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IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MINUTES
JUNE 18, 1991 - BRIEFING
The Iredell County Boad of Commissioners met in adjourned regular session for briefing and
budget review at 4:00 p.m., Tusesday, June 18, 1991, MacGray Auditorium, Statesville Senior High
School, North Center Street, Statesville, NC. The reason for the meeting being held at MacGray
Auditorium was because it is a larger facility than the County Commissioners' Meeting Room, and a
crowd was expected because of the decisions being made on the school budget for FY 91-92.
Those present for the meeting were:
R. B. Sloan Jr., Chairman
Alice M. Stewart, Vice Chairman
Sara K. Haire
Doug Madison
Frank Mitchell
Staff present: Joel Mashburn, County Manager
William P. Pope, County Attorney
Alice Fortner, Clerk to the Board
Susan Goodman, Finance Officer
Carson Fisher, Engineer
Jerry Lundy, Planning Director
CALL TO ORDER: By Chairman Sloan
Chairman Sloan announced that this was a routine agenda. The discussion held last Tuesday,
June 11, 1991, had to do with the school budgets. This is to be the first item of business.
Chairman Sloan then called for a motion.
Commissioner Madison made a motion to accept the $686 per student funding for Current Expense
for the 1991-92 school year, and Captial funding at $186.90 per pupil. This represents a nine per
cent in Current Expense and a five percent increase in Regular Capital Outlay, Commissioner Madison
said.
Commissioner Mitchell inquired if this motion is adopted, does that mean there would be no tax
increase to cover the increases, to which the Chairman replied there would be no tax increase to
cover these increases. These funds are to come from the Fund Balance.
Commissioner Mitchell inquired if the East Iredell Middle School will be started two months
later than originally planned and completed by May 1993. Commissioner Mitchell asked for reaffirma-
tion that this level of funding will not slow down the building programs the school system has
planned. He also stated that the county commissioners were told that this did not involve any
teacher cuts and classroom supply funds.
Chairman Sloan said the classroom would be the last to suffer the cuts. That is the
understandina that he had.
Commissioner Madison asked to make a prepared statement which is written as follows:
The budget proposal that is before us today is not perfect, but neither is our current year
budget. On our agenda tonight are three budget amendments that will be adopted to correct this
current budget. This proposal is a compromise or a melting together on a number of opinions and
views. The end result may not be perfect, but it does seem to be acceptable to a number of commis-
sioners and some school board members.
I hope that with the adoption of this proposal we can move into the merged school system with
an efficient administration and adequate funding at the classroom level. With the proposed capital
budget we will be able to maintain our capital improvements schedule with only slight delays which
should be of no consequence.
Realizing that Capital Improvements are large and intergal parts of the merger plan, I would
ask the other commissioners and board of education to ,loin together and explore the feasibility of a
general obligation bond issue to fund the capital needs of our school system. I see the advantages
of such an action be be fourfold:
1.) Interest rates are low.
2.) Construction could take place quicker at lower prices.
3.) The school system would have use of of the upgraded buildings
sooner.
4.) The board of education would not have to worry from year to
year if they will have the money to pay for their building
program.
This is not a proposal or a motion but is a suggestion. If we have enough interest, we could
have our county manager gather the necessary information for further consideration. In closing,
let's put the past in the past. Consolidation is the law. Let us work together to unify our county
and our school system.
Chairman Sloan said the board made this proposal last Tuesday as a compromise among the five I