BC 2015 05 18 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 18, 2015 (Regular Meeting) Page 2399 2. Although North Carolina counties have collectively requested that the State Legislature reinstate lottery proceeds for school capital needs to their original percentages, this has not taken place. Therefore, counties will have to continue to fund projects with a larger proportion of local funds, which negatively impacts available funds for the County's and our schools' current expenses. 3. Cabarrus County continues to prosper as one of the nation's fastest- growing counties. The 2014 Census noted that our population is now 192,103, making Cabarrus the 11th most - populated county in the state. 4. The County continues to increase in residential, commercial and industrial growth. Because of this growth, the Register of Deeds office and the Planning and Development office have experienced an increase in activity. Over the last year and in FY16, the County has added several code enforcement officers to meet the demand of the new activity and to keep the building industry on schedule. S. The Unemployment Rate in the county has continued to drop to its current level of 4.9 %, which means we still have citizens out of work or underemployed. To address this issue, our economic and workforce development initiatives must continue in a positive direction. Our work to keep Cabarrus County a competitive community will allow our existing businesses to prosper and provides an attractive location and a "ready workforce" for companies wanting to expand and /or locate. 6. Operational and Capital needs of Cabarrus County Schools, Kannapolis City Schools and Rowan Cabarrus Community College continue to demand additional funding. Charter schools within the county are growing and receive County funding for their current operating expenses, as well. All of these have projected increased enrollments and funding needs. 7. The Governor and the State Legislature propose to fund phase II of their initiative to increase the base salary of new schoolteachers to $35,600 per year. The proposed budget includes the fiscal impact of this initiative and the recommended merit increases for locally paid school employees. 8. The County has divested operations of two programs to the private sector, which allows for the reallocation of staff to address growing program needs, such as Economic Services and Emergency Medical Services. The two programs are the Community Alternative Program (CAP) and Non - Emergency Transportation. The County continues to evaluate programs and services to determine their effectiveness and the best method of delivery to our citizens. 9. Currently, there are two bills under consideration by the North Carolina Senate, both of which propose a new formula for sales tax distribution. If either of these bills become law, it will have a negative impact on the County's budget. Both propose to redistribute sale tax revenues throughout the 100 counties on a per- capita basis, rather than the current point - of -sale system. FY16 Budget Highlights, Priorities and Issues 1. The Board of Commissioners has identified four focus areas that are important to them and Cabarrus County: A. Transportation, Connection and Mobility B. Programs, Funding and Services C. Planning, Growth and Economic Development D. Communication and Education Accordingly, staffing and funding levels will target these areas in the FY16 budget and beyond. 2. New positions are recommended to meet the demands of our growing county and the expectations of our citizens for staff to provide effective and efficient services. Public safety, Construction Standards, Human Services, Information Technology and Communications are functions with additional staffing proposals. 3. Increased capital and current expense funding in the amount of $3,210,000 for our schools is proposed to address the demands