Orange County NC Website
Miscellaneous <br />7. A technical amendment is necessary to re-classify an expenditure and a revenue into <br />their correct budgetary functions. This amendment reclassifies Board approved <br />reductions in annual operating expenditures associated with the opening of Hillsborough <br />Commons from the General Services function to the Human Services function. In <br />addition, this amendment reclassifies a $56,000 Board approved reduction from the <br />Charges for Services category to the Property Taxes category.. There is also a need to <br />reflect correctly the budgeted transfer from Orange County Schools Construction Impact <br />Fee fund to the General Fund. The budget ordinance had a typo on the first page -the <br />approved budgeted transfer totals $2,190,000 instead of the stated $2,070,000. This <br />amendment transfers currently budgeted monies between functions and does not <br />increase or decrease the Board approved FY 2008-09 General Fund budget. (See <br />Attachment 1, column #7) <br />Orange Soil and Water Conservation <br />8. Orange Soil and Water Conservation has received notification of the receipt of a Water <br />Quality Grant totaling $7,010 for the Stillhouse Creek and Public Market site. The <br />department plans to use the funds to install storm water best management <br />demonstration practices such as a rain garden, rain barrels, pet waste receptacles, an <br />educational sign detailing the project, and a split rail fence along the Stillhouse Creek <br />stream buffer and the Market site. In accordance with the grant agreement, the County <br />must expend these project funds no later than September 30, 2008. The required <br />County match will come from staff time including personnel costs associated with <br />planning, design, and oversight of the project. This budget amendment provides for the <br />receipt of these grant funds. (See Attachment 1, column #8) <br />Revenue Department <br />9. Currently Orange County has approximately 250 properties with outstanding multi-year <br />taxes owed. Revenue staff has exhausted all regular collection options, and as a last <br />resort to collect the monies and ultimately return these properties to a current tax paying <br />status, the Revenue Director recommends In Rem foreclosure. This method of <br />collection requires extensive title search work to be completed. The projected cost of <br />paralegal services associated with title searches of these properties totals $15,000. <br />Based on staff analysis, it is believed that the $15,000 investment will yield at least <br />$50,000 by June 30, 2009 followed by an additional $50,000 within the first six months <br />of FY 2009-2010. This amendment budgets $15,000 in anticipated revenues generated <br />by this initiative to cover the cost of title searches. Monies collected, above the $15,000 <br />cost for legal services, will revert to the County's fund balance. (See Attachment 1, <br />column #9) <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: Financial impacts are included in the background information above. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board of County Commissioners <br />approve the budget, grant project ordinance amendments, and amend the County Fee <br />Schedule for fiscal year 2008-09. <br />