061801June 18, 2001
The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in special budget session at 2:00 p.m. in the
Commissioners Meeting Room, County Office Building, 725 McDowell Road, Asheboro, NC. Commissioners
Kemp, Frye, Davis, Mason and Holmes were present.
Randolph County Schools
Dr. Bob McRae, Superintendent, explained his capital outlay budget items, including a roof replacement
at Ramseur, 8 additional buses, wastewater upgrades, relocating mobile units, routine building repairs, and
HVAC, electrical, and plumbing work. Current expense increases are a result of opening two new schools,
higher utility costs, additional staffing, and increases in health insurance.
Dr. McRae discussed the low supplement (1.5%) teachers in the County Schools system receive and asked
the Board to consider providing enough additional funding to raise the supplement to 5%. This increase would
cost $1.8 million, over 24 on the proposed tax rate.
Asheboro City Schools
Dr. Diane Frost, Superintendent, reviewed continuation budget items causing an increase in current
expense, including energy costs, health insurance, and state increase for teachers. Their expansion budget
includes 5 teachers to lower class size, an elementary technology teacher, 2.5 custodial positions, and a
preventive maintenance worker. Capital outlay items include replacing the HVAC system at NAMS, furniture,
waterproofing and window work, and the Lindley Park construction project.
Dr. Frost stated that the School Board is requesting that their supplemental school tax remain at 14.54.
Randolph Community College
Dr. Richard Heckman, President, said they had seen an 18% increase in enrollment this past fall. Over
1900 certificate and degree credit students were enrolled and 9800 were enrolled in continuing education
classes. He requested $700,000 in capital outlay. He noted that their energy costs are projected to be up by
35-40% this year. The Emergency Services Training Center will be open by August.
Mental Health
Mazie Fleetwood, Director, stated that their budget is 7.24% less than last year. They are eliminating
detox services with the closing of the Walker Treatment Center. Other programs will move into that facility,
eliminating some rent expenses. She reported that the State is reclassifying some positions, which will increase
salary costs. She asked that the County allocate enough funds to pay for these reclassifications and for a 22%
cost -of -living raise for all employees.
Budget Amendment - Fire Districts
On motion ofMason, seconded by Frye, the Board unanimously approved BudgetAmendment #52 to the
FY 2000-2001 Annual Budget, to account for tax collections for Climax Fire District that exceeded the
estimated amount, as follows:
GENERAL FUND - #52>
>Revenues
Increase
Climax Fire District Taxes
$1,700
Appropriations
Increase
Climax Fire District Tax Collections $1,700
Budget Amendment - Planning and Zoning
Jane Leonard, Deputy Finance Officer, advised the Board that the Planning and Zoning Department had
received an invoice for $6,705 in legal fees for the Mann Media, Inc. case that is awaiting a N.C. Supreme
Court decision. This case began in 1998. Since any litigation can be prolonged for many years, the County
does not routinely budget for this one-time expense. If funds are not available in the department=s current
budget, the department has to request funds from the Commissioners. In this case, Planning and Zoning has
$351 remaining in their budget; the remaining $6,354 will need to come from fund balance.
On motion of Frye, seconded by Holmes, the Board unanimously approved Budget Amendment #53 to
the FY 2000-2001 Annual Budget, as follows:
GENERAL FUND - #53'
Revenues
Increase
Fund Balance Appropriated
$6,354
Appropriations
Increase
Planning and Zoning
$6,354
Budget Amendment - Tax Department
Ms. Leonard explained that several years ago we entered into a contract with Tax Management Associates
to conduct business personal property audits for the County. Even though the contract period ended June 30,
2000, we had a number of accounts that were unresolved at that time. We have now completed most of these
accounts and have collected $234,500 additional revenue due to these audits. The contract fee was $71,011.
Businesses were also refunded $37,797 for accounts that were overstated in reporting business personal
property.
On motion of Holmes, seconded by Davis, the Board unanimously approved Budget Amendment #54 to
the FY 2000-2001 Annual Budget, as follows:
GENERAL FUND - #54>
>Revenues
Increase
Ad Valorem Taxes
Sales & Service
$58,813
49,995
Appropriations
Increase
Tax Department
$108,808
Fire Districts
Neil Allen, Emergency Services Director, distributed a spreadsheet for all special tax districts, which
detailed last year=s rate, this year=s requested rate, the revenue -neutral rate, the value of each district, and the
percentage increase over the revenue -neutral rate if the requested amount is approved. It also showed what the
new tax rate would be with increases from 5% up to 40%, at 5% increments.
The Board discussed fire district tax rates and asked Mr. Allen to bring back to them a simplified form to
review at their June 25 meeting.
Randolph County Heritage Committee
Mary Joan Pugh, Chairman, stated that the Heritage Committee had been working in the areas of heritage
site protection, historic preservation, and a recreation master plan. She said the Recreation Subcommittee
today has a recommendation for a parks and recreation master plan.
Allen Oliver, Recreation Subcommittee Chairman, reported that this committee had explored the feasibility
of a countywide parks plan, had investigated the methods and costs for development of a parks master plan,
and had identified the benefits that are derived from the plan. Kathy White, Recreation Resource Service ofthe
NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, provided the committee with an in-depth overview of
the process for developing such a master plan. She offered her expertise in the planning process if a master
plan is approved. Mr. Oliver stated that Guilford County has been successful in the development of passive
recreational activity sites without the actual creation of a county parks department. Their program could serve
as a model for Randolph County. He outlined goals and benefits for a master plan.
Mr .Oliver requested that the Commissioners fund $40,000 for the development of a comprehensive parks
and recreation master plan. The approximate cost would be $50,000, and the Randolph County Tourism
Development Authority has pledged $10,000 for this project.
Budget Discussion
The Board discussed funding requests made by various departments and agencies. Upon their request,
Kim Newsom, Personnel Director, reviewed the requests he had made earlier for cost -of -living increases,
market adjustments, and reclassifications for Randolph County employees.
The Board recessed the meeting until the 7:00 p.m. public hearing on the proposed budget.
Public Hearing on the 2001-2002 Proposed Budget
Chairman Kemp opened the public hearing at 7:00 p.m. The following persons spoke to ask the
Commissioners to provide sufficient additional funds to the Randolph County Schools to increase that
system=s teacher supplements from 1.5% to 5%:
Fred Cole, 1342 Arrowwood Road, Asheboro (citizen)
Deborah Strauss, 930 Country Place Road, Asheboro (teacher)
Beverly Nelson, 3765 Nelson Road, Sophia (Archdale -Trinity Chamber of Commerce))
Reid Pollard, 901 Greencastle Road, Asheboro (parent)
Joanna Peterson, 5325 Snyder Country Road, Trinity (teacher)
Ed Todd, 5469 Doc Hayworth Road, Coleridge (principal)
John Maddocks, 3863 Fox Meadow Road, Trinity (principal)
Paul Guthrie, 4701 Colonial Circle, Trinity (teacher)
Bonnie Snyder, 1676 Harvest View Drive, Randleman (teacher)
John Hulin, 3088 Bethel Friends Road, Asheboro (citizen)
Matt Dunn, 3115 Creek Ridge Drive, Asheboro (teacher)
Lane Moore, 2352 Spoons Chapel Road, Asheboro (teacher)
Debbie Johns, 1195 Camelot Drive, Asheboro (teacher)
No one else spoke. Chairman Kemp closed the public hearing at 7:50 p.m.
Commissioner Frye responded to a comment made by Mr. Hulin during the public hearing that the County
had increased its budget far more for human services than for education in the last 10 years. Commissioner
Frye explained that the area of human services is made up of 3 agencies --Social Services, Public Health, and
Mental Health. The budget figures Mr. Hulin quoted for those 3 agencies include a great deal of federal and
state dollars, whereas the budget figures he quoted for education reflect only County dollars. Also, those
education figures did not include the $100 million the County spent in the last 10 years for 13 new schools and
major renovations and expansions to other schools.
The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
Phil Kemp, Chairman
J. Harold Holmes
Robert O. Mason
Darrell L. Frye
Robert D. Davis
Alice D. Dawson, Clerk to the Board