Agenda Package - 10-15-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Git4 Commissioner Reives moved to approve the agenda as presented. Upon a vote, the results were as follows. Aye: Brown, Kelly, Lemmond, Paschal, Reives, Shook, and Smith Nay None The Chairman ruled the motion had been adopted unanimously Commissioner Lemmond moved to approve the Consent Agenda as presented, which consisted of the following items • Minutes from the June 18, 2007 closed session, • Minutes from the September 10, 2007 closed session, • Minutes from the September 10, 2007 regular meeting, • Minutes from the September 10, 2007 Finance Committee meeting; • Budget Amendment # 10/01/07/#08 (copy attached), • Donation of stove and hood range, valued at $950, to the Enrichment Center, • Letter to the NC DOT for a stop light study at the entrance to Wyeth on 15/501, • Agreement with Fleming Taxi for after-hours COLTS transportation services (copy attached), and • Extension of Archeological Contract with Wake Forest University for the Endor Iron Furnace through October 5, 2007. O Upon a vote, the results were as follows Aye- Brown, Kelly, Lemmond, Paschal, Reives, Shook, and Smith Nay. None The Chairman ruled the motion had been adopted unanimously. No one present signed up to speak during the Public Comments section of the meeting. County Manager John Crumpton presented his 90-Day Report to the Board that addressed goals and opportunities he would like to see Lee County pursue. Mr. Crumpton's number one issue is to reduce the increasing annual expenditures in the budget. Re-occurring expense increases need to be reduced before the County can address long-term capital projects. Mr. Crumpton stated that by restricting the annual increase the County will free up re-occurring revenue that comes from the growth in the County that can be used to address projects listed in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Department heads will be put on notice that increasing staff in their department is going to be extremely difficult. Mr. Crumpton feels the County is in good financial condition at this time, and feels there is adequate funding in the County's General Fund. Last year expenses increased 7.86 percent, while the natural increase in revenue from growth was only 3.74 percent A similar problem will occur next year when the new Santee Middle School is opened and the debt service increases again. In order to stop this trend of increasing expenditures, departments will have to limit their total budget requests to the annual rate of inflation or less. Departments will have to become better stewards of their financial resources. Outside agencies will also be put on notice that next year's budget will be difficult and increases • will be difficult to approve. The County's ability to borrow new funds is greatly influenced by the recent borrowing of $54 million to build two new schools and fund smaller projects for Central Carolina Community College. The biggest debt payment the county will make will be in next 2