Minutes - 20040603 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

APPROVED 919!2004 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING June 3, 2004 7:30 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday, June 3, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. in the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The purpose of this meeting was to hold a public hearing on the County Manager's recommended 2004-2005 budget. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Margaret Brown, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordon, and Stephen Halkiotis COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Jahn M. Link, Jr., and Assistant County Managers Rod Visser and Gwen Harvey and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. Chair Jacobs made reference to the blue sheet, which was a draft tentative schedule for upcoming budget work sessions. The final budget will be adopted on June 23rd Chair Jacobs said that the Board of County Commissioners does not appropriate money to specific school programs or positions, but to the school as a whole. It is up to the school board on how to spend whatever money they receive. Chair Jacobs said that there has been some confusion about cuts to education. He said that there has not been a cut in the funding for the school systems, but an increase. The issue is how much of an increase compared to what was proposed by the school boards. The cuts in funding are coming from the state and federal level and these are: programs far mental health, care for pregnant mothers, senior dental care, and building classrooms to accommodate the smaller classes required by the State. This could cost the County more than $900,000 in school construction capital. When the Board met with the Legislative Delegation, they requested more flexibility for the school systems, so that if they wanted to use the class size reduction money to pay far 2"d and 3rd grade teacher assistants, that it would be allowed. He noted that some parents have already written to legislators. 1. Presentation of Manaaer's Recommended FY 2003-04 Budaet County AZanager's Recommended 2004-OS Annual Operating Budget Manager's Recommended General Fund Budget Totals $137,351,929 ~~} Proposed General Fund Tax Rate Increase of 4.5 Cents • Recommended tax rate of 89 cents per $100 of assessed valuation • Nearly 1.4 cents of proposed increase attributable to funds needed to pay debt service on the sale of the 2001 voter approved bonds and alternative financing • Homeowner with $200,000 home would pay $90 more in property tax - Tax bill would increase from $1,690 per year to $1,780 per year