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154 <br /> <br />Coddle Greek Reservoir debt service <br />Muddy Creek WWTP <br />Additional pay period (once every seven years) <br />Reinstate ambulance transport <br />Reinstate Personnel Management Program <br />Court House Renovation (new judge) <br />Parks matching grants <br />Restructured debt (long term saving of over $2,000,000) <br />Additional mandated DSS spending <br />New legal fees (Philip Morris) <br />New CDBG match <br />Economic Development Corporation funding <br /> TOTAL <br />OPTIONS: <br />Preliminary Plans & purchase of land for <br /> Westside Elementary School (construction <br />to begin in January 1995) <br />A.L. Brown High School renovations debt service <br />Increase Parks Matching Grants by $60,000 <br />Add new 6 Deputy Patrol Squad <br />Add Performance Audit <br />Add Quick Response Vehicle & Staff for Midland <br /> TOTAL <br /> <br />$0.0075 <br />$0.0072 <br />$0.0215 <br />80.0020 <br />$0.0129 <br />$0.0017 <br />$0.0017 <br />$0.0059 <br />$0.0064 <br />$0.0019 <br />$0.0027 <br />$0,0015 <br />$0.0919 <br /> <br />$0.0172 <br /> <br />$0.0039 <br />$0.0013 <br />$0.0042 <br />$o.oo21 <br />$0.0033 <br />$0.0320 <br /> <br />Additional need total <br />New Tax <br />Absorbed through staff cuts <br /> and fund balance <br /> <br />$0.1239 <br />($0.04) <br />$0.0839 <br /> <br />The situation facing Cabarrus County government can be reduced to <br />this simple formula: <br /> <br />More people - higher demands for service - higher levels of spending <br /> <br />That's not to say county government can't operate more efficiently, <br />but practically speaking, we can't identify service level reductions <br />tonight that would result in saving $1,872,693 (4¢ on the tax rate) <br />without having a drastic impact on our community. <br /> <br />For example, if we agree that all the new spending items on the list <br />we just discussed should be left in the budget, then the following <br />measures would avert a tax increase: <br /> <br />1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br /> <br />Eliminate contributions to non-profits <br />Eliminate Veterans Service <br />Eliminate Cooperative Extension <br />Eliminate Department of Aging <br />Eliminate School Health <br />Eliminate Parks & Recreation <br />Eliminate Animal Control <br />Reduce Planning staff by 3 <br /> <br />$148,751 <br />$115,549 <br />$258,694 <br />$304,263 <br />$163,005 <br />$561,979 <br />$226,745 <br />$ 93,707 <br />$ 1,872,693 <br /> <br />Clearly, it would be irresponsible for us to wreak such havoc. It <br />would be equally irresponsible for us to ignore the tremendous needs <br />of our citizens in the areas of education, public safety, utilities <br />and economic development. <br /> <br />We were elected to make decisions in the best interest of our <br />citizens as a whole. That's not always popular with certain segments <br />of the population. But we are not engaged in a popularity contest. <br /> <br />To simply vote against a tax increase without offering alternatives <br />and without addressing the critical needs of our community is <br />irresponsible and short-sighted. We must act with courage and <br />purpose, thoughtfulness and integrity. We must not lose sight of the <br />future. We must prepare for it now. We must do what we were elected <br />to do. <br /> <br /> <br />