Minutes 02-01-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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IRequests for Staff • Track and provide data about the county's debt capacity • Track how the county is doing in terms of educational spending from 2000 to present. Other education funding comments: • In the area of school funding-we don't want to set up unrealistic expectations for this funding. • Send message that County Commissioners are committed to education and we are not going to reduce school funding. • It was suggested that the education funding discussion could continue with the school boards at joint meeting or at school collaboration and not at joint meetings-this group decides the agenda for the joint meetings- and they could bring it up. • It is wrong to compartmentalize any county service to make it sacrosanct–our budget allocations should be based on need at any given time. Need to do a better job of looking at county needs and priorities holistically. • In the future the County may need to fund charter school construction. Review BOCC Goal #1 and Priorities Goal1l#1: IC rornotiing &11]1 IBeliing of Allllll Il esliidents (Network of human services and infrastructure) IBirliief Oveirvliiew/IBiiistory: In 2009 with a sinking economy that would affect the county's safety net, the Board of County Commissioners wanted to affirm their unwavering commitment to basic services–for health, safety, etc. that promoted this goal. This goal permeates all of their services throughout the county Staff Update/Status Much of this discussion focused on homelessness, poverty, and the need for affordable housing in Orange County. 1. Affordable Housing Update from Tara Fikes: a. Section 8 stagnant, just able to maintain current caseload of 620 families with housing assistance. Closed waiting list in 2010 like many others in the state because there was no funding to assist more families. Due to the economy, don't foresee families in the program coming off anytime soon. b. Home Investment Partnership Program has had a 48% reduction last year but hope not to get additional cuts because this program funds local groups like Habitat, CASA, Empowerment and Community Home Trust c. Housing Bond Program -Update d. Urgent Home Repair–This resource is just for home owners who can receive up to $5,000 for urgent home repairs. Orange County ICoveirty Overvliiew (Gene Nichol, UNC Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity) Highlights of his comments: • Federal poverty level is $23,000 for a family of 4—but this fails to take into consideration food costs, other costs of living in designated geographic areas, age, etc. • We have much larger gaps between rich and poor; if you are born poor the likelihood is that you will stay that way and vice versa. • Mr. Nichol said in N.C. –25% of our kids live in poverty and 40% are kids of color. • N.C. 12 th highest poverty level in the nation; poverty in a land of plenty.