BC 2014 06 16 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 16, 2014 (Regular Meeting) Page 2089 Reduce BOC pay to $10,000 and the per diem by 25¢- Reduce the annual salary of a commissioner to $10,000. Implementation of budget reductions should start at the top. Reduce county management staff by one Deputy County Manager position - Between the County Manager and two Deputy County Manager positions, approximately half a million dollars per year is expended. The county, like many governmental agencies, is top heavy in administration. Moreover, it does not appear the citizens are receiving a half of million dollars' worth of work product from these three positions. One deputy county manager receives over $150,000 in total compensation (including benefits) . This money could be better spent on several deputies or several new teachers or teachers assistants. Decrease the Arena budget by $278,721 -Our current proposed budget has an increase to this expenditure of $76,721. This increase should be deleted and the budget reduced by an additional $200k. Other than the fair, the management company receives all revenue from the arena and the county subsidizes the facility and events with an additional $900,000. County management appears satisfied to subsidize the arena and the management company with almost $1,000,000. That is not satisfactory. Reduce travel expenditure line items to no more than $200,000 combined. priority grades should be assigned to travel expenses and budgeted travel funds should be allocated until the $200,000 limit is reached. Non - Departmental Contingency shall be $900,000- During the 2013 budget discussion, County Manager Mike Downs stated that this contingency had been as low as $50,000 or $60,000 in years past. This line item has increased significantly as a discretionary budget item and it should be limited. The county set aside an emergency contingency fund of $5,000,000. If a needed expenditure occurs mid - budget, it is either a high enough priority that it should qualify for the $5,000,000 emergency contingency or a revenue neutral budget amendment should occur. Delete all funding for the county Wellness Center - -the county operates an exclusive wellness center for its employees. Employees are provided health insurance and we have tremendous health facilities within Cabarrus County. A private wellness center is duplicative and not a top priority for expenditures. This facility should either be closed or 100' self- funding. Delete funding for the Wellness Coordinator position -The position schedules things like "gentle yoga" during lunch periods. This is an unnecessary position and with our debt potentially growing substantially in the next few years, we should eliminate unnecessary positions. Delete funding for 4 new park hires from 2014 -The parks department was increased from 46 to 50 employees in 2014. Funding levels should be returned to 46 employees. Reduce expenditure to health insurance fund to no more than $6,800 per eligible employee -- The county currently expends $8,182 per employee for health insurance. Our school teachers receive a benefit expenditure of $5,435 per employee, meaning the difference between the county and state /school employees is $2,747. With over 1,000 county employees receiving health care benefits, the county is spending approximately $3,000,000 more than the state and school systems for a similar number of employees. County management can best decide the method for putting this expenditure more in line with our state and schools. Delete all funding for the Lomax Farm /Food Policy Counsel- between the small capital projects ordinance and operation expenses, the county spent approximately $400,000 on the Lomax farm last year. There were 7 participants learning to farm. We have far too many needs within our school system to be expending $400,000 on 7 people learning to farm. Implement the Health Alliance agreement from last year -last year, it was agreed that the Health Alliance would receive an additional $300,000 as a ONE -TIME measure to help it adjust to sequestration. The full $300,000 should be removed from its