Orange County NC Website
expansion of ECHHS at $11.8 million, and a new OCS elementary school at $14.5 million. Renovation <br />funding of $3.7 million for CHCCS and $3.1 million for OCS was also contemplated. The BOCC <br />adopted Option 5 in concept, but asked staff to adjust the numbers to address concerns that both <br />school systems would "lose" funding over the ten year period compared to funding that was estimated <br />in the then - current 1996 -06 CIP. <br />On September 17, 1996, staff presented Option 5A to the BOCC based on updated 10 year revenue <br />estimates, an earmarking of 3 cents on the property tax rate for school recurring capital, and an <br />allocation of "peak debt service" funds to OCS to help make up their potential 10 year shortfall. The <br />notion was introduced, although not formally adopted, of earmarking at some point in the future the one <br />cent for the school /park reserve to help make up some of the capital funding shortfall the County would <br />experience over the 10 year period. <br />Based on direction from the BOCC to try to address remaining school concerns, particularly about <br />constrained pay -as- you -go funding in the early years of the CIP period, staff returned at the October 15, <br />1996 meeting with revisions to the funding plan. These changed plans for two bond sales to three and <br />to include certain bond funded projects for FY 1997 -98 (subject to voter approval in November 1997), <br />which had the effect of freeing up more funds in the early years for PAYG projects. The proposed $35 <br />million /$5 million bond split for school /County projects was changed to $36 million /$4 million, with an <br />additional $1 million going to OCS renovations. The Board adopted this plan, which has been referred <br />to since as "Option 513". <br />In December 1996, the Board adopted the Capital Funding Policy that implemented this plan. We have <br />operated under this policy, with only a few minor changes, since then. <br />Without going into much more detail, I will note that the BOCC appointed a Capital Needs Advisory <br />Task Force that met in Spring 1997. Starting with the proposed $40 million bond package considered <br />by the BOCC the previous Fall, the Task Force made its recommendations in May 1997 that the BOCC <br />hold bond referenda in November 1997 totaling between $59.9 and $61.8 million. Debt service on the <br />first $40 million would be covered without a required tax increase, as outlined in Option 5B, with the <br />balance of the anticipated debt to be covered by a tax increase of 3.5 to 4 cents per $100 valuation. <br />The BOCC ultimately approved bond orders totaling $60.6 million for the November 1997 referenda. <br />One last point of interest relates to the development of what ultimately became Cedar Ridge High <br />School. It is apparent from reading background documents of the period that the need for additional <br />high school space in the Orange County system was emerging throughout 1996 and into early 1997. <br />What was presented initially as a proposed addition to Orange High became a proposal for a second <br />high school during the Capital Needs Advisory Task Force process. The Task Force considered <br />several proposals for funding a new $25 million high school. Ultimately, it recommended to the BOCC <br />(based on an OCS- generated idea) that $12.5 million in bonds be provided for a second OCS high <br />school, and "the other half of the costs for a new high school be paid by borrowing funds by private <br />placement, with the payments made from the Orange County Capital Improvement Plan funds" <br />(outlined in Appendix E of the Task Force report). <br />I will be happy to research further any questions the BOCC may have about this subject. <br />