The Alleghany County Board of Commissioners met in special session
on Monday, April 30, 2007,
at 6:00pm in the Commissioners
Meeting Room of the County
Administration Building,
348 South Main Street,
Sparta, North Carolina.  The purpose of this meeting is to
discuss school facilities.

Present:  Chair Ken Richardson, Vice-Chair Warren
Taylor, Commissioner Randy Miller, Commissioner Doug Murphy, Commissioner Milly
Richardson, County
Manager Don Adams, and Clerk to the Board Karen Evans.
County Attorney Donna Shumate was absent.

Chair
Ken Richardson called the meeting to order.

Commissioner
Milly Richardson made a motion to approve the agenda for this April 30, 2007,
meeting.  Commissioner Warren Taylor seconded the motion.   Vote 5:0.

AGENDA

Monday,
April 30, 2007

6:00 PM

6:00                Meeting Called To Order

Motion
on Agenda for April 30, 2007,
meeting

6:05                County Business

1.  Discussion regarding School Facilities

Adjourn

County Manager
Don Adams stated that he asked the
Board to get together regarding the School’s request on school facilities
to provide direction to the Board of Education.  He further stated that he has heard
comments ranging from staying with a revenue-neutral tax rate to fund raising
the monies for the project to putting the issue on a referendum.  He asked if anyone wants more research
on the middle school issue.

Chair
Ken Richardson clarified that this meeting is not to discuss the schools 07/08 budget
request, just the school facilities issue.

County Manager
Don Adams agreed.

Commissioner
Warren Taylor talked about the
Commissioners agreeing to place the issue on a referendum prior and the Board
of Education decided against it.

County Manager
Don Adams stated that he believes
the schools expect the issue to be on a referendum.

Commissioner
Doug Murphy asked if they are looking
for a time frame.

County Manager
Don Adams stated yes, they are
looking for a time frame.  He
explained the dilemma they face; ongoing increase in construction costs and
ongoing space needs.  He talked
about their request this year has costs associated with the middle school
concept as well as other immediate needs.

Commissioner Doug Murphy asked
about pursuing ways to get additional monies.

County Manager Don Adams
stated that he is not aware of anything new.  He talked about how the transfer tax
could play into this.

Commissioner Randy Miller stated that the Board has stated
that the Commissioners support the middle school concept but the issue is the
money.  He talked about how can the
County pay for five schools.

County Manager Don Adams
stated that currently the State doesn’t provide enough funding for the
existing four schools.

Commissioner Milly Richardson explained her and Commissioner
Murphy’s meeting with the schools.
She stated that they explained that the county can’t fund the
project currently but would help find the money otherwise.  She talked about funds available through
the state being interest-free, paid back over 14 years.  She further talked about Dr. Cox
checking into the possibility of monies through that program.  She talked about the commitment of an
additional $1,000,000 per year annual operating costs being enough of a
hardship.  She further talked about
working together to do this.

Commissioner Milly Richardson, Commissioner Warren Taylor,
Commissioner Doug Murphy talked
about there are $3,000,000 in immediate needs.  Commissioner Doug
Murphy talked about needs in the outlying schools that need
to be addressed.

Commissioner Milly Richardson talked about her conversations
with a former school board member regarding funding requests.

Commissioner Doug Murphy reiterated
that there are needs and setting a timetable to address all of the needs.

Commissioner Randy Miller stated that they haven’t
talked about issues at the high school yet.  He talked about taking the 6th
grade out of the middle school concept and saving money.

Commissioner Doug Murphy stated that the Commissioners have
to do the best with what they have.

Commissioner Warren Taylor asked
Chair Ken Richardson to share legislative information that might help in this
situation.

Chair Ken Richardson reiterated that regardless of who gets
the money, the Commissioners have to approve it.  He stated he would like to be able to
tell the County Manager if there is a majority of the Commissioners or any
Commissioners that support continuing with the middle school concept and be
willing to vote on it when the request comes before the Board and is there support
for improvements at Piney Creek Elementary School, Glade Creek Elementary
School, Sparta Elementary School and the High School.  He stated that he has heard one
Commissioner say that it might be five years down the road before the County
can talk about any of this.  He
talked about there isn’t any free money out there.  He further talked about there are 117
school systems needing the money.  He informed the Board that he is going to
Raleigh on
Wednesday to meet with the legislators, and he met with them last week, as
well.  He talked about a summary provided
by the Association showing data from the six counties that have the land
transfer tax showing how their tax rate has come down and real estate sales
have increased.  He reminded
everyone that if a state-wide transfer tax passes, the Commissioners would have
to decide to exercise it.  He
explained that there are several different bills regarding the land transfer
tax and numerous ways proposed to spend the money.  He stated that this is the best year to
get assistance from the State including the Medicaid relief.

County Manager Don Adams
talked about how the Medicaid relief could help the County.

Chair Ken Richardson also talked about the Medicaid
relief.  He stated that the lottery
isn’t bringing in what was originally stated.

County Manager Don Adams
stated that originally $118,000 was budgeted, and the last time he checked on
projections, it will be around $92,000.

Chair Ken Richardson talked about how to proceed to provide
answers for the Board of Education regarding the school facilities needs.

Commissioner Warren Taylor talked
about the number of students at the outlying schools when you take out 6th-8th
grades for a middle school and spending money to fix those schools’
immediate needs when everyone is looking at a middle school five years down the
road.

Commissioner Milly Richardson stated that she doesn’t
hear anyone stating that we are going to do this next year.

Commissioner Doug Murphy mentioned that the Commissioners stated
they are going to try to stay revenue neutral, and he thinks that the Board of
Education is looking for a timetable as to when the Commissioners would be
willing to do the things necessary to get the middle school, if that is the
recommendation from the schools.

Chair Ken Richardson stated that if the County gets nothing
new from the General Assembly, then he agrees with the Commissioners that it
would be five years to get where is needed to be discussing the middle school.  He further stated that on the other hand,
if get the County gets some help from the General Assembly, then the
Commissioners could be talking about it next year.

Commissioner Doug Murphy stated that the Commissioners have
to talk about the outlying needs regardless of the middle school.

Commissioner Warren Taylor talked about safety needs that should
be addressed regardless of what happens, like the Piney Creek
Elementary School
gym.

Commissioner Doug Murphy talked about the gym is used as a
community gym.

Commissioner Warren Taylor talked about unless the
Commissioners are willing to raise taxes to pay for the bond money then the
County will have to wait.

Chair Ken Richardson reiterated that if no other revenues
come in, the County is looking at five years down the road.

County Manager Don Adams
explained that doesn’t state the Commissioners are going to build a
middle school in five years.

Commissioner Doug Murphy added that if we get some
additional aid, he thinks that the School Board is looking for a shorter window
and that is something that needs to be considered, too.

Chair Ken Richardson stated that the Board can open up that
window this time next year if we get additional monies.  He talked about immediate needs that he
thinks are addressed in this year’s budget request.

Commissioner Randy Miller stated that whether the County gets
help or not, the County isn’t going to get enough help to run five
schools.  He talked about having to
make that decision, too.

Commissioner Doug Murphy talked about the responsibilities
of the Commissioners and the Board of Education.

County Manager Don Adams
talked about reading the newspaper about what has been occurred in the past two
years regarding the conversations that has occurred at the Board of
Education.  He gave examples
including ensuring there are enough students to keep the outlying schools
open.  He talked about the need to
have a certain amount of kids to keep state funding for positions.  He stated that it is the
Commissioners’ responsibility to decide on funding an additional school.

Commissioner Doug Murphy asked are the Commissioners all
committed to a middle school at some point.  He talked about maybe looking at it next
year depending on what happens.  He
reiterated that this year is out but looking at it next year depends on what
happens.

Commissioner Randy Miller and Commissioner Doug Murphy
talked about having children in school.

County Manager Don Adams
asked if he understands correctly that in this budget, the Commissioners will
not be able to discuss middle school funding as far as building the building.

Commissioner Milly Richardson stated that is what she has
heard.

Commissioner Doug Murphy stated that it is if the Board
stays at a revenue-neutral rate.

County Manager Don Adams
stated that the message he would send is that the Board of Commissioners are
not in a position to fund the construction of a middle school plus the
operating costs each year regardless of whether the Commissioners support a
middle school or not.  He talked
about when it could be opened up as an option depends on if the State provides
additional taxing authority to the Commissioners.  He asked if these statements are
accurate.

Chair Ken Richardson asked if anyone has problems with what
the County Manager is saying.

The Board of Commissioners agreed to what the County Manager
said.

County Manager Don Adams
talked about when the Commissioners see what relief is available determines
when the doors will be opened again.
He further talked about the School Board needs to come to the
Commissioners focused on the immediate needs including space needs instead of a
middle school concept.  He
reiterated that what he is hearing is that if the Commissioners don’t get
additional revenues, the Board can’t spend that amount of money for many
years.

Commissioner Warren Taylor talked
about the debt load decreasing in the next three to five years to a point to
where the Commissioners can consider a bond referendum to build a middle
school.  He talked about inflation
will hurt the County, but the project isn’t affordable currently.  He talked about what happens if the
County borrows $10,000,000.

County Manager Don Adams
stated that the County would have to get special permission from the LGC.

Commissioner Milly Richardson stated that the Commissioners have
all agreed that they don’t want to borrow the money.

Chair Ken Richardson, Commissioner Milly Richardson and
County Manager Don Adams talked
about the County Manager’s comments for the Board of Education, and if
anyone doesn’t agree to speak up.

Chair Ken Richardson reminded everyone the whole purpose of
this meeting is to provide some direction as to what the majority or all of the
Commissioners feel like regarding the middle school project.  He asked if the statement just put out
by the County Manager is what we are talking about
regarding the project.

Commissioner Milly Richardson stated that she thinks it is
very accurate.

Commissioner Warren Taylor stated that the sad part is that
the very best education can’t be provided for the students.  He further stated that doesn’t
mean that the Board hasn’t provided funding the best that the County can.

Commissioner Doug Murphy reiterated
that every year that goes by the costs increase and every year that goes by the
kids get another year behind.  He
talked about the situation puts the focus on both boards to be creative and do
some brainstorming.  He stated that
he thinks this project can be done.

Commissioner Milly Richardson talked about speaking with Mitch
Franklin about working with Vannoy Construction during his prior
employment.  She stated that he drew
a plan that could save a couple million dollars, which is what we need.

Commissioner Doug Murphy stated that he is looking at the
recurring costs.

Commissioner Warren Taylor and Commissioner Milly Richardson talked about sales
tax monies staying in the county would help fund things like this.

Commissioner
Doug Murphy talked about when this is presented to the Board of Education, to keep
open any recommendation they may have and share it with the Commissioners, and
the need to be in contact.

Being
no further business, Commissioner Milly Richardson made a motion to adjourn at 6:45pm.   Commissioner Doug
Murphy seconded the motion.  Vote 5:0.

Respectfully
submitted,

Karen Evans

Clerk to the Board

Attest:

Ken Richardson

Chairman