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060908June 9, 2008 The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in special budget session at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room, County Office Building, 725 McDowell Road, Asheboro, NC. Commissioners Holmes, Frye, Kemp, Haywood and Lanier were present. Budget Presentations Chairman Holmes announced that any department head satisfied with his/her budget could leave. Others were welcome to stay to discuss their budgets as proposed by the County Manager and Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer. Day Reporting Center Pam Smith, Day Reporting Center Director, thanked Board members for their support. She said that, at this point, State funding looks positive for her programs. Maintenance James Chriscoe, Maintenance Supervisor, thanked the Commissioners for their support. Cooperative Extension Carolyn Langley, Cooperative Extension Director, said that she was satisfied with her proposed budget and thanked the Commissioners for their support. Addition to the Agenda Chairman Holmes announced that another item of business would be added to the end of the agenda: Discussion of Capital Improvement Plan Will Massie. Aging Services Candie Rudzinski, Aging Services Director, said that she was satisfied with her proposed budget, although she has had to make adjustments in some areas. Many volunteers for the Meals on Wheels program can no longer deliver meals because they cannot afford the gas for their vehicles. Ms. Rudzinski said that she has reworked the delivery schedule, providing a hot delivered meal every other day; meal recipients depend on frozen meals on the other days. Ms. Rudzinski spoke about her capital request for funding for the purchase of 8.3 acres and construction of a new senior recreational facility. The request was for $515,000 ($103,000 for five years). Ms. Rudzinski said that she understood why only $50,000 was included in the proposed budget this year, since it was such a difficult budgeting year. However, she said she would be asking the Board to increase the County appropriation next year. She mentioned that most grants that she would be seeking require matching local funding. Milton Piedra addressed the Board briefly, thanking them for their support and asked for their continued support. Betty Hunt, Senior Tarheel Legislative delegate, also thanked the Board for their support. Tax Department Debra Hill, Tax Supervisor, said that she was satisfied with her proposed budget and urged the Board to approve the requested new EMS billing position. She said that this position should pay for itself with due to an anticipated higher collection rate. Building Inspections Paxton Arthurs, Chief Building Inspector, said that he was satisfied with his proposed budget and thanked the Commissioners for their support. Library Suzanne Tate, Public Library Director, said she was pleased with her proposed budget, but she urged the Board to approve the reclassification of a part-time Library Assistant position to full-time in the Circulation department. She said that library patronage has increased significantly. Also, the person who holds this current part-time position is fluent in Spanish and is needed full-time. The net cost of upgrading this position is $13,471.64 for one year. Public Health MiMi Cooper, Public Health Director, said that she was satisfied with her proposed budget, but proposed some fee increases. She said that the Board of Health had approved increases, as follows, and asked the Board to consider these increases during their budget deliberations: 1) increase well permit fees from $125 to $210 due to mandatory water testing at the time of well drilling per state law; and 2) increase the minimum dental fee from $10 to $20 for patients at the 100% poverty level. Ms. Cooper asked that if the Board approves these new fees, they be effective July 1, 2008. Planning and Zoning Hal Johnson, Planning & Zoning Director, advised the Board that his legal budget has not been adjusted in many years. He said his staff have worked diligently to enforce County ordinances and legal costs have increased due to code enforcement violations; his department went to court 18 times in the past year alone. He asked for a $12,000 increase in his legal budget that was not included in the proposed budget. Commissioner Frye told Mr. Johnson that should a circumstance occur where he needs additional funds in his legal budget, to bring this matter to the Board's attention. Sheriffs Department Col. Allen McNeill, Chief Deputy—Randolph County Sheriff's Department, asked that his fuel budget be increased; he asked for $600,000, but only $527,000 was included in the proposed budget. He also asked the Board to approve several personnel requests not included in the proposed budget such as a purchasing agent position at $33,703, a gang investigator position at $45,306, and upgrading two positions at the jail at a cost of $5,506. Col. McNeill also urged the Commissioners to approve at least a 2'/2% cost of living adjustment for County employees in order to remain competitive with surrounding counties. Sheriff Maynard Reid also spoke in support of the requested new positions and a cost of living adjustment and answered questions from the Board. Soil & Water Conservation District Craig Frazier, Chairman of the Soil and Water Conservation District Board, gave a PowerPoint presentation in support of a new Soil & Water Technician position at a cost of $36,063 that was not included in the proposed budget. He also spoke in support of the Sheriff's request for a gang investigator. Personnel Kim Newsom, Personnel Director, gave the Commissioners some updated information about the cost of living increases that had been approved in surrounding counties and encouraged the Board to consider this in their budget deliberations. Recess At 6:53 p.m., the Board took a short recess. Capital Improvement Plan Discussion At 7:20 p.m., the Board returned to regular session. At this time, the Board informally discussed the County water plan and related projects. Since the May 2008 quarter -cent sales tax referendum failed by such a wide margin, the Board discussed the possibility of delaying some of the water line projects that were to be funded by the sales tax, if it had been approved. The Board considered conducting a survey of business owners and citizens along Hwy. 64 East and possibly Hwy. 49 to determine the level of interest in tapping on to a water line and what rates they would be willing to pay. Other items discussed were the Economic Development Fund, the proposed three -cent property tax increase, the possibility of unexpected lottery funds from the state for low wealth counties, future school capital projects for RCC and the Asheboro City Schools, and requested tax rate increases by some fire districts. No action was taken. Adiournment There being no further presentations, the Board adjourned at 8:00 p.m. J. Harold Holmes, Chairman Phil Kemp Stan Haywood Darrell L. Frye Arnold Lanier Cheryl A. Ivey, Clerk to the Board