Briefs and shorts from the April 2010 issue of CountyLines

Struggling economy, sagging revenue projections bring more pain for counties

Revenue shortfalls continue to hit counties hard, and several counties announced in March actions that included employee layoffs and furloughs.

Citing a decrease in anticipated revenue from sales tax and fees for county services, Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones on March 16 implemented a hiring freeze and directed county department heads to cut $13.2 million from the current budget. The reductions include the elimination of 45 filled positions in code enforcement. The county will use $14.6 million from its fund balance to help offset the overall reduction of budgeted revenue.

Looking ahead to the 2010-11 fiscal year, Jones said he is preparing for an $85 million budget shortfall, and cuts include potential layoffs of more than 500 employees and possible elimination of more than 100 vacant positions.

Orange County Manager Frank Clifton in March discussed with commissioners the potential savings from eliminating 75 permanent positions that are now vacant, and providing retirement incentives for employees who are eligible to retire.

Rockingham County officials announced March 8 that the county will close its doors and furlough employees on April 5 and May 28, saving an estimated $245,000. The Sheriff's Office, emergency services, the Board of Elections and the county landfill will remain open.

Guilford County will furlough its Register of Deeds Office employees for two days this fiscal year, but will stagger the furloughs so that the office can remain open.

In Rowan County, commissioners gave their OK to a freeze on unspent appropriations for capital projects among other budget adjustments for the current fiscal year to cover a portion of a $1.5 million revenue shortfall.

Wilkes County leaders announced furloughs for county employees – one day per month for each of the final three months in the fiscal year – and shelved plans for a new jail in light of a $1 million budget shortfall.

Iredell County Chairman succumbs to cancer

Iredell County Chairman Godfrey Williams, 66, died March 6 following a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He had served on the Board of Commissioners since 2000 and in 2008 was elected to a four-year term. Williams previously served six years on the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education.

As press time of this issue of CountyLines, the county had not named an individual to serve in Williams' seat through November. A new representative will be elected in November to fill the remaining two years on Williams' term. Out of respect to Williams, commissioners declined during their March 16 meeting to name a new chairman, instead allowing Vice Chairman Marvin Norman to run the meeting from his usual seat to the right of the chairman's seat.

Williams was a member of the NCACC Agriculture Steering Committee and served as an NCACC Legislative Liaison.

Durham County Vice Chair Ellen Reckhow, Chairman Michael Page and Commissioners Brenda Howerton and Joe Bowser take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new county courthouse. (Photo courtesy Dawn Dudley/Durham County Public Information)

Durham County digs for gold

An artist's rendering of the new courthouse. (Courtesy O'Brien/Atkins Associates and Heery-HLM Design)

Durham County will have a new LEED Gold-certified courthouse by the end of 2012. Durham County officials – including commissioners – broke ground on a $75 million, state-of-the-art facility on March 31. Keeping with the Durham County High Performance Building Policy, the courthouse will be built to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification standards.

The building will feature 11 stories with 318,533 square feet, offering 20 courtrooms for users – and potential to expand to 27. It will replace the county's current 16-room courthouse, which opened in 1978. A five-level, 897-space parking deck, scheduled to be completed during the summer of 2011, will be located adjacent to the new courthouse.

Bladen County Board names Lewis-Moore's replacement

Bladen County commissioners on March 15 appointed Albert Beatty to fill the seat vacated when Margaret Lewis-Moore died Feb. 6. Beatty will serve through November and possibly longer – he will appear on the November ballot as a candidate to complete the final two years of Lewis-Moore's original term.

The lifelong Bladen County resident was chosen for the seat after the original appointee, Stanley Richardson, was killed in an automobile accident before he could be sworn into office.

Meanwhile, commissioners paid tribute to Lewis-Moore at their March 15 meeting by recognizing family members and hanging a plaque in her honor in the commissioners meeting room.

Hyde County honors Swindell, seats new member

Hyde County commissioners honored a former Board member and welcomed his successor March 15. Chairman Tom Davis presented a plaque of appreciation to former Commissioner Barry Swindell, who resigned Feb. 26. The Board appointed Ken Collier to serve the remaining nine months of Swindell's term.

Commissioner Sharon P. Spencer was appointed Board vice chair, a seat held by Swindell prior to his resignation.

Causey makes jump from USDA to Sampson County

Ed Causey, who as area director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Rural Development's Kinston Office has been a familiar face in Eastern North Carolina, will begin serving May 1 as Sampson County manager. The Sampson County Board of Commissioners announced the appointment March 31.

Causey has served with the USDA for the past 39 years, including 30 years as Kinston area director. Under his direction, the Kinston Office managed the largest portfolio of projects in North Carolina and possibly the largest loan and grant portfolio in the nation.

Causey succeeds Rick Moorefield, who resigned as county manager/county attorney in December 2009 to become Cumberland County attorney. Assistant County Manager Susan Holder has since served as interim county manager.

"He certainly is no stranger to Sampson County, having developed public financing packages for our water districts, schools and county office facilities," said Board of Commissioners Chairman Jefferson Strickland. "In addition to his financial expertise, Ed brings to us what our citizens most frequently requested – knowledge of and appreciation for our agricultural heritage and our agriculture-based economy."

Langdon to step down as Carteret County manager

Carteret County Manager John Langdon announced March 15 that he planned to retire by mid-April. Langdon, who has held the position since 2004, cited personal reasons for his retirement.

Langdon served as the county's Legislative Liaison to the NCACC and was active in a number of statewide legislative issues of importance to counties. He is a retired Marine Corps colonel with 30 years of service.

Chatham joins counties with Farmland Protection Plans

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on March 1 adopted a new voluntary Farmland Protection Plan that includes several components to help retain farmland and boost the county's agricultural economy.

The county's Agriculture Advisory Board worked with the Chatham County Center of Cooperative Extension Service, the Soil and Water Conservation District and the Triangle Land Conservancy in developing the plan with grant funding from the state's Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation (ADFP) Trust Fund. To learn more about the county's Farmland Protection Plan, visit www.chathamnc.org, click on the "More News" link, and view the release dated March 1.

According to ADFP staff, 11 counties have approved Farmland Protection Plans. For more on Farmland Protection Plans and other preservation tools for counties, visit www.ncadfp.org.

Catawba's Barnes appointed to NACo 'Green Government' board

Catawba County Board of Commissioners Chair Kitty Barnes was appointed March 15 to serve on the advisory board of NACo's Green Government Initiative, a national effort launched in 2007 to help counties develop and implement environmentally sound programs and practices.

The Green Government Initiative serves as a comprehensive resource for county governments on all things "green," including energy, green construction, climate protection, air quality, transportation, land use, water quality, purchasing and recycling. Through the initiative, NACo provides education and outreach to counties on sustainability strategies and directs them to corporate and organizational partners that can offer green services and products.

In August 2009, Catawba County hosted the NCACC's 102nd Annual Conference, which featured a sustainability theme and highlighted several county sustainability programs.

Guilford Commissioner Davis could appear twice on ballots

Guilford County Commissioner Bruce Davis has announced he is planning to run for the N.C. Senate as an unaffiliated candidate in District 28. Sen. Katie Dorsett, a Democrat, originally filed for re-election but pulled her name out of the race on the final day of filing. Davis, who is running unopposed for re-election to the Board of Commissioners, has stated he would have filed for the Senate seat had he known Dorsett was going to withdraw as a candidate.

In order to have his name appear on the ballot as a candidate for the Senate, Davis needs to submit a petition to the county Board of Elections director by June 25 that includes signatures from a minimum of 4 percent of the total number of voters in the district as of Jan. 1, 2010.

Latest 'Precinct Manual' available from School of Government

The School of Government has announced the availability of "The Precinct Manual 2010," which is published every two years and includes a basic introduction to the law governing the administration of elections. Intended to give practical guidance to precinct officials, it explains North Carolina law on registering voters, conducting elections, counting ballots and more.

To purchase the publication, visit www.sog.unc.edu, click on the "Publications" link at the top of the page and enter the publication title in the search field.

Commissioners in Cumberland, Alamance discuss sales tax

Cumberland County commissioners are considering asking the Legislature for permission to hold a referendum on a one-cent sales tax to fund ambulance and fire service improvements. Commissioners discussed the proposal March 4 as a way to incent county fire departments to respond to medical emergencies – something fire chiefs told commissioners at a February meeting they could no longer do without additional funding.

Alamance County commissioners heard a proposal from Farm Bureau officials March 23 to hold a referendum on the quarter-cent sales tax option granted to counties by the Legislature in 2007.

The sales tax rate is 7.75 percent in 91 counties. Cumberland and seven other counties – Alexander, Catawba, Haywood, Martin, Pitt, Sampson, and Surry – have implemented the quarter-cent sales tax. Voters in Hertford, Lee, Randolph and Rowan counties have also authorized their county boards of commissioners to levy an additional quarter-cent sales tax. Mecklenburg, which has a half-cent local sales tax for public transportation, has the highest rate at 8.25 percent.

Ballots in Duplin, New Hanover and Onslow counties will include quarter-cent sales tax referendums on May 4.

Henderson County invites citizens to design new logo

Henderson County on March 31 announced a contest to create a new county logo. The county invited graphic designers of all ages and skill levels to enter the contest to create "a modern, eye-catching logo that reflects what makes Henderson County such a unique place to live and work."

A committee of county employees will choose the top three design entries. In early August, the county will post the top three designs on its Web site and allow citizens to vote on their favorite design. The county's current logo is pictured above.

LGFCU reaches asset milestone

After nearly 27 years exclusively serving North Carolina's local government employees, elected/appointed officials, volunteers and their families, Local Government Federal Credit Union has reached a major business milestone – surpassing $1 billion in assets.

The NCACC was one of the partners that worked with State Employees' Credit Union officials to launch LGFCU.

NACo accepting entries for County Courthouse Awards

The National Association of Counties is accepting applications for the 2010 NACo County Courthouse Awards program through May 7.

The awards program recognizes innovative governance by county elected officials from NACo member counties. From large metropolitan counties to surbuban and rural counties, county executives, board members and commissioners are continually working to address issues such as homeland security, air and water quality, information technology, health and human services, and public safety. Managing and prioritizing a county's needs may be a commissioner's most challenging task. These stories are the foundation upon which other successes can be built.

Award winners will receive an engraved plaque that they can display in their county, recognition at the 2010 NACo Annual Conference and a $5,000 college scholarship to present to a graduating high school senior. Awards will be given out in three categories: rural, suburban and urban.

For more information, visit the "Awards" page at www.naco.org, or contact Dalen Harris or Erik Johnston at (202) 393-6226, or dharris@naco.org or ejohnston@naco.org.

Chinese visitors talk county government with Currituck officials Currituck County welcomed a delegation of municipal-level government executives from China on March 16. A group of 23 officials from China's Hunan Province met with county commissioners and staff at the Moyock Welcome Center, the historic courthouse and the water plant in Maple. The Chinese delegation was in the United States to attend a public administration training seminar at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. Areas of specific interest for the group included tourism, land use planning, conservation, economic development and education. (Photo courtesy Randall Edwards/Currituck County Public Information Office)

SHORTS

Columbus: Commissioners discussed the possibility of merging the Whiteville City and Columbus County school systems during a March board retreat. … Gerald Fogle was appointed social services director March 15. He previously served as a regional supervisor for the South Carolina Department of Social Services. … NCACC Associate Member Ware Bonsall Architects presented to the County Courthouse Committee in March on a courthouse needs assessment. … Catawba: Bryan Blanton was promoted to emergency services director in March. Blanton, who has served with the county's emergency services in various roles since 1993, succeeds David Weldon, who resigned in January to join the state Division of Emergency Management. … Graham: Assistant County Manager Kim Crisp is serving as interim county manager following the resignation of Lynn Cody on March 22. … Nash: The county sold bonds March 17 to finance a new high school, a new county emergency services facility and two other projects. The interest rate on the 20-year bonds is 4.36 percent. … New Hanover: Payroll Administration Analyst Debbie Grymes has been appointed to the LGFCU's Southern Coast Advisory Council. Council members serve as liaisons between credit union members and non-members and LGFCU management. ... Pender: Security renovations to the courthouse are among several ongoing facility improvements. In addition to renovation work at the animal control building, the health department's dental facility and probation and parole offices, child protective services were relocated to new modular buildings. … Robeson: The Board of Commissioners during its March 15 meeting continued to show its appreciation to legislators for relieving counties of Medicaid costs in 2007. Reps. Doug Yongue, Garland Pierce and Ronnie Sutton, and former Sen. David Weinstein were honored during the meeting. … Surry: Commissioner Jim Harrell Jr. and his father, brothers, sons and nephews were honored during a 100-year celebration of Scouting at the Old Hickory Council Boy Scouts' March 26 recognition banquet. The Harrell family has earned eight Eagle Scout awards since 1938. Commissioner Harrell earned his Eagle Scout award in 1962. ... Wake: Standard and Poor's, Moody's and Fitch have each assigned triple-A ratings to the county's 2010 $125.8 million general obligation bond issue that will be used to finance $100 million of Wake County Public School System capital projects and $25.8 million of Wake Technical Community College projects. The bond issue was sold March 16. … Mike Wasilick, a 23-year veteran of the county's library system, took over as director of libraries on March 29.