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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.30.2000 MinutesMay 30, 2000 Hagerstown, Maryland The regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland, was called to order at 8:30 a.m. by President Gregory I. Snook with the following members present: Vice President Paul L. Swartz, and Commissioners Bertrand L. Iseminger, Jr., John L. Schnebly, and William J. Wivell. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Invocation was delivered by Commissioner Snook, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by the full assemblage. HAGERSTOWN ROUNDHOUSE & SPORTS COMPLEX FUNDING RESOLUTION The Commissioners reviewed the Resolution to Provide Funding for a Baseball Stadium in Washington County, Maryland. Richard Douglas, County Attorney, assured them that the resolution includes the conditions they specified for County funding for the project. He stated that only the revenue from the hotel rental tax as provided for in Article 24, Section 9-318 may be used to fund the stadium under the terms of the resolution. A separate piece of legislation specifies the amount of the additional hotel rental tax revenues that shall be applied to the water and sewer debt. The Commissioners asked Mr. Douglas to review the referendum procedures and the effect a referendum would have on the legislation. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – MAY 9, 2000 Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Swartz, to approve the minutes of May 9, 2000, as amended, to include the Hagerstown Roundhouse and Sports Complex Funding Resolution. Unanimously approved COMMISSIONERS REPORTS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Iseminger reported on the Emergency Services Council meeting. He also asked the Commissioners if they would like to participate in a charity softball game to benefit “Coats for Kids.” Commissioner Wivell reported that he attended several Memorial Day celebrations. He informed the Commissioners that he was a guest on a local radio call-in show. Commissioner Wivell also reported on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Commissioner Swartz reported on the meetings of the Historic Advisory Committee and the Transportation Advisory Committee. He informed the Commissioners that he attended a seminar on drug treatment and prevention. He also met with Harold Phillips regarding his findings on the ratio of school facilities to the number of students. Commissioner Swartz reported on the Community Action Council meeting. Commissioner Snook stated that he attended the ribbon- cutting ceremony for the Walnut Street Health Clinic and presented Civil War Roundtable history award. ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION - PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS OF 2000 Timmy Ruppersberger, Bond Counsel, and Paul Heid, Financial Consultant, appeared before the Commissioners to review the Preliminary Official Statement relating to the Tax Exempt Public Improvement Bonds of 2000 in the amount of $13,375,000. Debra Bastian, Director of Budget and Finance, reviewed the changes made in the bond package. She noted that it was anticipated that the County would have to borrow $14 million but the amount was reduced to $13,375,000. Ms. Ruppersberger stated that the general obligation bonds are scheduled for bid on June 13. She informed the Commissioners that $3,077,100 will fund various education projects, $4,466,950 for various county road, drainage, bridge and sewer projects, $3,551,750 for solid waste projects, $2,129,200 for expansion of public facilities, and $150,000 for issuance costs and bond discount. Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Schnebly, to approve the Preliminary Official Statement relating to the Tax Exempt Public Improvement Bonds of 2000 authorizing and empowering the County Commissioners of Washington County to issue and sell at public sale, upon its full faith and credit, its General Obligation Serial Maturity Bonds in MAY 30, 2000 PAGE TWO the aggregate principal amount of $13,375,000 (Chapter 87 - $7,660,000; Chapter 110 - $5,715,000) to be known as “Washington County, Maryland, Public Improvement Bonds of 2000,” pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 87 of the Laws of Maryland of 1995, as amended, for the public purpose of financing the cost of general public improvements in Washington County. Unanimously approved. (A copy of the resolution is attached.) ADOPTION OF FISCAL YEAR 2001 BUDGET Debra Bastian, Director of Finance, met with the Commissioners to discuss the Fiscal Year 2001 budget and the testimony given at the public hearing on May 23, 2000. Ms. Bastian stated that she was asked to review the budget projects to try to find additional funding needed by the Board of Education to meet the Governor’s initiative to provide teachers with a 5% increase in salary. She outlined the following proposal: $51,000 additional revenue from 911 fees, $8,000 for deferring the purchase of a vehicle, $245,000 for a one-time reduction in debt payment due to timing of issuance, $10,000 in new revenue from Sheriff’s Department (alien inmates and Social Security Administration income), $140,000 by shifting the funds for purchase of an NT server for the Sheriff’s Department from the operating budget and utilizing the funds remaining from the FMS project, $100,000 by increasing the projections for revenue from recordation tax, and $10,000 in hotel rental tax revenues. Ms. Bastian stated that the adjustments total $624,000. Commissioner Snook stated that he feels that the Commissioners should be more conservative with the revenue projections and that he cannot support increasing the estimates for some of the items. Commissioner Schnebly voiced his objections to using one-time costs to fund the budget, but that he can support half of the proposal. Commissioner Iseminger expressed his support for providing $624,000 to the Board of Education to be used to fund salary increases for teachers in order to qualify for the additional one percent from the State. The Commissioners continued their discussions on the adjustments. Motion made by Commissioner Swartz, seconded by Iseminger, to revise the budget to include an additional $624,000 to the Board of Education on the condition that the Board meet with them to discuss the budget in more detail. The motion did not carry with Commissioners Swartz and Iseminger voting “AYE” and Commissioners Schnebly, Wivell and Snook voting “NO.” Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly to approve the budget adjustments less the one-time costs of $385,000. The motion died for lack of a second. The Commissioners then continued discussions on the budget. Commissioner Wivell reviewed his earlier proposal to make reductions to balance the budget without raising taxes. He stated that education has been a priority of the County and cited increased funding to the Board of Education over the past three years. The Commissioners asked the Board of Education what reductions they would make if the additional funding were not provided. Paul Bailey, President of the Board of Education, indicated that it was likely that programs would be cut, but not the salary increases. Motion made by Commissioner Swartz, seconded by Schnebly, to provide an additional $379,000 to the Board of Education by utilizing the budget adjustments provided by the Director of Finance less the reduction in debt payments of $245,000. The motion carried with Commissioners Swartz, Schnebly, and Iseminger voting “AYE” and Commissioners Wivell and Snook voting “NO.” Motion made by Commissioner Iseminger, seconded by Swartz, to approve the Fiscal Year 2001 budget, as amended to include an additional $379,000 to the Board of Education, $25,000 for the gypsy moth program, and $6,720 for rent for the Family Support Center, in the following amounts: General Fund budget which totals $121,698,105; the Capital Improvement Projects budget in the amount of $20,187,110; the Special Revenue Funds (Highway Funds - $6,408,930 and Solid Waste Fund - $4,060,400); the Transportation Fund - $1,453,882; Airport Fund - $1,053,280; Golf Course Fund - $1,176,030; Water & Sewer General Services - $2,223,555; Water Fund - $1,179,735; and Sewer Fund - $8,489,897; Pretreatment Fund - $1,304,221; and to increase the MAY 30, 2000 PAGE THREE current property tax rate to $2.37 per $100 of assessed valuation; to increase the county income tax rate from 2.51% to 2.8%; and to adopt the interest rate of 6% for service charges associated with semiannual property tax payments. Motion carried with Commissioners Iseminger, Swartz, and Schnebly voting “AYE” and Commissioners Wivell and Snook voting “NO.” ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Commissioner Schnebly, seconded by Wivell, to adjourn at 10:40 a.m. Unanimously approved. , County Administrator , County Attorney , County Clerk