STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA ) OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS

) STOKES COUNTY GOVERNMENT

COUNTY OF STOKES ) DANBURY, NORTH CAROLINA

) JUNE 10, 2009

The Board of Commissioners of the County of Stokes, State of North Carolina, met

for a Budget Work Session in the third floor Conference Room of the Ronald Wilson Reagan

Memorial Building (Administrative Building) located in Danbury, North Carolina on

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 2:00 pm with the following members present:

Chairman J. Leon Inman

Vice-Chairman Jimmy Walker

Commissioner Ron Carroll

Commissioner Ernest Lankford

Commissioner Stanley Smith

County Personnel in Attendance:

County Manager K. Bryan Steen

Clerk to the Board Darlene Bullins

Finance Director Julia Edwards

Chairman J. Leon Inman called the meeting to order and delivered the invocation.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT-GOVERNING BODY-PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Chairman Inman opened the meeting by inviting the citizens in attendance to join the

Board with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Budget Work Session

The Board continued reviewing departmental budgets:

Planning

The Board discussed the following:

• Budget had no major changes
• Minor reductions in supplies, travel, and training
• Decrease in revenue projections - increase in General Funding
• Have been sharing administrative staff with other departments while the building market is down
• Continue sharing staff in all departments

Public Buildings

The Board discussed the following:

• Percentage for salaries and fringes for the following positions are now being charged to the Danbury Water Fund, Regional Sewer Fund, and Stokes Water & Sewer Authority Fund: Public Works Director, Administrative Assistant, Maintenance Worker/Road Signs, and Water/Sewer Maintenance Technician
• AC Unit in the Health Department to be funded from Capital Reserve
• AC Unit in DSS, funding placed in the DSS budget in order to draw down federal and state funding
• Asphalt for Government Center Complex parking lot
• Reclassification of Maintenance Worker/Road Signs position due to obtaining certifications required to perform additional job duties
• Maintenance and Repair to Equipment –Lease on the county’s entire telephone system
• Maintenance and Repair to Building – Preventive maintenance for air conditioning units

Purchasing

The Board discussed the following:

• Budget had no major changes
• Department shares an employee with Finance (75% Finance and 25% Purchasing)

Recreation

The Board discussed the following:

• Contract has termination clause – must give YMCA a 180-day notice
• Funding is recommended same as last year
• Pros and Cons of contracting services

Register of Deeds

The Board discussed the following:

• Budget has no major changes
• Elected officials can’t be mandated to take furlough days unless they volunteer to do so
• Contractual services - Conversion of old records
• No General Fund revenue

Schools – Current Expenses

The Board discussed the following:

• Consensus of the Board to defer discussion until after the joint meeting on Monday,

June 15th

Senior Services and Walnut Cove Senior Center

The Board discussed the following:

• HCCBG projected funding will change for both Senior Services and Walnut Cove Senior Center – Finance Director Edwards presented the Board with updated sheets to insert into their budget package
• Walnut Cove Senior Center = $16,511 is allocated from General Fund ($6,511 is required matching fund)

Sheriff’s Department

The Board discussed the following:

• Detective position which was not recommended by County Manager
• 8 Patrol Vehicles which would be financed (cars usually bought off of state contract in October of each year)
• Matching funds for the 5 bullet proof vests
• M&R to Equipment increased due to Spillman Software Maintenance not charged to E911 due to changes in regulations
• Elected officials can’t be mandated to take furlough days unless they volunteer to do so

Social Services - Administration

The Board discussed the following:

• Professional Services - Imaging for all the current Food and Nutrition Cases and 500 closed cases – mandated by State to be imaged by 2010
• A/C unit for Building –placed in DSS Budget in order to pull down federal and state funding
• Medicaid Relief reduction
• Attorney fees could be decreased if the County had one attorney for all services
• Reduction in federal and state funding which increases county funding – county’s funding percentage increased by 2.5 from the 08-09 fiscal year
• Medicaid Travel – Title XIX which is used for medical transportation for Medicaid clients
• Current economy increases workload in the department
• Director Spencer spoke at Public Hearing regarding the need to keep the part time social worker position

Social Services – Aid to the Blind

The Board discussed the following:

• Historical data reflects budget recommendation

Social Services – Day Care Services

The Board discussed the following:

• Budget reflects State recommendation

Social Services – Medical Assistance

The Board discussed the following:

• Budget reflects Medicaid Relief – State recommendation to budget only $20,000

Social Services – Public Assistance Programs

The Board discussed the following:

• Budget reflects State recommendation

Solid Waste Collection

The Board discussed the following:

• Manager’s budget includes closing Greenbox Sites one day per week saving approximately $38,960
• Pros and Cons of closing Greenbox Sites one day a week
• Purchasing 8 Greenbox Sites
• Minimum wage increases to $7.25 in July 2009 which is reflected in the Manager’s recommendation
• Use of sticker system or some other system to determine those using the Greenbox Site are Stokes County residents (enforcement issues)
• Need for rotation program for garbage trucks

Special Appropriations

The Board discussed the following:

• King Senior Center – Manager did not recommend the $20,000 request from the City of King for the King Senior Center
• Manager Steen noted the Board had originally given $10,000 in the past for the start up of the Center and did feel comfortable funding the Center in a budget that could have furlough days for County employees unless directed by the Board
• YVEDDI – Building Fund Request. Manager Steen noted that he needed direction from the Board before allocating any special new funding request, especially in such a tight budget year
• King Senior Center does not only serve the citizens of King, but citizens who do not live inside the city limits
• King Center will received $5,000 from HCCBG Funding per Finance Director Edwards
• RTI funding included in the Economic Development budget
• $75,000 request from YVEDDI for facility not recommended by County Manager
• $90,437 request from Stokes County Fire & Rescue Association ($26,250 recommended by the County Manager)
• NC Forestry Services requested the same funding as last year

Vice Chairman Walker expressed concerns with funding the Walnut Cove Senior Center

and not appropriating any funding to the King Senior Center. The Board discussed appropriating

funding to the King Senior Center.

Superior Center

The Board discussed the following:

• Misc. Contractual Services – used to provide funding for keeping juveniles in juvenile detention centers
• Jury Commissioners are budgeted every other year = $1,200 budgeted for this fiscal year

Tax Administration

The Board discussed the following:

• County collects all taxes for Town of Walnut Cove and Town of Danbury and collects vehicle taxes for City of King

Transfer to Other Funds

The Board discussed the following

• $10,000 transferring to Capital Reserve for purchase of SRO vehicle
• $535,230 transferring to new fund – Dedicated Fund – Debt Service

Vehicle Maintenance

The Board discussed the following:

• No major changes in budget

Veterans Services

The Board discussed the following:

• Part time position – works 90 hours per 4 weeks

Capital Reserve Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• Recommendation will decrease – Animal Control will be $3000 instead of $5000 due to going ahead and pouring the concrete slab in this fiscal year, this will also affect the Animal Control budget

Dedicated Fund Account – Debit Service

The Board discussed the following:

• Finance Director Edwards noted the budget recommendation should be $210,230 instead of $535,230 - (typographic error)
• Fund was established to transfer savings from Debt Service for future debt
• First installment to Dedicated Fund

Enhanced 911 Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• E911 System Coordinator 50% funding being transferred to Information Systems due to changes in E911 regulations – can no longer be funded by E911 Funds)

Revaluation

The Board discussed the following:

• Revaluation completed in 2008-09 budget

Schools – Capital Outlay and Capital Reserve

The Board discussed the following:

• Consensus of the Board to defer discussion until after the joint meeting on Monday,

June 15^th

Regional Sewer Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• Percentage of salaries and fringes for the following positions are being charged to this fund: Public Works Director, Administrative Assistant, Maintenance Worker/Road Signs, and Water Sewer Maintenance Technician
• Planning Grant for system expansion and matching funds

Stokes Reynolds Revenue Bond Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• No changes

Danbury Water Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• Percentage of salaries and fringes for the following positions are being charged to this fund: Public Works Director, Administrative Assistant, Maintenance Worker/Road Signs, and Water Sewer Maintenance Technician
• Repayment of County Loan

King Fire District Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• Request from the City of King to increase Fire Tax
• Forsyth County denied request from the City of King to increase Fire Tax
• Current Fire Tax is 5 cents, County’s Fire Service District Tax is 6.5 cents
• 24/7 fire service

Rural Hall Fire District Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• Current fire tax is 5 cents
• No request for fire tax increase

Walnut Cove Fire District Fund

The Board discussed the following:

• Current fire tax is 5 cents
• No request for fire tax increase

Fire Service District

The Board discussed the following:

• Current fire tax is 6.5 cents
• No request for fire tax increase
• Fire Commission recommended $1,536,389, Manager recommended $1,531,969
• Manager recommended decreasing the budgets of Sauratown and Double Creek due to their confirmation during capital expenditures discussions during the 2008-09 Fiscal Year that 2009-10 budget requests could remain the same
• According to the 9 page document, need to meet with the Chairman of the Fire Commission or the entire Fire Commission due to the Manager’s recommendation is not the same as the Fire Commission
• Board agreed to meet with Fire Commission Chairman at the Monday, June 15^th Budget Work Session

Chairman Inman noted the next Budget Work Session is scheduled for Monday,

June 15^th at 4:00 pm.

Adjournment

There being no further business to come before the Board, Chairman Inman entertained a

motion to adjourn the Budget Work Session.

Commissioner Lankford moved to adjourn the Budget Work Session. Commissioner

Smith seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

________________________ _____________________________

Darlene M. Bullins J. Leon Inman

Clerk to the Board Chairman