Orange County NC Website
APPROVED 613/2008 <br /> Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br /> WORK SESSION <br /> Tuesday, March 11, 2008 <br /> 7:30 pm <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Work Tuesday, March 11, 2008 <br /> at 7:30 p.m. at the Link Government Services Center in Hillsborough, N.C. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Moses <br /> Carey, Jr., Valerie Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, and Mike Nelson <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geof Gledhill <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Laura Blackmon, Assistant County <br /> Managers Willie Best and Gwen Harvey, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff <br /> members will be identified appropriately below) <br /> 7:36pm <br /> Commissioner Gordon asked that there be a resolution at the March 18th meeting in <br /> remembrance of Eve Carson (UNC student body president that was killed). <br /> 1. Discussion Regarding Proposed Distribution Formula for Land Transfer Tax <br /> Proceeds <br /> Laura Blackmon said that this is staff's revision of the resolution (yellow sheet). The <br /> staff would like to put this on the March 18th agenda at the beginning of the meeting so that the <br /> Board can formally approve it at a public, live meeting. <br /> Chair Jacobs asked the Board for comments and there were none on the resolution. <br /> Laura Blackmon said that the Board had approved the Statement of Intent and in the <br /> draft resolution about using the proposed land transfer tax for currently unfunded or under- <br /> funded school and park projects. She said that Budget Director Donna Coffey estimated the <br /> funding generated during the first year as $3.5 million. The chart indicates that 60% would go to <br /> the school and 40% would go to the County. She asked for the Board's direction for this <br /> distribution of funds from the land transfer tax proceeds. <br /> Commissioner Nelson asked about the formula and Laura Blackmon said that this is <br /> based on current policy and could be part of the education campaign, but this is really the <br /> distribution based on current policy for the Board to consider when looking at unfunded projects. <br /> Donna Coffey agreed and said that the formula would have too much information for voters and <br /> this is more of an internal function for staff. <br /> Commissioner Nelson asked about the 60-40 split and said that it is not consistent with <br /> the policy because the 60-40 is between the schools and all other County projects, and this is <br /> talking about 60-40 between the schools and parks. <br /> Donna Coffey said that she considers parks part of the County. Laura Blackmon said <br /> that every year, there is a 60-40 split, and some years the projects lean in different directions. <br /> Laura Blackmon said that there was discussion with the schools about using this to pay <br /> back debt service in order to give the schools more flexibility. <br /> Commissioner Nelson said that the 40% County allocation goes for everything. He said <br /> that 40% in this case is increasing the slice of the pie for parks. <br /> Commissioner Nelson asked several clarifying questions that were answered by Laura <br /> Blackmon and Donna Coffey. <br />