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14 <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Burroughs to <br />approve the recommended County Fee Schedule. <br /> <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner McKee to <br />take the remaining OPEB funds of $280,000 and apply to reduce tax rate. <br /> <br />Chair Dorosin referred to the slide about the County tax rate, and asked if the increase <br />could be clarified. <br />Travis Myren said 1.42. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said he is suggesting applying the remaining OPEB funds to <br />reduce the percentage as much as possible. He said the $280,000 in OPEB accounts for <br />$100,000 that the BOCC just moved to the social justice fund. <br />Bonnie Hammersley said this money is one-time money, and so next year the same tax <br />rate increase would still be required. <br />Chair Dorosin said the motion is to take the money out of OPEB, leave it in the general <br />fund, and reduce the tax rate by a small amount. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said it would be a very small reduction. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said it is a gesture. <br />Commissioner McKee said this is symbolic. <br />Commissioner Price asked if the money could be used in other ways, if the BOCC votes <br />against this motion. <br />Bonnie Hammersley said if the BOCC does not vote in favor of this motion, the funds <br />would go into OPEB, which then goes into a trust and cannot be touched. She said she <br />typically recommends roughly $250,000 be put into OPEB annually. <br />Travis Myren said the reduction would be approximately 0.15 cents. <br />Commissioner Burroughs asked Bonnie Hammersley if she could explain why this is the <br />responsible thing to do. <br />Bonnie Hammersley said OPEB funding is monitored by rating agencies, and Orange <br />County is one of two counties in the State that has money put towards its OPEB funding. She <br />said it is a pretty significant liability, and it was a GASB rule instituted around the time of the <br />Enron disaster. She said it is a somewhat questionable use of funds because there are other <br />significant needs, and OPEB funds take care of County employees’ retirement. She said either <br />option for using this money is responsible, and she defers to the will of the Board. <br />Commissioner McKee said he is full of contradictions tonight, and he has been vocally <br />adamant about funding OPEB in the past, and will likely continue to feel that way in the future; <br />however, he knows there will tax increases due to the bond, and while the amount of this <br />potential reduction is insignificant, it is a gesture of goodwill towards the residents. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos clarified it is a reduction of 0.15 of a cent. <br />Travis Myren said the tax rate would go down to 85.04. <br />Chair Dorosin said the rate increase would go down to 1.27 <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said the tax for a $200,000 home would be reduced by $3.00. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said OPEB is one of the more ridiculous acronyms that has ever <br />been created. He said no one knows what it is. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said the Board has moved $100,000 into the social justice <br />fund for a potential loan, and has $250,000 unallocated in social justice fund. <br />Travis Myren said minus two food amendments. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos asked if it would be wise to put some of the OPEB earmarked <br />funds into the social justice funds to be available to tackle the issues of hunger in the County.