HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_1317 (2)iredell County Board of Commissioners
Winter Planning Session
Agricultural Resource Center
(Conference Rooms I & 2)
444 Bristol Drive
Statesville, NC
Friday, February 13, 2004 & Saturday, February 14, 2004
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners held a Winter Planning Session on Friday,
February 13, 2004, 8:00 a.m., at the Agricultural Resource Center, located at 444 Bristol Drive,
Statesville, NC. Commissioners present were:
Chairman Stephen D. Johnson
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Doug Madison
Marvin Norman
Sara Haire Tice
Staff present were: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Finance Director Susan
Blumenstein, Support Services Director Jim Vernon, Cooperative Extension Service Director
Ken Vaughn, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore. (Other staff members attended, and they are
identified throughout the minutes.)
Media in attendance during some sewnents of the session were: Michele Harrison,
Statesville Record & Landmark, Gerald Witt, Mooresville Tribune, Katie Beaver, Statesville
Record & Landmark, Kim McKinney, Iredell Citizen, and David Boone, Boone Report.
Call to Order by Chairman Johnson.
FY 03-04 Budget Review & Projections: Finance Director Blumenstein distributed
budgetary information relating to the current year's budget. She said the ad valorem tax
collections were slightly less than anticipated, but they were close. Mrs. Blumenstein expressed
concern over sales tax revenues, especially the 1983 (1/2¢) and 1986 (1/2¢) taxes that were
distributed based on the state's population formula, and she predicted a year-end shortage of
approximately $655,018. She said the county departments were progressing well within their
budgeted amounts, and she didn't foresee any of them being over budget by the close of the year.
Blumenstein did advise, however, that the EMS Department was approximately $660,000 behind
in collections. Mrs. Blumenstein said there wasn't much profitability in the county's
investments at the current time, due to public money rates being low. She said the tax assessor's
office wasn't seeing much of an increase in business growth.
In regards to the EMS revenue shortage, County Manager Mashburn said the $660,000
was still owed to the county, and the problem was due to an invoicing software problem.
Blumenstein noted a 40% increase in operating expenses at the government center -south.
She said $ 1.1 million had been estimated for school growth (average daily membership plus 911
students).
Commissioner Madison asked about the $750,000 in lapsed salaries.
Blumenstein said lapsed salaries were listed in the expenditure side of the budget. She
concluded her remarks by saying that is was estimated the county's fund balance on July 1, 2004,
would be $11,703,069.00, and this amount was obtained by projecting that the county
departments would be under budget by a total of $263,494. Blumenstein noted, however, that
for FY 2004-05, the county's estimated expenditures could possibly exceed revenues by
$4,449,708.00, based on past years' figures, and this would necessitate a 3.36¢ tax increase to
balance the new budget.