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June 20, 2011 (Regular Meeting) Page 511 hope you will take my concerns to heart when evaluating budget cuts and allotments. Thank you for your service to our county. I'm sure you have difficult decisions to make. I appreciate the job you all do to help make Cabarrus County the great place it is to call home. Regards, Laura Carriker, 9058 Hickory Ridge Road, Harrisburg, NC 28075 Rhonda Poppen, resident of 7562 Long Valley Drive in Harrisburg, and Harrisburg Town Councilman, representing Mayor Tim Hagler, read the following statement: Dear Commissioners, As Mayor of the Town of Harrisburg, I am respectfully asking you to strongly reconsider your position on our request to increase our rural district fire tax levy $0.02. Our request will serve minimally three purposes: First, we will be able to continue to service our residents with the same level of fire protection as we have historically in both the inside and outside of Harrisburg. Second, we will not have to layoff firemen placing out citizens, property and firemen at much greater risk and protect our ISO rating, which keeps our residents' insurance rates much lower. And lastly, we want to make sure that the inside and outside of Harrisburg residents are paying the same rate for fire protection. In FY" 2012, the inside residents will be paying two cents more than rural residents for the exact same service. We do not believe this is fair to insist that Harrisburg inside residents subsidize services for outside residents. Please take into account that we are not requesting our increase to build new stations, hire more employees, or purchase capital equipment; but our request is to maintain our current fire department. We do not want to cut staff, close departments, minimize mutual aid or reduce current response times. All of our firemen are true first responders and all EMT trained and can administer medicinal treatments that have saved lives repeatedly. We do not want to lose the capability to save lives in our community. The bottom line is that we have operated at a high level of efficiency and success for 5 years without any increases but overcame shortfalls each year with deep cuts, deferments and absorption by other funds. Unfortunately, we are not able to absorb any additional shortfalls due to the inadequate tax rates. The Mayor, Council members, staff, and residents of the Town of Harrisburg are asking you again to please strongly reconsider your decision to help fund a mandated service that we have successfully provided for both the County and Town residents by granting us a $0.02 rural district tax levy increase. Respectfully, Tim B. Hagler, Mayor of Harrisburg With there being no one else to address the Board, Chairman White closed the public hearing. He advised the budget was discussed at three (3) budget workshop meetings and the June work session and it is his understanding the Board is in agreement with the FY2011 -2012 budget as presented. He also stated the availability of staff to answer any questions. Commissioner Carruth identified a typographical error in the "Workers Compensation Fund" section of Cabarrus County Budget Ordinance (911 Emergency Telephone Fund should have been Workers Compensation Fund) . Pam Dubois, Deputy County Manager, stated the typographical error will be corrected. Commissioner Carruth MOVED to adopt the Cabarrus County Budget Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2011 - 2012, as amended. Vice Chairman Poole seconded the motion.