Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
2 <br /> 1 Ground Rules for Effective Groups <br /> 2 1. Test assumptions and inferences. <br /> 3 2. Share all relevant information. <br /> 4 3. Use specific examples, and agree on what important words mean. <br /> 5 4. Explain your reasoning and intent. <br /> 6 5. Focus on interests, not positions. <br /> 7 6. Combine advocacy and inquiry. <br /> 8 7. Jointly design steps and ways to test disagreements. <br /> 9 8. Discuss "undiscussable" issues. <br /> 10 9. Use a decision-making rule that generates the level of commitment needed <br /> 11 <br /> 12 The Board agreed to work under the ground rules today, including the intention to make <br /> 13 decisions by consensus where possible, and by majority vote where necessary. Rod <br /> 14 Visser indicated his intention to adhere to the ground rules as well, and asked Board <br /> 15 members to indicate to him if they believe at any time that he is not doing so. <br /> 16 <br /> 17 Chair Jacobs expressed appreciation to Commissioners Gordon, Pelissier, and Rich, <br /> 18 and to the Manager and staff, for their work in putting together the agenda for the <br /> 19 retreat. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 Rod Visser gave background information on the process by which the retreat agenda <br /> 22 was constructed by the planning committee, to provide context on how the retreat topics <br /> 23 and objectives were developed. <br /> 24 <br /> 25 Commissioners agreed that the retreat agenda developed by the retreat planning <br /> 26 committee, Manager, and staff was a reasonable starting point for the retreat. <br /> 27 <br /> 28 <br /> 29 1. Budget/Capital Investment Plan/Bond Referendum <br /> 30 <br /> 31 A. Budget Drivers/Revenue Estimates/Fund Balance Estimates <br /> 32 (Clarence Grier— Presenter& Rod Visser) <br /> 33 <br /> 34 <br /> 35 Clarence Grier gave the following update on the 2014-15 projected budget funding <br /> 36 issues: <br /> 37 <br /> 38 Original budgeted revenue for the current fiscal year was $182.5 million. He sees that <br /> 39 as a good starting point for the upcoming fiscal year. Anticipated adjustments to that <br /> 40 base figure include: <br /> 41 • $2.6 million in property tax revenues, based on projected growth of 1.5% <br /> 42 • Sales tax revenue growth of$1.3 million, based on the economy recovering, which <br /> 43 will bring the County up to what it collected last year <br /> 44 • No major increases in licenses and permits, charges for services, miscellaneous <br /> 45 revenue, intergovernmental revenue, or investment income <br /> 46 • Plan to use excess fund balance above 17%, which will be about $5.7 million. This <br /> 47 includes about $2.1 million in 2012-13 fund balance and about $3.5 million that will <br /> 48 come from this current year's projected year end fund balance. <br /> 49 <br /> 50 This brings total expected adjustments to revenues of just over $9.5 million. Estimated <br /> 51 revenues for 2014-15 would be about $192.1 million. <br /> 52 <br /> 53 Expenditures start out at about $187.7 million. Anticipated major adjustments include: <br /> 54 • Health insurance increases of about $350,000 <br />