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Dr. Lunsford stated that one item that would affect both systems is the <br />cutback of the money for custodians and energy. This would then have to <br />become the county's responsibility. If this happen, it will reduce their <br />ability to fund the continuation budget. It is more difficult to have money <br />taken away. <br />Chairman Carey noted that these <br />repeated for years to come. It is 91 <br />hard work to deal with these funding <br />will be asking the Board to consider <br />all children should benefit from the <br />like for the public to speak on this <br />problems right now but it would give <br />systems. <br />are infringements on funding and may be <br />Ding to take some creative planning and <br />cuts. With regard to equal funding, he <br />a countywide district tax. He believes <br />tax base in Orange County and would <br />matter. That will not solve any <br />some direction to the two school <br />Mary Bushnell indicated they want to definitely be involved in that <br />discussion. <br />Ruth Royster expressed a concern about the tax base to draw upon for <br />education. The children must be educated in order to expand the tax base. <br />There is no better place to put tax money than for educating children. <br />Commissioner Marshall stated that one of the things out of kilter is <br />that all these needs have increased while the state and federal government <br />have stepped back and looked at the County to make up the difference. <br />somehow the County has got to get the people to understand the situation and <br />stand united against Raleigh. The County Commissioners are doing what they <br />can and hope that the two school systems do what they can to support the <br />Economic Development strategic plan. <br />Chairman Carey stated that the state passes the burden down to the <br />County level and then the County is forced to raise taxes. <br />Commissioner Willhoit stated that this is a year when the County's tax <br />base is not expanding. The dilemma is that there are two different <br />groups -- one which has a district tax and one which does not. <br />Discussion ensued on possible ways of making up the $196,000 cut <br />expected from the inventory reimbursement to the County. Option one was to <br />cut every single budget by a fixed percentage. John Link does not recommend <br />Option 1 because of the impact on some of the larger program budgets. Option <br />2 is to take this amount out of fund balance, and option 3 is to take <br />$100,000 out of the fund balance and $20,000 out of contingency and the <br />remainder out of the department budgets. Option 4 would be to add .55 to the <br />tax rate to cover this amount. <br />Commissioner Marshall questioned if departmental budgets could really be <br />cut further and John Link indicated it would be the larger departments that <br />would be cut. <br />John Link explained that the eight percent fund balance is derived by <br />using the formula that is most stringent. The LOC requires that the County <br />