AG 1992 03 16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NORTH CAROLINA ROCKINGHAM COUNTY A RESOLUTION OF THE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS URGING ACTION BY THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON BEHALF OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WI~EREAS local government throughout the State of North Carolina and the nation is under ever-increasing financial pressures resulting from unfavorable economic factors and limited sources of revenue at a time when former federal and state responsibilities are being defunded, underfunded, or passed down to the local level through mandates; AND WI~EREAS in response to such financial pressures it is necessary for local governments to safeguard its sources of revenue and to reduce the cost of its operations wherever possible; AND W~EREAS there are numerous areas where the North Carolina General Assembly can assist Counties in meeting their service responsibilities to their citizens and in more rationally coping with diminishing revenues and expanding costs; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ~ OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY that legislation be introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly to modify current law so as to address the following issues: 1. The cost of providing medical services to jail inmates. -- State law should make it clear that private insurance coverage includes the cost of furnishing necessary medical treatment to jail inmates and that the county is only secondarily liable for this expense. In addition, a system needs to be established to more effectively shift the full cost of incarceration including ordinary -expenses for prescription drugs to the jail inmates themselves by constructive employment during their jail term and by subsequent collection methods. This cost should not be borne by law-abiding citizens through reduced services and higher taxes. Rather than mandating expensive jail complexes, state law should foster housing jail inmates in less expensive settings which facilitate good honest hard work which will teach the inmates a work ethic, promote job skills and benefit society. 2. The reduction of design cost for schools and other public buildings. -- Because of a myriad of state and federal regulations and requirements, . the cost of architectural services for public buildings represents a tremendous burden on the taxpayers. Many organizations such-as church denominations produce standard designs for their constituents. It is very likely that millions of dollars could be saved each year if the State of North Carolina provided such standard designs.