Agenda - 09-02-2021; 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

8 1 Bonnie Hammersley said the Commissioners will now describe the amendments they 2 submitted. She said there are some staff amendments, which Paul Laughton, Deputy Financial 3 Services Director, will review. 4 Chair Price requested for staff to prepare an example of what the three-cent tax increase 5 would look like for homes of different values, in order to better demonstrate what the actual 6 change would be. 7 Bonnie Hammersley said staff would do that before the end of the meeting. 8 Chair Price asked if American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds could be used to cover the 9 $50,000 for Durham Tech's Back to Work Initiative. 10 Bonnie Hammersley and Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, said yes. 11 Commissioner Dorosin referred to Slide #13 about fire districts, and asked if the entire 12 requested tax rate increase is being recommended. 13 Bonnie Hammersley said yes. 14 Commissioner Dorosin clarified for the public that this is an additional tax increase on 15 top of the countywide increase for people who live in these districts. He said it would be helpful 16 to see how many people live in each district to demonstrate why the rates are so different. 17 Bonnie Hammersley said Commissioner Dorosin is correct, and noted that each district 18 generates different tax rates because of that. 19 Commissioner McKee said some fire departments cover larger areas, may have a main 20 station, and at least one substation. He said most departments have some paid staff and the 21 volunteer pool has decreased over time. He said the number of homes, area covered, facilities, 22 equipment, etc. creates the wide range of tax rates. 23 Commissioner Dorosin said that information is good for people to know generally. 24 Commissioner McKee agreed, because otherwise the tax rates look unequal. 25 Gary Donaldson answered Chair Price's question about the real example of how the 26 three-cent tax increase would affect homes of different values. He said a $225,000 would see 27 an increase of$67 on property tax bill from last year, and a $450,000 house would see an 28 increase of$135. 29 Chair Price said these examples are helpful for people to understand the potential 30 impact. 31 The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) presented its budget amendments: 32 Commissioner Greene explained she was persuaded by the presentation from Durham 33 Tech, and believes the County could do a much more effective job supporting small businesses 34 in Orange County with funding for the Small Business Center. She requested the center be fully 35 funded with ARPA money. 36 Commissioner Dorosin asked if staff could clarify what it means for an amendment to 37 utilize ARPA money. 38 Bonnie Hammersley said the Deputy County Manager will present the ARPA 39 recommendations after the Public Hearing. She said FY 21-22 budget has $3.2 million of ARPA 40 money in it, which does not account for all of the ARPA funding the County will receive. She 41 said Commissioner Greene's recommendation is to use an additional $70,000 of ARPA money. 42 She said staff has prepared three approaches of how to spend the ARPA money, which will be 43 discussed later in the evening. 44 Chair Price added Orange County will receive a total of$28 million in ARPA funding and 45 will get half this year and half next year. She said the Manager's current recommended use of 46 $3.2 million, within the recommended budget, is coming out of a total of$14 million that will be 47 available for FY 21-22. 48 Commissioner Dorosin asked if that means there is $9 million that is unallocated from 49 which the Commissioners could ask for money to be pulled for an amendment. 50 Bonnie Hammersley said yes, and that Travis Myren will go over the different 51 approaches staff has worked on for using the ARPA money. She said the Commissioners will