) STOKES COUNTY GOVERNMENT
COUNTY OF STOKES ) DANBURY, NORTH CAROLINA
) JUNE 23, 2005
The Board of Commissioners of the County of Stokes, State of North
Carolina, met for a budget work session (recessed from the June 22, 2005 budget
work session) in the Commissioners’ Chambers of the Ronald Wilson Reagan
Memorial Building (Administrative Building) located in Danbury, North Carolina
on Thursday, June 23, 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.
Commissioner Walker 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.
The Board continued
discussion pertaining the proposed Fiscal Year 2005/06 Budget Work Session.
Legal
The Board discussed the following pertaining to the proposed
Legal budget:
Ø
Proposed contract presented by
County Attorney Jordan
Ø
Possibly of hiring or contracting an
in-house attorney for DSS
Ø
Possibly of having an in-house
attorney for DSS along with a County attorney for Board and other departments
Ø
Requested County Manager to have
Attorney Jordan present a proposal for serving as the County Attorney only
Library
The Board discussed the following pertaining to the
Libraries’ proposed budget:
Ø
Financing the total purchase price
of the bookmobile
Commissioner
McHugh moved to approve the motion that the following vehicles in the County
Manager’s recommended budget be totally financed and any funding transferred
from Capital Reserve be returned to Capital Reserve: Animal Control, EMS Ambulance, Public Buildings, Sheriff’s
Vehicles, Jail Van and assembly, and Bookmobile.
Vice
Chairman Inman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Medical Examiner
Finance
Director Julia Edwards noted that the Medical Examiner budget varied from year
to year depending upon the number of autopsies being requested and performed.
Mental Health
The
Board discussed the amount of funding that has been expensed to CenterPoint for
the previous two fiscal years and the recommended fiscal year. Health Director Don Moore is researching
other options for the Board to review.
Natural Resources
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the proposed Natural Resources
budget:
Ø
Possibility of County paying
premiums for Soil/Water District
Board members’ health insurance coverage (3 members)
Ø
Possibility of increasing the Soil
Conservation – Cost Share
The
Board discussed the pros and cons of paying for health premiums for Soil/Water
District Board members.
Chairman
John Turpin requested the Clerk research the issue with the County’s current
Blue Cross/Blue Shield provider.
Commissioner
McHugh moved to increase the Soil Conservation-Cost Share to $20,000 instead of
$19,000.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Parks
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Parks’ proposed budget:
Ø
Liability on County
Ø
Possibility of transferring county
owned parks to municipalities
Ø
Cost for operating Moratock Park
Ø
Equipment- Non Capital
Commissioner
McHugh moved to cut ½ of the requested trashcans and holders from the proposed
Parks’ budget. Commissioner Joe Turpin
seconded and the motion carried (4-1) with Commissioner Walker voting against
the motion.
Planning Community Development
County
Manager Rick Morris requested submission of amended sheets for the Planning
Community Development Department which implements grade scale and position
classification changes to more accurately reflect the work being performed and
the levels compensation necessary to keep the department competitive with
similar departments in
other
counties and competing municipalities.
Commissioner
McHugh moved to accept the amended Planning Community Development
proposed budget sheets for submission into the proposed 2005/06 budget.
The motion
died for lack of second.
The
Board discussed issues pertaining to the Department’s performance, conflict of
interest working for other counties or municipalities, competing
municipalities, recommended reclassifications, and possibly of experience being
lost in the department.
Public Buildings
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Public Buildings’ proposed
budget:
Ø
Equipment – Non Capitalized
Ø
Improvements line item
Ø
Need for moving Elections to front
of building for “One Stop Voting”
Ø
Renovations for moving EMS/Fire
Marshal
Ø
Renovations for Courtroom “C”
Commissioner
Joe Turpin moved to reduce the Improvements line item by $200,000.
Vice
Chairman Inman seconded the motion.
The
Board further discussed the recommendation of moving EMS/Fire Marshal to the
third floor.
The
motion carried (4-1) with Commissioner McHugh voting against the motion.
Commissioner
McHugh moved to deduct $400 from the Public Buildings’ Equipment- Non
Capitalized line item.
Vice
Chairman Inman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Purchasing
The
Board commented that the Purchasing recommendation had basically remain at the
same level of funding.
Recreation
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Recreation proposed budget:
Ø
Proposed contract with the YMCA
Ø
Amount of funding versus amount of
services being received
Ø
Increase in requested funding for
upcoming fiscal year 05/06
Ø
Programs at new Danbury location
Ø
Cardiovascular Machines and
Recumbent bikes proposed in
fiscal year 05/06 recommendation
Ø
Need for separate Parks/Recreation
Department
Ø
Need for grants writer to secure
grants for improving parks
Ø
Areas being served by YMCA
Register of Deeds
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Register of Deeds proposed
budget:
Ø
Requested reclassifications by
Register of Deeds
Ø
Revenues
Commissioner
McHugh moved to approve the two reclassifications as requested by the Register
of Deeds – Deputy I and Deputy II Registers of Deeds.
Chairman
John Turpin seconded and the motion carried (4-1) with Commissioner Joe Turpin
voting against the motion.
Schools
Chairman
John Turpin noted that the Schools’ Current Expense and Capital Outlay would be
discussed at the June 27th meeting due to lack of time.
Senior Services
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Senior Services’ proposed
budget:
Ø
Utilities
Ø
Rent for facilities used for
Nutrition sites
Commissioner
McHugh moved to reduced the Utilities line item to $5400 instead $5700.
Chairman
John Turpin seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Sheriff’s Department
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Sheriff’s Department proposed
budget:
Ø
Nine (9) vehicles to be financed
Ø
School Resource Officers
Ø
Maintenance & Repair – Auto
Ø
Auto Supplies – Gasoline
There being no further business to come before the Board, Chairman John
Turpin entertained a motion to recess the budget work session until Monday,
June 27th following the regular scheduled Commissioners’ meeting.
Commissioner McHugh moved to recess the budget work session until
Monday, June 27, 2005 immediately following the regular scheduled
Commissioners’ meeting.
Chairman John Turpin seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
_________________________
_____________________________
Darlene M. Bullins
John M. Turpin
Clerk to the Board Chairman