HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93009_2177IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BUDGET MEETING MINUTES
JUNE 3. 1999
The Iredell County Board ofCommissioners met for a 1999-00 budget meeting on Thursday,
June 3, 1999, 7:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (Commissioners' Meeting
Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC 28677.
Present: Chairman Sara K. Haire
Vice Chairman Steve D. Johnson
Tommy E. Bowles
Alice T. Fortner
Alice M. Stewart
Staff Present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Finance Director Susan Blumenstein, and
Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Haire
INVOCATION by Commissioner Johnson
DISCUSSION ON COUNTY -WIDE FIRE TAX: Nolan Shumaker, Deputy Chief of the
Union Grove VFD; Wayne Mayberry, Chief of the Monticello VFD & President of Firemen's
Association, along with several county firemen were present at the meeting. Shumaker said the
firemen had concerns about the board's decision to reduce the county -wide fire tax from $ .05 to
$ .0375. He said there had been an effort to develop a funding plan for the departments while at the
same reducing debt. Also, plans were being reviewed for the installation of water hydrants in the
county. Shumaker said the departments wanted to reduce their debts, but could not if the tax was
lowered. He went on to say that in year 2000, he didn't feel the commissioners would increase any
taxes because it would be election time.
Shumaker referred to the June 3, 1999 resignation letter from Don Parker, a member of the
Fire Tax District Board. He said Parker had resigned because he didn't feel the commissioners were
paying any attention to the fire tax board's recommendations. (Parker's letter is incorporated into
the minutes by reference as Attachment B.)
Commissioner Bowles acknowledged the Fire Tax District Board had recommended to leave
the tax at five cents. He continued by saying 1999 was a revaluation year and, historically, the
commissioners had always adjusted the tax rate to "ease the burden on the taxpayers." Typically,
the tax rate was reduced until it was revenue neutral, then, inflation was factored in. Bowles said,
after this, the tax rate was established. Mr. Bowles said the manager had proposed that every VFD
be funded somewhere between a three to five percent increase, but this did not include last year's
capital needs. Using the manager's recommendation, the fire tax board would have then been able
to put about $322,000 in unappropriated fund balance. Also, $400,000 could have been reserved
for truck purchases.
Bowles continued by saying that in 1996 the fire tax rate was three cents. At that time, he
was on the fire tax board and appeared before the board of commissioners requesting an additional
$300,000 for fire services. With this amount, the fire tax rate would have been about four cents. He
said he had hoped the $300,000 would be used to pay off debt. Bowles said that when he went of
the fire tax board in 1996, the tax rate had increased by two cents. The two cents would have been
approximately $600,000. He continued by saying that in the two years the tax rate had been five
cents, the debt had grown from $1 million to $2 million.
Shumaker said the VFDs had not been able to pay off any debt because they had been so
far behind to begin with. Now, they had adequate equipment. He continued by saying the
departments in the past had been forced to buy cheap "budget buster" trucks.