) STOKES COUNTY GOVERNMENT
COUNTY OF STOKES ) DANBURY, NORTH CAROLINA
) JUNE 28, 2005
The Board of Commissioners of the County of Stokes, State of North
Carolina, met for a budget work session (recessed from Monday, June 27, 2005
budget work session) in the Commissioners’ Chambers of the Ronald Wilson Reagan
Memorial Building (Administrative Building) located in Danbury, North Carolina
on Tuesday, June 28, 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.
The Board continued
discussion pertaining the proposed Fiscal Year 2005/06 Budget Work Session.
Revenue
Neutral Tax Rate
County Manager Rick
Morris presented information to the Board concerning Revenue Neutral Tax
Rate. Manager Morris noted the following:
Ø Revenue
Neutral is a more complex calculation than the formula
supplied by the Institute
of Government
Ø Institute
of Government’s formula does not take into account
any specific history for
the individual county
Ø Propose
that the real revenue neutral tax rate would start with
that
formula and factor in the specific events that had occurred
during
the last four years since the last revaluation
Ø Past
four years history of Stokes County reveals the following:
·
5% growth in expenditures per year
·
Average Estimated 2.18 % mandated growth
·
Estimated mandates = $2,149,725
·
Loss in Revenue = $3,422,077
·
Negative impact =$5,571,802
Ø This
negative impact could result in a $.18 cents tax increase
added back to the $.54
cent formula revenue neutral calculation.
Ø The
estimates do not include increase in insurance premiums,
COLA’s and inflation.
The Board discussed the
information that County Manager Morris had provided concerning revenue neutral.
Chairman John Turpin
polled the Board concerning the tax rate for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2005/06
with the following responses:
Ø
Commissioner Joe Turpin – $.5788
Ø
Chairman John Turpin – $.5788
Ø
Vice Chairman Inman - $.60 but would
consider $.59
Ø
Commissioner Walker – $.59 with
possibility of $.58
Ø
Commissioner McHugh – $.61
Commissioner
Joe Turpin moved to approve the Fiscal Year 2005/06 tax rate be set at $.60 per
hundred dollars of property value.
The
motion died for lack of second.
The
Board continued discussion of the tax rate for the upcoming Fiscal Year
2005/06.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin moved to approve the Fiscal Year 2005/06 tax rate be set at $.60 per
hundred dollars of property value.
Commissioner
Walker seconded the motion.
The
Board discussed revenue that would be produced from proposed the $.60 tax
rate.
The
motion failed (2-3) with Chairman John Turpin, Commissioner Joe Turpin and
Commissioner McHugh voting against the motion.
Commissioner
McHugh moved to approve the Fiscal Year 2005/06 tax rate be set at $.61 per
hundred dollars of property value.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin seconded and the motion failed (1-4) with Commissioner Walker, Vice
Chairman Inman, Chairman John Turpin, and Commissioner Joe Turpin voting
against the motion.
Social Services -Administration
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Social
Services-Administration’s proposed budget:
Ø
Continual increase of County funding
Ø
Auto Supplies
Ø
Incentive Pay
Ø
Maintenance of Effort Requirements
Ø
Mandated County Percentage increased
Ø
Requested positions
Ø
Reclassification
Chairman
John Turpin polled the Board concerning possible cuts to all departments with
the following responses:
Ø
Commissioner Joe Turpin – Cut
equally to all departments
Ø
Chairman John Turpin – Cut equally
to all departments
Ø
Vice Chairman Inman – Cut equally to
all departments unless cuts can be identified by departments
Ø
Commissioner McHugh – continue to
assess each department and list cuts
Ø
Commissioner Walker – continue to
assess each department with possible cuts in COLA, longevity, new positions,
reclassifications, GIS/Mapping-fly over, postponing equipment purchases
Social Services – Aid to the Blind
The
Board discussed the Social Services – Aid to the Blind proposed budget.
Social Services – Day Care Services
The
Board discussed the Social Services – Day Care Services proposed budget.
Social Services – Medical Assistance
The
Board discussed the Social Services – Medical Assistance proposed budget with
its continual increase in County’s share of Medicaid Program Costs.
Social Services – Public Assistance Programs
The
Board discussed the Social Services – Public Assistance Programs proposed
budget.
Solid Waste Collection
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Solid Waste Collection’s
proposed budget:
Ø
Auto Supplies
Ø
Equipment- Non Capitalized
Ø
Green Boxes for sites
Ø
Improvements
Special Appropriations
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Special Appropriations-
proposed request:
Ø
Discussed information provided by
Economic Development
Director Ron Morgan concerning Piedmont Triad
Ø
JCPC – Step One – Administration
Cost
Superior Courts
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Superior Court’s proposed
budget:
Ø
Decrease from last year
Ø
New Jury Selection software paid in
2004/05 in order to
switch
to new vendor
Ø
Jury Selection software will be
funded in 2006/07
Tax Administration
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Tax Department’s proposed
budget:
Ø
Need for upcoming software
Ø
Part time wages
Ø
Salary increase for Tax
Administrator
Ø
Salary increase for Assistant Tax
Administrator requested by
the
Tax Administrator
Ø
Tax Revenue collections
County
Manager Rick Morris reiterated that Tax Administrator Wren Carmichael had
requested a salary increase for himself which was not included in the Manager’s
recommendation. Manager Morris noted
the wording in the Machinery Act, which states that the Board of Commissioners
will set the salary for the Tax Collector/Assessor.
Tax
Administrator Carmichael had requested an increase from $52,529 to $55,156.
Transfer to Other Funds
The
Board discussed the Transfer to Other Funds proposed budget.
Chairman
John Turpin moved to change the figure of $195,000 Transfer Capital
Reserve to $190,000 with the correction
to the Senior Service Center $25,741.
Vice
Chairman Inman moved to change the figure of $195,000 Transfer Capital
Reserve to $190,000 with the correction
to the Senior Service Center $25,741.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin seconded the motion.
Commissioner
McHugh requested that the Board review the Senior Service Center Fund before
changing any amounts.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin withdrew his second to the motion with Vice Chairman Inman
withdrawing his motion.
Senior Service Center Fund
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Senior Service Center Fund
proposed budget:
Ø
Increased rent $500 per month per
Manager’s recommendation
Ø
Auto supplies
Ø
Fund raisers for Center
Ø
Revenue
Ø
Senior Service Center Fund Balance
Commissioner
McHugh moved to decreased the rent to $400 per month = $4800.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin seconded the motion.
Manager
Morris explained the basis of increasing the rent to $500 per month. The Walnut Cove Colored School Inc had
requested increasing the rent to $700.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin withdrew his second with Commissioner McHugh withdrawing her motion.
Commissioner
McHugh moved to increase Walnut Cove Senior Center revenue to $20,000, use
Walnut Cove Senior Center Fund balance of $10,741.00 reducing County General
Fund to $00.00.
Commissioner
Joe Turpin seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Commissioner
McHugh moved to decrease $30,741 Transfer to Senior Service Center to $00.00
and decrease Transfer to Capital Reserve to $190,000 instead of $195,00.00 and
finance total purchase price of bookmobile.
Vice
Chairman Inman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Vehicle Maintenance
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Vehicle Maintenance proposed
budget:
Ø New
proposed garage if grant is approved from NCDOT
Ø Extra
position added to budget last fiscal year for new proposed garage
Ø Revenue
for fees from new proposed garage
Chairman John Turpin entertained a motion to cut the new staff position
along with the vehicle maintenance fees of $30,000 until the proposed grant for
the new garage is finalized.
Commissioner Joe Turpin move to cut the new staff position along with
the vehicle maintenance fees of $30,000 until the proposed grant for the new
garage is finalized.
Vice Chairman Inman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Veteran Services’ proposed
budget:
Ø Increase
in services provided to County residents
Ø Bill to
increase State funding from $2000 to $5000
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Capital Reserve Fund proposed budget:
Ø Changes
to recommended budget
Commissioner McHugh moved to change the follow recommended amounts:
Expenditures
·
Library $45,000 – change to $40,000
·
General Fund $51,445 – change to $15, 179
Revenues
·
General Fund $195,000 – change to $190,000
·
Animal Control $8,000 – change to $0
·
Jail $13, 500 – change to $0
·
Mapping $$10,445 – change to $5679
·
Public Buildings $10,000 – change to $0
Commissioner Joe Turpin seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Enhanced 911 Fund proposed
budget:
Ø Proposed
increase of E911 surcharge from $.60 to $1.50
Ø Need
for increase of E911 surcharge
Ø $50,000
for partial payment for fly over to digital GIS
Ø Uninterruptible
power supply
Ø New
Console system for King
Ø E911
Fund Balance
Ø Equipment
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Revaluation proposed budget:
Ø Elimination
of part time employees
Ø Need
for revaluation department after completion of 2005 revaluation
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Regional Sewer Fund proposed
budget:
Ø Recent
rate increase
Ø Need to
build up reserve for future needs
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Stokes Reynolds Revenue Bond
Fund proposed budget:
Ø Hospital
operations
Ø Bond
payment
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the King Fire District Fund
proposed budget:
Ø
Requested fire tax increase from
$.04 to $.05 cents
Ø
King Fire District Fund Balance
Commissioner
Walker moved to increase the King Fire tax rate from $.04 to $.05 cents.
Commissioner
Walker withdrew his motion.
Rural Hall Fire District Fund
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Rural Hall Fire District Fund
proposed budget:
Ø
No fire tax increase requested
Ø
Rural Hall Fire District Fund
Balance
Walnut Cove Fire District Fund
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Walnut Cove Fire District Fund
proposed budget:
Ø
Proposed tax increase from $.017 to
$.05 cents
Ø
Deletion of inventory tax
Ø
Walnut Cove Fire District Fund
Balance
Service District
The
Board discussed the following pertaining to the Service District proposed
budget:
Ø
Proposed tax rate increase from $.05
to $.06
Ø
Service District Fund Balance
Ø
Currently Service District Fund as a
negative balance
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 29, 2005 at 6:00 pm.
Commissioner McHugh moved to recess the budget work session until
Wednesday, June 29, 2005 at 6:00 pm.
Chairman John Turpin seconded and the motion carried (3-2) with Vice
Chairman Inman and Commissioner Joe Turpin voting against the motion.
_________________________
_____________________________
Darlene M. Bullins John M. Turpin
Clerk to the Board Chairman