BC 1991 10 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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340 The Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners met in regular session in the Commissioners' Meeting Room at the Cabarrus County Governmental Center in Concord, North Carolina on Monday, October 21, 1991, at 6:30 P.M. Present - Chairman: Billy J. Simmons, Jr. Commissioners: Jeffrey L. Barnhart Carolyn B. Carpenter William G. Hamby, Jr. Kenneth F. Payne Also present were Mr. Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr., County Attorney, and Mrs. Frankie F. Bonds, Clerk to the Board. Chairman Simmons called the meeting to order at 6:35 P.M. The invocation was given by Reverend J. David Colson of the Center United Methodist Church. UPON MOTION of Commissioner Barnhart, seconded by Commissioner Payne and unanimously carried, the minutes of October 4, October 7 (special), and October 7 (regular), 1991 were approved as written. NEW BUSINESS Mrs. Kaye M. Amos, Chair of the Cabarrus County Board of Education, and Mr. Henry H. Duncan, Chairman of the Kannapolis City Board of Education, presented the joint nomination of the Board of Commissioners for the 1991-1992 North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA) County Commissioners Award. Each expressed appreciation to the Board for its support of the schools. The nomination read as follows: The Cabarrus County Board of Education and The Kannapolis City Board of Education hereby nominate The Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners for the 1991-1992 NCSBA County Commissioners Award The Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners supports education as a number one priority. Schools were at the top of campaign platforms in recent elections and members have held to promises for increased funding and overall support of our schools. The local budget for education has increased every year since 1988. Appropriations were up 7% in 1988, 15% in 1989, 17% in 1990, and 16.5% in 1991. Considering the negative impact of the economic recession during these years, the commitment of the Cabarrus Commission to school funding was clearly outstanding. The increase in funding for the current fiscal year was extremely important, given the cuts in state allocations. Strong local support allowed our system to offset some of the state reductions, avoiding the severe budgetary impacts suffered by many schools throughout North Carolina. The Cabarrus County Commission has been equally supportive of capital needs. Local bond commitment is 2.5 times state average. The passage of a $25,000,000 bond issue in 1988 resulted in construction of numerous school buildings throughout the county. The Commission participated in a recent update of our facility study, lending continued support to facility needs in our high- growth area. Last spring Commissioners initiated conversations with both Boards of Education and the local legislative delegation to pursue innovative ways to further increase educational funding. Supplemental taxing authority and other revenue initiatives were explored. The Commission also helped raise public awareness of school construction projects and building needs with articles in the county public affairs bulletin. In addition, individual Commissioners have also been involved in "hands-on" work with students. Mrs. Carolyn Carpenter's volunteering in area classrooms and Mr. Jeff Barnhardt's tutoring for Cities in Schools are two examples of personal commitment. The Cabarrus County Schools and the Kannapolis City Schools have made dramatic gains for young people during recent years and support from local Commissioners has been instrumental to our success. Therefore, we proudly nominate the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners for the 1991-1992 NCSBA Award.