Orange County NC Website
7 <br />repayment, including principle and interest, equals $167,510. It is important to note that these <br />figures may vary slightly depending upon the actual loan closing date. <br />Section 147 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 outlines specific steps that must occur when <br />a tax supported fire department enters into a financing arrangement. <br />• Conduct a public hearing - On October 19, 2004, the department held a public hearing <br />regarding the purchase. The Department advertised the hearing in the News of Orange <br />(Attachment 2 of this abstract). Per the Attachment 3 of this abstract, no residents were <br />present at the hearing and the Department did not receive any written comments from <br />residents of the district. <br />Obtain approval of the "applicable elected representatives" - In accordance with <br />Section 147, the Board of County Commissioners must approve the District's plan to <br />enter into the debt arrangement. This approval does not create liability on the part of <br />Orange County nor does it make the County responsible for the repayment of any debt <br />assumed by the fire district. The approval provides a mechanism for the Commissioners <br />to acknowledge that, through this financing arrangement, Orange Rural Fire Department <br />No. 1, Inc. is pledging use of the District's tax dollars to repay the loan. In order to <br />comply with this IRS requirement, the Chair of the Commissioners must sign the Fire <br />Service Agreement (Attachment 4) and Certificate of Approval (Attachment 5). <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: The department's major revenues consist of County fire district taxes and <br />fees for service from the Town of Hillsborough. According to June 30, 2004 financial <br />statements, the district received about $832,000 from those two sources. The department had <br />about $165,316 in its bank accounts as of June 30, 2004. As indicated earlier, the department <br />plans to spend $21,682 out of its bank accounts to make the down payment on the truck <br />leaving about $143,634 in its bank accounts. Funds remaining in the Department's bank <br />accounts would serve as a reserve that would potentially be used to cover unanticipated major <br />expenses such as repairs or replacements of other older equipment. <br />The departments' current year County approved budget totals $310,012. The department's <br />approved budget for fiscal year 2004-05 includes funds for debt service associated with this <br />purchase. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board of County Commissioners: <br />1. Approve Orange Rural Fire Department No. 1, Inc.'s purchase of a replacement fire <br />truck; <br />2. Appropriate $20,000 from the Department's unappropriated fund balance; and <br />3. Authorize the Chair to sign the appropriate documents related to the financing <br />arrangement.. <br />