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$80.75 above what the Manager recommended. This would make the net increase in the tax rate .5 cents -from 3.7 cents to 4.2 cents. Commissioner Jacobs said that the recommendation is for a per pupil increase of $72 over the Manager's recommendation. He said that since 2002, $72 is in line with four of the last six years. Commissioner Jacobs suggested looking at the County cuts to see if all are in agreement. The Board agreed. Commissioner Jacobs said that one place that he and Chair Carey are in agreement is the suggestion of taking $100,000 for the Pay and Compensation Study and putting it in the Medicaid adjustment money. If the County gets Medicaid adjustment money, then it would proceed with the study. Commissioner Foushee said that she is not opposed to that, but if the Board is not going to commit to having the study done in order to deal with issues related to compression, she is more in favor with making the COLA and the in-range adjustments work. She wants to be fair with employees about in-range adjustments. Commissioner Jacobs said that Chair Carey deleted the in-range increase and increased the COLA. He said that, at worst, employees will be getting almost the same salary increase that teachers will be getting. Chair Carey said that the County should treat its staff at least as well as its teachers. Commissioner Nelson said that he does not concur with setting money aside in the Medicaid reserve. His preference would be to take a leap of faith, eliminate the $545,000, and fund these things. If the County does not get the Medicaid money, then the Manager can make more cuts or take money out of fund balance. He said that this is cleaner and transparent. Commissioner Gordon asked if this amount could be taken out of fund balance. Ken Chavious said that the fund balance projection is 10%, and 1 % of fund balance is $1.6 million. He said that it may cause cash flow difficulties if CHCCS has issues. Taking this money out would not take the County below 8%. There is no bond sale until next spring. He said that there is a little risk. Commissioner Foushee said that the County Commissioners need to be decisive and commit to the Pay and Classification study or not. Commissioner Nelson said that he is committed to the Pay and Classification study. Commissioner Foushee and Chair Carey agreed. Chair Carey asked if the Board wanted to leave $100,000 for funding this study in this budget and all agreed. Commissioner Nelson said that he is fine with funding bath -the COLA and in- range -but it is a tough budget year. He said that teachers are getting a 5% raise and other State employees are getting 4.25°~. He said that the lower-income employees deserve both things that are recommended by the Manager. He is not as concerned about the employees on the upper end. Commissioner Jacobs said that if the COLA were left at 3°~ and the in-range were left at $240,000, then this would be $290,000 ($190,000 for COLA and $100,000 for the Pay and Classification study}. He said that he would suggest leaving the Orange- Alamance water study and the increase in fair funding. He would suggest putting the COLA back to 3% and leaving the in-range at $240,000. Commissioner Gordon said that she does not want to cut other lower cost items an the list. She said that if the numbers do not work out, she would rather raise the ad valorem a little more or find additional sources of revenue elsewhere. Chair Carey said that he is concerned about the tax rate and he does not want to go above the 4.2-cent increase.