) STOKES COUNTY GOVERNMENT
COUNTY OF STOKES ) DANBURY, NORTH CAROLINA
) JUNE 20, 2005
The Board of Commissioners of the County of Stokes, State of North
Carolina, met for a budget work session (recessed from the June 15, 2005 budget
work session) in the Commissioners’ Chambers of the Ronald Wilson Reagan
Memorial Building (Administrative Building) located in Danbury, North Carolina
on Monday, June 20, 2005 at
6:00 pm with the following members present:
Chairman
John Turpin
Vice-Chairman
Leon Inman
Commissioner
Sandy McHugh
Commissioner
Joe Turpin
Commissioner
Jimmy Walker
County
Personnel in Attendance:
County
Manager Richard Morris
Clerk
to the Board Darlene Bullins
Finance
Director Julia Edwards
Assistant
Finance Director Lisa Lankford
Chairman John Turpin called the budget work session to order.
County Manager Rick Morris delivered the invocation.
Chairman John Turpin opened the budget work session by inviting the
citizens in attendance to join the Board with the Pledge of Allegiance.
County Manager Rick
Morris presented the following additional information concerning the proposed
Fiscal Year 2005/06 budget:
o
Description of county services
provided by CenterPoint
o
Justification for Piedmont Triad
Partnership from Economic Development Director Ron Morgan
o
Justification for Pilot View
Resource Conservation & Development from Charles Anderson
o
Memo from DSS Director Jan Spencer
estimating county, state, and federal funding for possible in-house attorney
o
Newspaper article concerning impact fees
for school construction
The
Board continued discussion concerning the Hope Ridge/CenterPoint services
currently being provided to the County.
Suggestive Tax Rate
Chairman
John Turpin polled the Board declaring an estimated tax rate for the upcoming
fiscal year 2005/06. The Chairman
received the following:
o
Chairman John Turpin – Revenue
Neutral
o
Vice Chairman Inman – Desired to
have revenue neutral, but realistically seeing a possible $.60-$.62- maybe $.59
o
Commissioner Joe Turpin – Revenue
Neutral
o
Commissioner Walker -Constant tax
rate to meet immediate needs to serve the citizens – preferably $.59-$.62
o
Commissioner McHugh – Desired to
have revenue neutral, but to be responsible-around $.61
Financing vehicles in proposed budget
Commissioner
McHugh suggested to the Board to finance all the following vehicles proposed in
the County Manager’s recommended fiscal year 2005-06 budget:
o
Ambulance
o
Sheriff’s vehicles
o
Animal Control vehicle
o
Jail Van and assembly
o
Public Building vehicle
o
Bookmobile
COLA
The
Board discussed the proposed COLA included in the County Manager’s recommended
budget.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin moved that the COLA included in the County Manager’s recommended
budget be given as a one-time bonus.
Commissioner
Walker seconded the motion.
The
Board considered the pros and cons of including the COLA as a one-time bonus.
Commissioner
Walker withdrew his second with Commissioner Joe Turpin withdrawing his motion.
Discussion of Departmental and Outside Budget Request
Administration
The Board discussed the
following:
Ø
Elimination of the requested new
position (Adm/Benefit Clerk)
Ø
Elimination of longevity increase
Ø
Elimination of COLA
Animal Control
The Board discussed the
following:
Ø
Possible increase for dog tax
licenses
Ø
Financing the recommended vehicle
purchase
Commissioner
Joe Turpin moved to increase the dog tax licenses to $10.00.
Commissioner
McHugh seconded and the motion failed (2-3) with Chairman John Turpin, Vice
Chairman Inman, and Commissioner Walker voting against the motion.
Commissioner
McHugh moved to transfer the $8,000 allocated as revenue from Capital Reserve
back to Capital Reserve and finance the full amount of the animal control
vehicle.
Vice
Chairman Inman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Arts Council
The Board discussed the
following:
Ø
Arts Council revenue
Commissioner
McHugh moved to increase the Arts Council revenue to $25,000 thus reducing
funding from General Fund to $55,509.
Vice
Chairman Inman seconded the motion.
The
Board discussed the pros and cons of increasing the Arts Council’s projected
revenue.
The
motion carried 3-2 with Vice Chairman Inman and Commissioner Walker voting
against the motion.
Contingency
The Board discussed the
following:
Ø
Merit program moved to Governing Body’s
budget to reduce
budget
amendments having to be done during the fiscal year
Ø
Contingency and Leave cost remaining
at $100,000 each
Cooperative Extension
The Board discussed the following:
Ø
Contractual Services
Ø
Equipment-Non Capitalized
Commissioner
Joe Turpin reiterated the amount of time being exhausted reviewing each
department and outside request.
Debt Service
The Board discussed the
following:
Ø
County’s debt service
Ø
State’s recommended debt service for
the County
Ø
G O Bonds
District Resource Center
The Board discussed the following:
Ø
Positive impact for the County
Economic Development
The Board discussed the following:
Ø
Advertising line item
Ø
Possible elimination of ½ of
recommended funding for Advertising =$18,125
Elections
The Board discussed the following:
Ø
Reclassification of Election
Assistant to Deputy Election Director
Ø
Possibility of moving voting places
from schools
Emergency Communications
The Board discussed the following:
Ø
Offset revenue by billing
municipalities for communication services
Ø
Reinstatement Emergency Medical
Dispatch
Ø
Part time starting pay being $7.28
increasing to $9.28 after 200 hours
Ø
Increase in budget from previous
years
Emergency Management
The Board discussed the following:
Ø
Collection revenue
Ø
Value of Office Assistant II in
collection of revenue
Ø
Billing of private insurance
Emergency Medical Services
The Board discussed the following:
Ø
Ambulance fees
Ø
Delinquent Ambulance fees
Ø
BLS and ALS services
Ø
Privatization of EMS
Ø
Increase in fee schedule
There being no further business to come before the Board, Chairman John
Turpin entertained a motion to recess the budget work session until Wednesday,
June 22, 2005 at 6:00 pm.
Commissioner Joe Turpin moved to recess the budget work session until
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at 6:00 pm.
Commissioner McHugh seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
_________________________
_____________________________
Darlene M. Bullins John M. Turpin
Clerk to the Board Chairman