fund balance to pay teacher salaries, but the current budget proposal already appropriates $1.4 million for next year out of the fund balance. If an additional $2.1 million is appropriated, the reserves will fall to about $1.2 million. She said that asking them to use 75% of their fund balance in one year is not a good idea and it is counter to the current fund balance policy. She said that the County Commissioners are the schools' last hope and she trusts them to do the right thing and invest in the children. Vice Chair Steve Halkiotis said that in 1986 he attended the Institute of Government's class on how to be a responsible County Commissioner. He read the section on public education from this class. He said that the one thing the County Commissioners and Board of Education have in common is that they are all part of the party that cares for the people. He asked the County Commissioners to not do politics on the backs of the children of Orange County. He said that the OCS Board does this because they do it for a higher purpose —the children. Commissioner McKee said that he had asked at the two public hearings about the money that will not be spent on the revaluation and he asked Financial Services Director Clarence Grier about the total amount of savings, and it was $350,000. He asked if this could be used toward education. He also said that the County moved radio purchases out of the five-year CIP. He wants to look at all avenues of savings. Commissioner Gordon said that the County Commissioners will do the best that they can for both school systems. Commissioner Jacobs made reference to a document from the public school forum and actual effort and relative effort by each County in North Carolina to fund schools. He brought copies for each board and staff. This is through 2010, and Orange County was still in the top three in the state. He thinks that the County has a proud tradition of supporting the schools. He said that he has some questions about the abstract in the section. He found this very confusing. He pointed out some discrepancies in the percentages —48.1% and 47.2%. He wants to be clear what fair funding is. Clarence Grier said that the 48.1% is based on the current expense, recurring capital, debt service, fair funding, and long-range pay-as-you-go capital. There are some non- mandated services such as school nurses, social workers, and school resource officers that total about $1.9 million. This equals 48.2% of the general fund budget. The fair funding has always been $988,000. Commissioner Jacobs said that he thought that the fair funding allocation was supposed to go to nurses, social workers, and resource officers. Paul Laughton in the Financial Services office said that the County gets invoiced from the school systems for the fair funding. It is sometimes on a quarterly basis. Frank Clifton said that the problem is that OCS has asked for so much more than CHCCS and the County cannot fully fund one and not the other. He said that the real issue is that he does not believe that the County Commissioners should fund those requests without creating new revenue. If it is done out of the County's fund balance, that will impact the County negatively. He said that both school systems have fund balances that exceed the fund balance policy. He said that CHCCS can do certain things that OCS cannot because of the district tax. Orange County citizens have rejected a proposed district tax. He said that there is no desire to keep the school systems from getting money that they need. However, there is a fund balance policy, and there is room in the fund balance.