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186 members. He expressed displeasure with comments he said some School Board members and staff made during the trip and referenced a recent newspaper editorial from the STATESVILLE RECORD & LANDMARK concerning the "rude and boorish" behavior during the trip. Commissioner Fennel described the pre- engineered steel construction method of building schools in Iredell County as faster, more cost efficient, flexible, safe and smarter. He called for a change in the method of school construction in Cabarrus County. Chairman Barnhart expressed ~disgust" with the recent article in THE INDEPENDENT TRIBUNE, stating the article inaccurately reported the trip to Iredell County. He shared prepared comments concerning school construction and his observations of both the Iredell and Cabarrus schools visited on April 1. Chairman Barnhart stated the group viewed two different "products" in the two counties. While the buildings in Iredell County were good for what that County was trying to achieve, he said in his opinion the quality of schools in Cabarrus County was much better. Stating there are many options in between the Iredell and Cabarrus facilities, Chairman Barnhart said the answer Cabarrus County should be striving for is somewhere in the middle. There was discussion regarding the trip, the behavior of persons on the trip, the inaccuracy of the newspaper article, the different types of school construction and the comparison of school construction costs. Board members expressed regrets that Iredell County officials were offended by any remarks reported in the newspaper article. The Board by general consensus agreed to ask the County Manager to prepare a letter to the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education thanking them for their hospitality and apologizing for any misunderstandings created by the inaccurate newspaper article concerning the visit to Iredell Schools. Board members will sign the letters before they are sent to Iredell County. Chairman Barnhart gave a brief report on the New High School Value Engineering Study Committee. The committee has selected a company to do a cost estimate on the high school project and a company to do a value engineering analysis of the plans for the new school. Discussion of FY 1999-2000 Tax Rate Goals - Commissioner Fennel Commissioner Fennel introduced discussion of the tax rate goals for FY 2000. The current rate is 70 cents with a projected equivalent tax rate of 62 cents as a result of revaluation. Ail Board members were in agreement that the tax rate should be as low as possible. Commissioner Fennel called for a 56 to 59-cent rate; Commissioner Privette, a 56-cent rate. The other members declined to name a specific rate prior to receiving the proposed budget from the County Manager. Mr. Blair Bennett, Deputy County Manager for Administration, briefly discussed revaluation, new growth, increase in sales tax revenue and the impact of the County's debt on the tax rate. There was brief discussion about the impact of State mandates, specifically the proposed shift of Medicaid costs for mental health services to the counties. Board Retreat Follow-Up - Chairman Barnhart The Board discussed the possibility of setting up a meeting as a follow up to its February retreat. The Clerk will send out a calendar of possible meeting dates in order to determine a date that all members can attend. APPOINTMENTS Centralina Workforce Development Board UPON MOTION of Commissioner Carpenter, seconded by Commissioner Privette and unanimously carried, the Board appointed Dr. Harold Winkler, County School Superintendent, as the Schools representative to the Centralina Workforce Development Board effective immediately. Also, the Board reappointed, Mr. James Polk as the Social Services representative. Both appointments were for terms of two years ending June 30, 2001.