Minutes 05-29-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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We are counting on you to fully fund the Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools budget. Sincerely, Sara Skinner, MPH 2407 Pathway Dr. Chapel Hill, NC 27516 919 929-2565 Hello Commissioner Jacobs! How are you? Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend either of the Public Hearings on the county budgets so am writing to submit questions and give input. Overall, I am not in favor of a tax increase this year for many reasons, including the impact on affordability for low income/workforce residents and county/town ability to retain and attract businesses. In general, I do not mind paying more in taxes than other areas of the state but believe that the quality and level of service should reflect the extra monies spent. At this point, data suggests that we pay some of the highest costs in the state for many of our services - school, solid waste and emergency response services to name a few. This information, suggests the need for re- assessment and revised planning instead of an increase in taxes to continue on. Below are my initial questions and comments: School Funding: Question: What projects or repairs make up the $40,000,000 in the capital budget for schools over the next five years? Does that cover repairs that are needed immediately? Request 1: Establish a policy which mandates on-going repair and maintenance of school facilities as a top-priority each year, making sure that monies are earmarked for those costs. Request 2: Fund necessary school repairs immediately either by postponing non-essential capital items or using existing debt capacity (or both). Request 3: Ensure, each year, that our teachers are being well-paid, as a priority, by earmarking monies for those costs. I was pleased to see that staff has indicated concern about the squeeze that increasing maintenance for aging buildings puts on the school budget. Aging buildings and teacher exodus are two symptoms which underscore the need for the county to make changes to the way that school funding is handled — both at the county and district level. In targeting a minimum of 48% of county property taxes to the schools, the county has assured its residents that schools are a top priority however, as county staff points out, the impacts of changing conditions such as increased maintenance needs for aging buildings or decreases in state funding for teacher pay, put squeezes on those monies. Adherence to the 48% target combined with the yearly "dance" between the school boards and commissioners over funding clouds the picture —making it hard for parents, in particular, to advocate for anything other than a tax increase.