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04-17-2001 Continued Meeting., e~:~r. 2a ~N:~140 CONTINUED MEETING OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HELD THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF APRIL IN THE YEAR. TWO THOUSAND AND ONE PRESENT: Henry H. Bradby, Chairman Robert C. Claud, Sr., Vice-Chairman Stan D. Clark Richard K. MacManus Phillip A. Bradshaw .Also Attending: H. Woodrow Crook, Jr., Courlty Attorney W. Douglas Casket', County Administrator Donald T. Robertson, Assistant County Administrator/Director of . Human Resources . Carey H. Mills, Recording Secretary Vice-Chairman Claud, in the absence of Chairman Bradby, called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. for the purpose of conducting a budget work session. Anne F. Seward, Director of Budget and .Finance, presented. the:.. County's FY01-02 proposed Operating Budget. She advised that the County experienced a significant. revenue loss in a number of areas. She further advised that she .has incorporated a $230,000 loss of revenue for the Windsor .annexation and anticipates. an increase in the. County's allowance for doubtful accounts. She stated she has projected. a loss in business .license revenue in the amount of $230,000 and that he ABC and wine taxes were adjusted downward by the State in an effort to balance the budget. She stated the -sales tax .projections were reduced and the sales tax revenue is anticipated to result in a $400,000 loss. She further advised that there may be further adjustments to revenue .numbers and that :the proposed budget contains no salary increases for teachers, .Constitutional Officers or State employees. She noted the net result. is that. while local revenues have increased by $ l .4 million State and. other revenues have been reduced by approximately $1.4 million. The Board members made the following suggestions and requests: Responding to a .concern of Supervisor .Bradshaw, the Director of .Budget and Finance offered to contact some of the more significant businesses to see if they would cooperate with the County as far as sharing how their sales tax paperwork is being filed. Gerald H. Gwaltney, Commissioner. of Revenue, addressed the-Board concerning his request for a full-time Assessor's position for his Department. 1 " ~~~~~, ~ 20 ~~-~41 Supervisor Bradshaw requested Ms. Seward to put the space. reconfiguration request on hold under .the Department of Inspections. He recommended Ms. Seward hold. off on radio requests and requested Ms. Seward provide him with information regarding how many radios were replaced the previous year. Supervisor Clark requested Ms. Seward to hold off on the Environmental Planner .position until he speaks with the. Director of Planning and Zoning. Ms. Seward ..requested the Board members adjust their equipment category by $400 for fetch poles for the Animal Control Department. Supervisor Claud requested Ms. Seward to hold off on the i Administration floor/painting under Equipment Repairs and Maintenance/Public Works. Department. Donald M. Long, Director of .Public Works, addressed the Board concerning his departmental requests. Supervisor MacManus recommended that repairs for aging items at the Museum not be included, however, include funds for damage caused by termites or rain. Supervisor Bradshaw recommended the $4,000.. radio replacements be placed on hold under Radio Communications/Public Works Department. ~"` Jonathan W. Hartley, Director of Planning and Zoning, addressed the Board concerning the duties of the Environmental Planner position. Supervisor MacManus recommended removing the $50,000 for the Subdivision Ordinance. and Master Plan and.. leave the $30,000 for the Zoning Ordinance. Lyle D. Hornbaker, Geographic Information Services Coordinator, provided the Board .with a presentation on the new one (1) foot orthophotography. Supervisor Bradshaw requested Mr. Hornbaker return to the Board with his recommendation on how he would implement a plan to allow the public to begin utilizing the orthophotography before finalization. Supervisor ~ Claud requested Mr. Hornbaker include in the contract negotiations with K. W. Poore & Associates a discount for information that is supplied. by the County to them first. Supervisor Bradshaw recommended .the Board approve Mr. Hornbaker's request for $25,000 to replace fourteen (14) computers. 2 a~c~~. 2~ .~.:~ 142 Richard O. Childress,. Director of Emergency Management, addressed the Board concerning his budget requests. S i Cl uperv sor ark noted that residents in his district have expressed` a desire to have the same type of rescue response they would get in Newport News or Hampton. Supervisor Bradshaw inquired if the County could implement a tax by district. with each .home paying a fire and rescue tax to supplement the. cost. Mr. Childress advised that Accommack County currently has this type of system in place with rates as high as $.22 per $100, based on the district and type of coverage they desire. Supervisor Claud stated the Board needs to know what the impacts will be to provide .this service for the entire. County and then decide as a . Board whether the County can afford to implement it. Supervisor Bradshaw agreed with Supervisor Claud and requested Mr. Childress to develop a plan as to how it will impact the County if it goes to the level of ALS, i.e., how can it be accomplished and at what costa He requested Mr. Childress also investigate the feasibility of a separate tax by district. Supervisor MacManus stated Supervisor Claud is talking. about what is the cost difference if the County went to an expectation of ALS on every vehicle, but there may be something in the short term with relatively no cost impact to the County that may still. achieve a higher percentage of ALS on the vehicles. Supervisor Bradshaw suggested that, in the short term, between now and next year, the County can get there if staff develops a short term plan of trying to encourage volunteers to become ALS and, at the same time, staff develop a plan on what the impact will be as the. County moves to the next level. He offered to work with the Director of Budget -and .Finance to find revenue sources to fund this effort if the tax is implemented. Supervisor Clark recommended the Director of Budget and Finance adjust the. line item to include AED for placement at Nike Park for senior i i c t zens. Supervisor Bradshaw requested that the.. $65,000 fore. the V}~S incentive be placed on hold for review by the Board at a later date after the Director of Emergency Management. provides the Board with additional information.. 3 Supervisor Claud requested the Director of Budget and Finance provide the Board with figures as to the savings that the car tax as it relates to emergency personnel, i.e., the effect on volunteers as far as what they receive.. E. Wayne Rountree, .Director of Public Utilities, addressed the Board .concerning his budget requests. , Supervisor Claud stated the rate study would cost the County. $50,000 and take two (2) years to recoup. He recommended staff survey surrounding areas to determine their charges and bring back a recommendation based on an increase per $1,000 gallons. He stated that he does not see a critical need to do the Master Water Plan in the amount of $.100,000 this year. Supervisor. MacManus concurred with Supervisor Claud's comments. He recommended the.. Director of Public Utilities perform an in-house analysis and report back to the Board new recommended rates. Supervisor Bradshaw suggested that staff also review the connection fees for. water. and sewer to help the County recoup what. has been spent. He recommended the fees be increased and that it be done by district. Supervisor MacManus requested that the Director of Public Utilities internally review the rates to adjust based on the County's cost to include revenue being set aside for replacements, repair, etc. He recommended that the Director of Budget and Finance remove from the budget the $150,000. Supervisor. Bradshaw moved the Board take a five (5) minute recess The motion was adopted unanimously (5-0). Ms. Seward. addressed the Sheriff's budget requests. She noted personnel needs were discussed in a recent meeting between the County. Administrator, herself and the Sheriff and it was noted that there are certain circumstances where overtime is more beneficial -than a new position because of the .other operating impacts of a deputy. She noted .that the Sheriff was agreeable to overtime as opposed to adding new positions. Supervisor Clark requested that he be included in the meeting between the Director of Budget and Finance and the Sheriff so that he could discuss increasing the revenues and fines. Supervisor Bradshaw recommended that the Director of .Budget and Finance reinstate the $325 into the J&DR Travel and Training line item. Supervisor Bradshaw requested the County Administrator review the concerns expressed by the Athletic Association regarding the schools not be cooperative about using school facilities. 4 Ba.~. 20 ~;.::~-144 Supervisor MacManus recommended the Director of .Budget and Finance track cost against each vehicle for all County vehicles. Supervisor Bradshaw recommended that the Director of Budget and Finance meet with the Geographic Information Services .Coordinator to compile a listing of computersfor Mr. Hornbaker to track costs. Ms. Seward suggested. the Board: return the $37,000 back to the County currently in the Fund Balance under the Museum Gift Shop. Supervisor Claud requested that the Director of Budget and Finance provide him with a breakdown concerning a request for additional hours for the Windsor Library. Supervisor MacManus requested that in August the Director of Budget and Finance work with the library system to review.the feasibility of an in- house County library system. Ms. Seward stated the School's request includes $1.8 million in grant funds not incorporated in the past and that the State and Federal are increasing by only 1 % or $200,000, thus the School Board is looking to the locality for $2.6 million or a 15% increase on the local contribution. She stated that she has built in a 3% increase equaling $537,000. She advised that. there is a $2.2 million dollar dift'erence between revenues and expenditures. Ms. Seward recommended that until the revenue numbers from the State are finalized that the Board proceed with adoption of the budget and should the State provide additional funds, the Board authorize a supplemental appropriation during the year. Supervisor Bradshaw recommended that the Board use the .fund balance to balance the .budget. He .stated this is citizens' money that is placed in reserve and when the County needs it, the Board needs to use it. He stated he wanted. to see what is in every fund balance as there are other avenues. that can be utilized. He pointed out that next year the citizens will experience a tax increase as a result of the reassessment and he does not want an increase for the citizens this year... Ms. Seward stated- the Board has some. cash .proffer funds, reserve funds in the amount of $400,.000 for parks and recreation and $750,000 in economic development funds that can. be pulled back in if needed. She stated she forwarded the Capital Budget to the Board in the amount of $4. million. Supervisor Bradshaw stated capital projects are always the first things stopped in economic downturns. He stated the Board must consider if there 1 5 T: a~,;~ 2l ~~:: x.45 really is a need under requested items. He stated he is not even considering a tax increase as an option. Supervisor MacManus pointed out that if the Board d~~s not impose a tax increase then staffmust come up with $600,000 in savings iil the County budget. Supervisor Bradshaw stated there are other options to consider other than a tax increase. He stated he has been. requesting the revenue numbers because there has to be other ways that the .Board can move forward this year. Supervisor Claud stated he did not want to implement a tax increase either,. but there is a level the County needs to maintain in its fund balance to operate during the year. ...Supervisor Claud charged the County Administrator with reviewing the requested new. positions and come back with only those the County needs to maintain the current level of service offered in the County today. Supervisor MacManus stated the County is going to have to give the School Board a total that it is going to have to meet. He stated the Board can give suggestions to staff of where cuts can be made, but the Board needs to advise what it wants to achieve this year and let staff come up with details of how the Board can get there. Supervisor Bradshaw stated he could not support any increases in personnel. He stated staff would have to justify any new position request. He stated the Federal and State Governments are reducing taxes and for the County to increase taxes presents a bad perception to the public. Supervisor Clark stated he wants the public to know if the County has to increase taxes it is because of the shortfall from the State. Supervisor Claud stated he would ..suggest going with the recommendations of the Director of Budget and Finance at this point and see what the State contributes and see if there is any money in the fund balance or if a tax increase is necessary. He stated the Capital Budget also needs to be reviewed and all this needs to be incorporated before any decision is made. Supervisor Bradshaw stated if the County expects to hold the school's contribution to a certain amount of funding then the same thing should be expected of the County. He again recommended that the Board utilize its fund .balance before considering a tax increase. He stated there must be a will to move forward without a tax increase, and he has this will, he just needs to find a way and the means. 6 P'J~~fi ~ V ~d~~~~~V Ms. Seward stated she is confident the Board would have ao pull the funds from its reserve funds. .She stated a minimum of 10% must be maintained because expenditures flow out twelve. (12) times a year and revenue flows in only twice a year.. She noted the Board is required to adopt its school budget by May 1, 2001 and the entire budgetby June 30, 2001. Supervisor MacManus moved the Board .direct staff to come back to the Board with a recommendation before its next work session making cuts of $1. l million to the.. recommended. column, excluding the school .portion. The motion was adopted with Supervisors MacManus, Bradby, Bradshaw, Clark and Claud voting. in favor of the motion (4-0) and no Supervisors voting against the motion. County Attorney Crook stated the Electoral Board contacted him with the request .that the Board hold its public hearing on redistricting at its first meeting in May as the Electoral Board is .concerned with an ,August 21, 2001 primary which is .what is being .projected and the public hearing is suppose to be sixty (60) days before the primary. Supervisor Bradshaw noted the Board would. make a decision next week. Supervisor Clark moved the Board adjourn, which passed unanimously (4-0). // Henry H. a y, Chairman W. Do las askey, C