BC 1999 06 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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251 a formal agreement by the Board of Commissioners, Cabarrus County Board of Education and Kannapolis City Board of Education. Chairman Barnhart introduced discussion of the request by the Harrisburg Fire District for a fire district tax rate increase. He stated for the record he had spoken with three elected Harrisburg officials who had concerns regarding the issue of fulltime paid firemen for the Harrisburg Fire Department. Further, he recommended that the Board deny any increase in fire district taxes. Commissioner Casper proposed that the issue be placed on the ballot for the persons living in the Harrisburg Fire District to vote on the requested increase. She stated the Harrisburg Town officials did not take a stand on the issue since only a portion of the fire district is located within the Town of Harrisburg. Mr. Hartsell explained that the Board levies the fire tax and he is unaware of any authority to call for such a referendum in the fire tax district. There was discussion regarding the importance of volunteer firemen, the requested fire district tax rates, the impact of revaluation on the rates and the County's Fire Protection Ordinance. UPON MOTION of Chairman Barnhart, seconded by Commissioner Privette and unanimously carried, the Board approved the fire district tax rates as requested with the exception of the increase in the Harrisburg Fire District tax rate. Further, the Board agreed that the tax rate for the Harrisburg district would remain the same as in FY 1999. The approved fire district tax rates were as follows: Allen .04 Cold Water Enochville .04 Flowe's Store Georgeville .06 Gold Hill Harrisburg .05 Jackson Park Midland .055 Mt. Mitchell Odell .035 Poplar Tent Rimer .06 Winecoff Northeast .06 Mt. Pleasant Rural Richfield-Misenheimer .07 05 04 05 045 04 O5 035 O4 Chairman Barnhart asked the Board to reconsider its decision to cut $1.1 million from the Schools Capital Outlay allocation. There was discussion regarding proposed funding for the schools, including current expense funding, capital outlay funding, the $3 million allocation for building maintenance operations, the $172,914.00 debt service payment for Kannapolis City Schools, the purchase and disposition of school property and the need to maintain existing facilities. The Board reviewed funding that had been provided since 1996 for education in Cabarrus County, including the construction of a number of new schools and additions at other schools. After discussion, the Board declined to take action to restore the $1.1 million in capital outlay funding to the schools. However, some Board members did indicate that the Schools could make a request to the Board during the year if problems should occur and additional funding is needed. The Board discussed the setting of the tax rate for FY 2000 and the impact of revaluation on the tax rate. Commissioner Fennel made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Casper to set the County's tax rate at 59 cents, to incorporate all the changes that had been made to the preliminary budget and to adopt the Budget Ordinance. Commissioner Privette made a substitute motion, seconded by Commissioner Carpenter, to set the tax rate at 58 cents, reduce the Fund Balance from 15 percent to 14 percent, incorporate the list of changes into the preliminary budget and to adopt the Budget Ordinance. The motion failed with Commissioners Privette and Carpenter voting for and Commissioners Fennel and Casper and Chairman Barnhart voting against. UPON MOTION of Commissioner Fennel, seconded by Commissioner Casper with Commissioners Fennel, Casper and Privette and Chairman Barnhart voting for and Commissioner Carpenter voting against, the Board voted to set the County's tax rate at 59 cents, to incorporate all changes that had been made into the preliminary budget and to adopt the following Budget Ordinance.